Crux AX50 Climbing Pack (50L)
Special Mention: 40L to 60L Mountain Pack
The 50L Crux AX50's stated non-stripped weight is 1180g. If you add a single standard HIT Tower (135g) you get a ~60L pack weighing 1315g. The 40L Blue Ice Warthog 40's stated non-stripped weight is 50g lighter at 1130g. If you add two standard HIT Towers (2 x 135 = 270g) you get a ~60L pack weighing 1400g.
The Warthog is a beast of a pack, but the AX50 is well armoured too and at max (60L) capacity the AX50 is 85g lighter. It's also (at full RRP) £40 more expensive (though this is in part due to the older Warthog not having a boost in its price). If compared to the current Blue Ice Warthog 45 (£175) the AX50 is very much on par, at just £4 more (and is far superior).
If price was no issue and I was forced to choose between the two packs the decision would come down to how much time I spent in sub-zero conditions. The Warthog 40 is perhaps the better pack for the winter trekker, but the AX50 is not far behind and offers a little more flexibility with slightly less weight. Ultimately, these two packs are so close, that the deciding factor comes down to price (value); what keeps the pre-2019 Warthog 40 on the top spot is the fact that it's £40 cheaper and built like a tank. However, when there are no more around, and the king is dead, we'll be crowning the AX50 and exclaiming "long live the king". The Crux AX50 is a fantastic pack and thoroughly deserving of a special mention.