After about 10 years of doing the ultralight backpacking thing, I have settled on one of the packs made by Hyperlight Mountain Gear, namely the 4400 Southwest. On a recent trip with my MLD Ark carrying about 26 pounds, my shoulder muscles (trapezoids) were screaming in pain. A week later a friend loaned me his HMG 4400 "porter" and carrying the same weight I was entirely comfortable. So I placed my order.
The lesson is this (and it is true for almost any piece of lightweight gear). Weight alone should not be the only consideration. The extra weight of a substantial waist belt and some internal structure is well worth it. And I get more pack volume (70 liters) than any other pack I have previously used. So, let's look at the weights and volumes of some of the ultralight packs I have had experience with:
HMG 4400 Southwest 39 ounces 70 liters Osprey Exos 58 44 ounces 58 liters MLD Ark 16 ounces 65 litersI will note in passing that MLD no longer offers the Ark, but only the smaller (56 liter) "Exodus". The MLD Ark or Exodus is typical of many of the ultralight offerings, being just a "pillowcase with straps". The Osprey Exos is a great pack, and widely available, but I find it challenging to pack everything I need for a week long trip into it. Some might view this as a good thing, because it limits how much gear you can take. I often am a hammock camper, and that means that I find myself carrying two rather light but bulky quilts. Even if not, I am grateful for the extra volume.
They say you can carry up to 60 pounds in a Hyperlite 4400. This raises several points. One is, if you are a "lightweight backpacker", why would you ever want to? Well, perhaps you are doing a trip at the Grand Canyon or in Utah and need to carry a significant amount of water. It is good to know you can if you need to. The other thought is more important if you are just making the transition to ultralight backpacking. Often the first purchase is a new pack (and if you are replacing an old 7 pound Dana Designs with something that weighs 2 pounds, hey! You have dropped 5 pounds already! The problem is that your new pack may not be able to carry your old gear. Either the straps will rip off or you will be really uncomfortable. This usually means that you need to do what you should do first, namely adjust all of your other gear first, then buy an ultralight pack. With something like the HMG, you could in fact buy the pack first then work on the rest of your gear.
I struggled with the decision of whether to go with the Hyperlite "porter" or "southwest", but chose the southwest. This offers a big back pocket along with side pockets (adding an extra 12 liters or so of capacity). If you don't anticipate lashing mountaineering gear or other adventure gear onto the pack (which takes you out of the realm of ultralight backpacking), I think the choice of the southwest over the porter makes good sense.
The hyperlite packs have a sewn on hip belt, which smart people (who want the hip belt to do its job) like a lot. Some people complain that it is sewn on, not realizing the importance of the connection between the belt and the pack to allow the belt to do its job. The pack fabric is woven Dyneema (essentially a heavy duty version of "cuben"). It is extremely rugged and is waterproof. With the roll top pack closure, this makes the pack virtually (but not absolutely rainproof). Here is their discussion of the fabric:
With my down gear in silnylon dry bags inside the pack, I feel confident hiking through hard rain as long as necessary.It is worth noting that jumping from the HMG 3400 to the 4400, gets you more than just the extra pack volume. The 4400 series is made from the heavier DCH150 fabric, while the 3400 series is made from DCH50 (although the 3400 is available in black DCH150 if that is a real concern). Whatever the case, the waterproof woven Dyneema is tremendous stuff. Some people have pointed out that if you put wet gear in the pack, it won't dry out -- so just don't do that.
Most of this was written back around 2010 when I was sorting all this out. I have updated a lot of details, but the page deserves a total rework.
My two mainstay packs at this point in time are the MLD Ark (4200 or 4600 ci) and the Osprey Exos 58 (3700 ci). I like the Osprey for short desert trips, where I have extra weight because I have to carry water. I like the Ark for its extra volume when I am carrying bulky hammock quilts, and can keep my total weight below 30 pounds. Both are fine packs. However, I am now looking very hard at the Hyperlight 4400 packs and am expecting to move to one of them soon.
Prior to my conversion to the ultralight way, I owned and admired Dana Packs. Dana Gleason sold the Dana Design name to K2, which soon became Marmot (and who promptly ran the line into the ground -- too bad). Now Dana is back at it under the name "Mystery Ranch". Rumor has it he has recently designed a 13 pound pack! Certainly heading the wrong direction from where I want to go. Apparently he now sells a lot of packs to the military, and those poor grunts have to carry what they are told to carry and are tough enough to do it I guess.
Here is a tour of a lot of ultralight packs. Just weight and capacity doesn't tell the whole story by any means, but this compact treatment is a way to get oriented in a screen or two. Details and little things can count for a lot. I really like doing business with small companies and real people (although a friend bought a GoLite Jam, and it is a pretty nice pack).
I compiled most of these when I was doing research for my first ultralight pack purchase. I now own four ultralight packs:
I did a 1 week trip in the Sierra with the Miniposa, abused it somewhat (weight wise) and it was wonderful. Given the kind of things I am asking it to do (longer trips and heaver loads (in Arizona where there is a need to carry water, this is not just bad planning)), I really need more pack. The Gorilla would have no doubt been a better choice. The Miniposa is perfect for short super light trips (overnight shots).
The Exodus is a great mid sized pack. It is a tough and clean pack that is fine for short trips. It is tough enough to eliminate the worries that I had when I pushed the Miniposa too hard. But for longer trips, I need more volume and the Ark solved that problem.
The Ark is like an Exodus that mysteriously has extra volume. I have for all intents and purposes abandoned the Exodus for the Ark. In large part this is related to my current enthusiasm for hammock camping, where I have traded a compact pad for a bulky underquilt. As of 2018, MLD no longer makes the Ark, so MLD is no longer a candidate for the sort of pack I am after. Neither is Gossamer Gear, given that the Minposa is their 60 liter big offering. Hence it is on to Hyperlight and their 4400 packs.
Should I add yet another pack? Now that I have the Ark, it is hard to imagine what it might be. The ULA Ohm is a nice pack, but doesn't really offer anything the Exodus is not already giving me. What I might consider is an ultralight pack with some kind of internal suspension that would make carrying a heavy load of water more reasonable. Osprey offers some nice packs of this sort, and Exped is now entering the game with this sort of pack. There is the Gossamer Gear Mariposa plus (3600 ci, and the pack my ultralight guru first recommended to me), but it is ripstop and not the ultra strong Dynema unless they have redesigned it. The Gossamer Gear Gorilla is appealing because of its internal stays, but hardly makes sense given that I own the Exodus. I recently took another look at the Mariposa -- it is a 60 liter pack, and I really need the 70 liter volume.
I have become even more enthused about these in 2018 and plan to replace my MLD Ark (more or less a 70l pack) with a Hyperlite 4400 (pretty much 70 liters). I will probably go with the "Southwest", which adds 10 liters of extra capacity via pockets. What is pushing me towards one of these packs is a desire for comfort. After carrying 30 pounds in my MLD (essentially a pillowcase with straps), my shoulders were screaming in pain after 3 days. I have an Osprey Exos 58 that adds some structure and a real hipbelt, but I really need more volume. Several reviews have said that because the Hyperlite packs sew the hipbelt onto the pack, it makes a significant difference in supporting the load.
Note that the 4400 series uses stouter 150D fabric. Also note the roll top pack closure like a dry bag. These packs are almost waterproof (the fabric is waterproof, but some stitching cannot be sealed, so if these packs are immersed, they will leak. The white color, while getting dirty, does let light into the pack, which is nice. These packs are expensive, but use state of the art materials and are made in the USA.
People who choose the "porter" like to add the "Porter Stuff Pocket" (for $45), but I am thinking that I can get much of what that offers with the Southwest. External pockets are handy for speed and convenience. The Porter might make sense for extreme duty where everything needed to be inside or securely lashed on the sides.
I got the Ark in addition to the Exodus because I had hopes that, among other things, it might make carrying a bear canister more civilized. (Note the ridiculous irony in this statement). This was asking too much - it would be asking too much of any pack.
I also had the idea that the extra volume would facilitate carrying a bulky synthetic sleeping bag or quilt. I do find the extra volume very much worthwhile and find myself reaching for the Ark more often that I thought I would. If nothing else, it avoids the need to stuff the living daylights out of my quilt, which I always think is a good thing.
I got curious about the volumes of the Ark and Exodus, as the Ark just didn't seem that much bigger. I put a sleeping bag inside to expand the pack and made some measurements. Both packs are 24 inches tall without the collar, 30 inches with it. The Exodus has a 12x12 cross section, and the Ark is 13x13. Only an inch different, that explains why it didn't seem much bigger. The calculated volumes tell the story, the packs are as advertised:
Often I wish the waist belt on the Exodus was removable or just simply absent. I asked Ron about this, and he says that he would be happy to build a pack entirely without a waist belt, and I am not the first to ask for it. He says that he has had a few people ask for a "strippable" waist belt that is just 1-inch webbing. I ordered my Ark without the belt, and now regret it (Ron did advise against it). What I find is that at the end of a long day, I am glad to get some weight off my shoulders. This is just as true with the Exodus, so my advice now is to leave the belt on.
The Gosammer gear Gorilla has an advertised 35 pound limit. Now I never want or intend to carry more than 25 pounds, ever; but if I do need to haul water, it is good to know I can. The Exodus is a bit bigger (2900 ci with the collar versus 2400 for the Gorilla). Pockets on the Exodus can hold 700 ci more (pockets on the Gorilla add 400 ci, or so they say). The Exodus is 13.8 ounces, versus the Gorillas 24.2 ounces. Now that is something given that the Exodus is rated to 50 pounds, and the Gorilla to 35 pounds. Maybe Gossamer Gear is cautious about their ratings?
The Revelation is made from 1.5 oz "Cuben Fiber" which has spectra in a mylar matrix and is much stronger (and more expensive) than spinaker or Silnylon. The others packs are made from Dyneema.
They also have 6-8 ounce bivy sacks and other gear worth looking at.
I own and have used the Miniposa. All in all I am pleased. I like the external mesh pockets (now standard on most packs, but none of my old school packs have these). I like the pad holder (takes any 20 inch wide pad) sleeves. The big con is the 20 pound weight limit. For almost any desert hikes where water must be taken, this is a show stopper. Also a show stopper for longer backpacks in the Sierra where I need to carry 12 pounds of food (and maybe a bear canister). Ideal for super light overnight trips though.
The Miniposa can easily (by removing the hip belt) be stripped down to about a
10 ounce weight, making it only about 2 ounces heavier than the Murmur.
The extra 2 ounces gain a sturdier material (1.3 ounce sil-nylon rather than
1.1 ounce spinnaker cloth).
The Miniposa will accept a thermarest (or other 20 inch pad, it has
no trouble accepting my full length trail comfort pad).
I particularly like the concept of using your sleeping pad as a back cushion.
The Miniposa also has a Y configuration top lashing strap
(that could handle a pad, or, perish the thought, a bear canister).
The Miniposa has no internal stays or gizmos.
Side pockets will hold 2 liter soda bottles or (perfectly) a gator aide bottle.
A pair of 2 liter bottles full would be an 8 pound load however, and are likely
to be pushing this pack past its limits, but it could be done.
The Miniposa has a 20 pound load limit.
The Gorilla is essentially the Miniposa, but with stouter fabric, and the addition of a removeable stay, rated for heavier loads (up to 30+ pounds), and the fabric is tough enough to withstand bushwhacking. I ended up getting the MLD Exodus rather than a Gorilla (see above) and appreciate the somewhat greater capacity (3200 instead of 2900 cubic inches). The Exodus has a 3600 ci capacity with the extension collar (there is no mention of an extension collar for the Gorilla).
All of their packs seem to have the happy option of being able to replace foam padding in shoulder straps and such with clothing items. All of their packs also have the option of removing the hip belt. I am convinced that I just don't need a hipbelt on a 20 pound pack, so I expect to just remove it and leave it at home, saving about 5 ounces. However, if a person did want it, he would have the option of picking say a medium hip-belt to go with a large pack (just what a skinny 6 foot 2 inch guy like me would do).
I called them up and spoke with a friendly and helpful person on the phone (Grant). I asked him about G4 versus the Mariposa, and he said it is all about features. G4 side pockets are not accessible while wearing the pack, although they are much bigger. The Mariposa has internal stays aimed at weight transfer and comfort.
The G4 is pretty much their original pack, an 11 year old design, and has a strong following. You can get plans (and even kits) and build your own G4 if you are that kind of person.
The Murmur (replaces the Whisper, which was 3.5 ounces) is delicate, but intriguing. No top strap to hold a pad, you would need to rig something if you wanted a pad on top. It is will only hold a tri-fold torso pad (it will not accept a 3/4 length Night Lite pad). The murmur hip-belt can be removed (but is only 0.9 ounce).
The Exos 58 is a beautiful and nicely featured pack weighing 2 pounds 8 ounces in the large size and with a capacity of 3700 cubic inches. It is well thought of by the lightweight crowd. It has mesh side pockets. It has a removable lid and a back flap for quickly stowing items. It has a frame and "trampoline style" suspension, so it offers some load carrying comfort. A review on BPL said that the Exos 58 may even be too big and you might want to take a look at the Exos 46 (30 ounces). Ideal for 30 pound or less loads (what pack isn't?), but somebody boasted of hauling 40 pounds with it.
Actually the Exos 58 is a great pack for certain things. Namely desert hiking when you absolutely must haul several gallons of water.
Many shops won't carry the gear made by small manufacturers because they cannot provide the warranty support. This is kind of unavoidable with ultralight gear that has cut every corner to save weight, the user has to bear responsibility for damage and ultralight gear just can't be expected to last forever with serious use. It is nice that Osprey offers products for people who want the hand holding that this kind of warranty offers.
They were an early player in the ultralight gear world, but went out of business. One of the factors in their demise was a decline in quality as the company grew (a common story in the outdoor gear business).
Tom's hiking pages / tom@mmto.org