The rising use of ultralight, abrasion-resistant, and waterproof pack supplies like Woven Dyneema and Extremely 400x has ushered in a brand new period of sturdy ultralight, 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. Prior to now, elevated sturdiness was achieved through the use of thicker and heavier materials to make backpacks. The explanation these new backpack supplies are such a game-changer is that they’re many instances stronger than typical supplies corresponding to 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 ultralight and sturdy, it’s well worth the funding since your backpack is the one piece of substances that may’t fail.
Right here’s my go-to checklist of probably the most sturdy ultralight backpacks out there as we speak within the 45-70L quantity vary that can be utilized by multi-day backpackers and thru-hikers. Go forward, run these packs by way of your favourite backpack torture take a look at. I’m fairly certain you’ll be impressed with their sturdiness underneath fireplace.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Northrim 55L
Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Lengthy Haul 50
Search Exterior Gila 2.0 57L Backpack
ULA Extremely Circuit Backpack
Lite Werks Every day Dose 55
Virga Packing Gear Cliffrose 55L
The Virga Packing Gear Cliffrose 55L is a burly backpack made with an Extremely 400x physique and base. The brainchild of Ben Kibourne and Porter England, the Cliffrose has a double-layer backside and a tubular full field aluminum body able to carrying 50 lb masses with ease. Opposite to conference, however delightfully useful, the Cliffrose has extra-deep facet pockets able to hauling full hydration bladders throughout arid desert plateaus with ease. The pack options 27 gear loops distributed over the pack’s exterior, letting you carry all the pieces from skis or packrafting paddles to trekking poles or fishing rods when coupled with a couple of gatekeeper buckles and webbing straps. And all this, on a pack that weighs 35 oz. The SectionHiker overview is forthcoming.
What Makes an Ultralight Backpack Sturdy?
I’ve at all times been a bit obsessive about the sturdiness of ultralight backpacks as a result of I destroyed so a lot of them again within the days once they had 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 by way of dense vegetation. Abrasion wears down the material of a backpack, finally inflicting holes to kind and permitting water and moisture to moist the contents. With continued use, the fabric will finally fail.
When it comes to sturdiness, Extremely 400x and Woven Dyneema are high canines when it comes to abrasion resistance. Woven Dyneema, which is used on the excessive put on areas of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear NorthRim backpack has been subject confirmed. It’s additionally been confirmed on custom-made mountaineering packs. Extremely 400 has much less of a subject monitor report however has been demonstrated to have a really excessive abrasion resistance on a standardized laboratory take a look at, known as the Taber Abrasion Check. Extremely 200 and Extremely 100 have comparatively much less abrasion resistance than Extremely 400, which is used for probably the most demanding purposes, like the underside of backpacks.
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 cloth abrasion on the underside of backpacks and alongside the perimeters.
- Ripped facet 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 need an ultralight (sub 3-pound) backpack that’s going to final for a very long time with out quite a lot of pampering, it’s finest to intention for packs which might be:
- Overbuilt with greater buckles and large webbing straps
- Strengthened shoulder straps and hip belt wings
- No exterior mesh
- Decrease their use of zippers
- Use normal {hardware} that homeowners can exchange with out stitching.
- Remove the usage of velcro
SectionHiker by no means accepts cost for gear evaluations or editorial protection. While you purchase by way of affiliate hyperlinks on our website, we could earn a small fee at no additional value to you. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and unbiased gear evaluations, mountain climbing and backpacking FAQs, and free mountain climbing guides.