The rising use of ultralight, abrasion-resistant, and waterproof pack supplies like Woven Dyneema and Problem Extremely has ushered in a brand new period of sturdy light-weight, sub-3-pound backpacks that may stand up to the abuse of a number of thru-hikes, bushwhacking, packrafting, canyoneering, and winter mountain climbing and nonetheless come again for extra. Up to now, elevated sturdiness was bigger achieved through the use of thicker and heavier materials to make backpacks. The explanation these new backpack supplies are such a recreation changer is that they’re many occasions stronger than standard supplies reminiscent of Robic Nylon, Cordura, Dyneema DCF, or XPac leading to much better sturdiness with out a rise in weight. When you could pay a premium for a backpack that’s each light-weight and sturdy, it’s definitely worth the funding since your backpack is the one piece of drugs that may’t fail.
Right here’s my go-to record of essentially the most sturdy light-weight backpacks accessible as we speak within the 45-70L quantity vary utilized by most multi-day backpackers and thru-hikers. Go forward, run these packs via your favourite backpack torture check. I’m fairly positive you’ll be impressed with their sturdiness underneath hearth. Be sure you take a look at our choice information under for solutions to generally requested questions on backpack sturdiness
1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Northrim 55L
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Northrim 55 is without doubt one of the most sturdy backpacks accessible as we speak, however it’s additionally one of the costly. Weighing 34.4 oz, it’s a 55L roll-top pack with 10L of further pocket area that’s made with 375 Denier absolutely woven Dyneema in all of its excessive abrasion areas together with its base, three exterior pockets, and hip belt pockets. Totally woven Dyneema is way stronger and extra abrasion resistant than the Dyneema/Polyester composite used for Hyperlite’s cheaper packs, however it prices extra. Additionally accessible in a 4400 cubic inch dimension, the North Rim has two inside body stays that present construction, a sewn-on hipbelt, waterproof zippers, and heavy-duty buckles that may stand as much as critical abuse. All of Hyperlite’s backpacks are seam-taped.
Learn the SectionHiker Northrim 55 Assessment.
Store at Hyperlite
2. Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Lengthy Haul 50
Weighing 30.7 ounces,
Superior Wilderness Design’s Rugged Lengthy Haul 50 backpack Lengthy Haul is equivalent to SWD’s common Lengthy Haul 50, besides it’s constructed with Extremely 400. With 50 liters of closed storage, it’s well-sized for multi-day backpacking journeys with the entire must-have options you’d anticipate on a light-weight backpack like a entrance stretch pocket, aspect water bottle pockets, and a roll-top closure. Pre-bent aluminum stays and a sewn-on hip belt additionally present superior consolation, wonderful load switch, and a body-hugging match, whereas a plethora of attachment factors make it straightforward to tailor for technical hikes. Seam-taping is an add-on possibility that provides 1 ouncesto the pack’s weight.
Learn the SectionHiker Rugged Lengthy Haul Assessment. Store at S.W.D.
3. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Halka 55 Backpack
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Halka 55 is an alpine-style backpack made with a floating high lid that’s tailored for normal mountaineering or backpacking in mountainous terrain. It’s loaded with options reminiscent of daisy chains, additional lengthy aspect compression straps, two hip belt choices, two common ice axe holders, a crampon attachment system, and a high Y-strap that allow you to hack it for every kind of journeys off the overwhelmed path. With two inside body stays and a padded again panel, it has a most advisable load of fifty kilos.
Store at Hyperlite
4. Search Exterior Gila 3500 Backpack
The Search Exterior Gila is a 3500 cubic inch (57 L – not counting one other 13L of pocket quantity) ultralight-style roll-top backpack with an exterior body able to hauling very heavy hundreds as much as 50 lbs, that blows different light-weight packs out of the water. Weighing 43 ounces, it’s made from a sturdy waterproof materials known as Extremely 400. The adjustable-torso size exterior body behaves lots like a ventilated backpack, conserving your shirt drier in sizzling climate. The strong aspect pockets and bolstered entrance mesh stash pocket present a powerful quantity of exterior storage, whereas a large hip belt supplies wonderful assist. The Extremely model of the Gila will not be seam-taped, so that you’ll need a pack liner.
Learn our Search Exterior Gila Assessment
Store at Search Exterior
5. Black Diamond Beta Gentle 45 Backpack
The Black Diamond Beta Gentle 45 is a streamlined 45 Liter backpack with vest-style shoulder straps and an non-compulsory detachable hip belt. It’s a roll-top pack with taped seams that’s made with Extremely 400 and Extremely 200, making it successfully waterproof. A detachable body pad and twin body stays present structural assist for carrying 30+ pound hundreds. The pack has a big entrance mesh pocket and two aspect pockets for storage. There are two aspect compression straps in addition to backside straps to lash gear to the bottom of the pack.
6. ULA Extremely 24 Circuit Backpack
The ULA Extremely 24 Circuit is a 68L roll-top type ultralight backpack made with Extremely 200 and Extremely 400 that weighs 36.7 oz. The multi-part body consists of an aluminum keep, dense foam, a Delrin hoop, and cargo lifters for consolation and optimum load switch. The Circuit comes with a large interchangeable hip belt for optimum sizing together with massive, hard-faced hip belt pockets. Female and male-specific shoulder straps are additionally accessible as an possibility on the time of buy. The Extremely 24 Circuit will not be seam-taped, so that you’ll need a pack liner
Learn our ULA Extremely 24 Circuit Assessment.
Store at ULA
7. LiteAF Extremely Curve 46L
The LiteAF Extremely Curve 46L has a primary physique with 46L of drugs storage, with a further 15L in exterior pockets, totaling 61L. Made with Extremely 200 material and seam-sealed, it’s a 31 ouncesroll-top backpack made with massive aspect pockets and the entrance mesh pocket discovered on ultralight-style packs. However the factor that actually units LiteAF other than different ultralight pack makers is the wide selection of garish colours, patterns, and materials they provide. If you happen to’re sick of white, black, or grey-colored backpacks and need a pack that lets exudes character, take a look at their coloration palette. The max advisable load is 35 kilos. The Extremely Curve 46L is seam-taped.
Store at Lite AF
8. Durston Gear Kakwa 55 Backpack
The Durston Gear Kakwa 55 is a streamlined ultralight-type backpack optimized for thru-hiking and backpacking. It has loads of exterior open pockets so you possibly can carry your entire daytime necessities with out stopping to open the pack. However the place this pack shines is within the body and suspension system which does an exceptionally advantageous job of transferring the load to your hips. Sizing is unisex.
Learn the SectionHiker Kakwa 55 assessment.
Store at Durston Gear
9. Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L
The Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L is a high-volume frameless backpack accessible in a number of materials together with a model made with Extremely 200, which is absolutely seam-taped. Weighting 18 oz, it has an ordinary ultralight roll-top design with a strong entrance stretch pocket and aspect pockets made with strong material as a substitute of mesh for added sturdiness. The Exodus additionally has a sewn-in hip belt and female-friendly S-shaped shoulder straps. The pack’s most advisable load is 25 lbs. Sizing is Unisex.
Learn the SectionHiker Exodus Assessment.
Store at M.L.D.
10. Zpacks Arc Haul Extremely 60L Backpack
The Zpacks Arc Haul Extremely 60L is an ultralight ventilated backpack with a suspended mesh again panel to maintain you cool in sizzling climate. Made with waterproof and sturdy Extremely 200 and 100 material, the 19.6 ouncesArc Haul Extremely 60 is a roll-top with aspect water bottle pockets and a entrance mesh pocket for exterior gear storage. The torso size is adjustable by elevating and reducing the shoulder pads, whereas the hip belt is obtainable in a number of lengths. The Arc Haul Extremely can haul as much as 30 lbs comfortably. Sizing is Unisex, however a brand new
girls’s mannequin can be accessible. This pack is seam-taped. Learn the
SectionHiker Arc Haul Extremely 60L Assessment.
Store at Zpacks
What Makes a Light-weight Backpack Sturdy?
I’ve all the time been a bit obsessive about the sturdiness of light-weight and ultralight backpacks as a result of I destroyed so lots of them again within the days once they have been made with much less sturdy materials like Silnylon, Robic (nylon), Dyneema Grid (nylon bolstered with Dyneema threads) and Dyneema Composite Materials or DCF, which is a Dyneema/Polyester laminate.
Abrasion Resistance
One of many key areas of backpack failure is because of abrasion, which happens everytime you set the pack down on the bottom, scrape in opposition to rock, or bushwhack via dense vegetation. Abrasion wears down the material of a backpack, ultimately inflicting holes to kind and permitting water and moisture to moist the contents. With continued use, the fabric will ultimately fail.
When it comes to sturdiness, Extremely 400 and Woven Dyneema are high canines by way of abrasion resistance. Woven Dyneema, which is used on the excessive put on areas of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear NorthRim backpack has been discipline confirmed. It’s additionally been confirmed on custom-made mountaineering packs. Extremely 400 has much less of a discipline monitor report however has been demonstrated to have a really excessive abrasion resistance on a standardized laboratory check, known as the Taber Abrasion Take a look at. Extremely 200 and Extremely 100 have comparatively much less abrasion resistance than Extremely 400, which is used for essentially the most demanding purposes, like the underside of backpacks.
Some pack makers additionally use a fabric known as EcoPak EPX400 and EcoPak EPX200 which isn’t as abrasion resistant as EPL Extremely and is cheaper, however nonetheless fairly sturdy. It’s additionally made fully with recycled content material and accessible in all kinds of colours. Lastly, Liteskin is barely much less abrasion resistant than EcoPak EPX400, however significantly greater than EcoPak EPX200. (Sources: Dimension Polyant Outside Materials Information 2017, EcoPak Outside material 2022 Information).
Backpack Failure Factors
If you happen to do a cautious evaluation of backpack failure factors, you’ll discover that they fail in plenty of frequent areas, along with material abrasion on the underside of backpacks and alongside the perimeters.
- Ripped aspect and entrance mesh pockets
- Torn shoulder strap or hip belt anchors
- Damaged buckles
- Zipper failure
- Torn attachment factors, together with compression strap anchors
- Worn-out body keep slots
If you’d like a light-weight (sub 3 pound) backpack that’s going to final for a very long time with out a variety of pampering, it’s finest to purpose for packs which might be:
- Overbuilt with greater buckles and extensive webbing straps
- Bolstered shoulder straps and hip belt wings
- No exterior mesh
- Have streamlined roll-top type designs
- Reduce their use of zippers
- Use commonplace {hardware} that house owners can exchange with out stitching.
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