Hyperlite Unbound Pack - seeking opinions

[JTOlson26]

Hi, all.

I'm in the process of researching/planning for a CDT thruhike and want a lighter pack; my trusty Osprey is just too heavy for a 3000 mile trek.

I have a buddy who has an HMG Southwest and loves it. Unfortunately, I'm limited to the Unbound model as it's their only pack that comes with a removeable hip belt, which I need because of my torso length (20) and waist (28) combination.

My two main concerns are:
1) Only one aluminum stay - will it feel off balance or not have good load transfer?
2) The buckles seem a little small/lightweight - will they hold up over the course of a long trek?

Any opinions or experiences that you're willing to share would be great.

Thanks!

JT

[zootloopz]

This is completely personal opinion, but I'm not a fan of Hyperlite packs for longer hikes simply because their shoulder straps are quite narrow, unpadded, and therefore uncomfortable as someone who likes to have a majority of the weight on their shoulders. This is on top of paying a premium for the DCF which I'd only consider for an east coast thru if substantial rain was a possibility. DCF has much better use as a tent material.

There are so many other pack brands out there -- Gossamer, ULA, LiteAF, MLD, Mountainsmith, Granite, Six Moon... etc. Do you have any gear shops around you where you can go try a few more packs on? A quality pack choice can make all the difference for comfort on something as long as the CDT.

[JTOlson26]

Thank you for your feedback!

We have one decent shop here in NE Ohio. I haven't been in the market for a pack in quite a while so I'm not sure what they carry in that department, but I'll have to swing by a see.

I've been reading quite a bit about pack brands and it does seem like there are a ton of options out there. Though I've never done a thruhike I basically came to the conclusion you stated - having a pack you feel comfortable and confident with over that long of a haul is a big deal.

I DO carry more weight on my hips, generally speaking, but your point about the narrower and less padded shoulder straps is a good one to consider.

This is completely personal opinion, but I'm not a fan of Hyperlite packs for longer hikes simply because their shoulder straps are quite narrow, unpadded, and therefore uncomfortable as someone who likes to have a majority of the weight on their shoulders. This is on top of paying a premium for the DCF which I'd only consider for an east coast thru if substantial rain was a possibility. DCF has much better use as a tent material.

There are so many other pack brands out there -- Gossamer, ULA, LiteAF, MLD, Mountainsmith, Granite, Six Moon... etc. Do you have any gear shops around you where you can go try a few more packs on? A quality pack choice can make all the difference for comfort on something as long as the CDT.

[justiner]

I think it's an absolutely brilliant pack. My shoulders aren't super mobile, but even I can take out/in water bottles from the side pockets. The bottom pocket is super useful, the center pocket is immense.

The single stay seemed to work alright for me, and the curve seemed to fit my back perfectly -- and if it doesn't yours, you can think about bending it to taste.

Only thing it doesn't have are load lifters, so if you're carrying a varying load over a very long distance, it's not going to be super adjustable between day 1 and day 6. You'll want a ~10lb base weight to start out with. I don't think any HMG packs have load lifters, so they don't find them useful I guess.

I kind of wish for front shoulder pockets, but those add-ons to buy. If it had running-style straps, I wouldn't use anything else for multiday trips.

Painting with a wide brush, most UL backpacks aren't necessarily designed to take most of the load on the hips, so coming from the Osprey, it's going to feel a lot different, as they definitely are.

For a 40L (advertised) pack, it has quite a bit of internal usable volume -- 35L. Take note of that when comparing packs, as that number being advertised usually corresponds to the capacity of the entire pack. So for example, the Osprey Exos Pro 55 has 33L of internal capacity; the rest is taken up by the brain, side, center, and hip pockets.

It also comes in black and black is cool.

The Gossamer Gear Gorilla is also a pack to consider. The hip belt works great and the new version should have better load lifters. The previous version did not have any. Hip belt is removable, looks like you'll have to order a separate belt though and have two (lucky you).

[cottonmountaineering]

i did the PCT and used two packs, a gossamer gear (mariposa?) which ended up ripping about halfway through and also a golite jam (now a defunct brand) frameless pack, i didnt really love either pack as the first was delicate and the second not comfortable for heavy carries

if i were to do it over again id get something from six moon designs, or ULA which have the more durable fabric and options for stays/frame. on the CDT you will have some longer resupply stretches and also times where you are carrying 5L+ of water so having load stays or a lightweight frame will be nice.

~45L with some options to strap some items on it is the sweet spot for space i think.

[JTOlson26]

@justiner - thanks for the reply and advice. I'm leaning towards the 55L, primarily so I don't have to over-compress my trusty Feathered Friends bag, puffy, etc My thought process is that with the roll-top closure (assuming I go with the Unbound) I can "under pack" the 55L and still make it a comfortable pack to carry. But maybe I won't truly need that extra space? I had a goal of 14 lb base weight...don't ask me why 14, but 15 didn't sound hardcore enough and 10 sounded too hardcore lol. But I do recognize that I'll want to be as light as I can. I'm slowly working on listing and sorting all of my gear, weighing it, and considering if I need to get something new and lighter, what I can do without, etc.

I would plan to get the black color...way cooler looking and a bit more durable.

@cottonmountaineering - thanks for relaying your experiences from the PCT and insight on the frameless packs. It confirms what I was thinking in that I'd like at least a lightweight frame for durability and ease of carry on some of those longer segments, even if it means a few more ounces.

[justiner]

The Unbound 55 would be a pretty big pack -- I've only tested the 40. As for your gear list, this is a good tool (which I'm sure you are at least peripherally know about)

https://lighterpack.com

If you're ever in Boulder, CO, you could borrow mine for a day (although it's the wrong size for you: M)!

[John619]

I use a Zpacks Arc Haul with the optional shoulder pads with good luck. I did the CT twice in segments over a period of few years. I've got well over 1,000 + miles on the pack and still use it when I backpack in to do 14ers, etc.

It's held up well and is comfortable (for me) up to about 30 or so lbs. I normally try to keep the pack weight with base, food and water at 25 lbs or lower depending on the distance between resupply.

There are a few sections on the CT where you might have to do a 20 mile or so water carry depending on the time of year. Carrying 3+ quarts of water on the dry sections can really push the pack weight up. Especially if you start out with 7 days of food (I try and keep it at 5 days). Besides the Big 3, pack weight depends allot on your speed between points A and B so the faster you are the lighter your pack... At my age (69) 15 miles a day is what I try and shoot for (max). I've met young hikers on the CDT that hit 40+ miles a day in sections of Wyoming, super men and super women...

As a side note I use the Zpacks Duplex tent and an Enlightened Equipment 20 degree quilt, and a Xlite full length pad. The big 3, pack, tent and sleep system are the way to really drop pack weight and get base weight down to below 15 lbs.

[cottonmountaineering]

@justiner - thanks for the reply and advice. I'm leaning towards the 55L, primarily so I don't have to over-compress my trusty Feathered Friends bag, puffy, etc My thought process is that with the roll-top closure (assuming I go with the Unbound) I can "under pack" the 55L and still make it a comfortable pack to carry. But maybe I won't truly need that extra space? I had a goal of 14 lb base weight...don't ask me why 14, but 15 didn't sound hardcore enough and 10 sounded too hardcore lol. But I do recognize that I'll want to be as light as I can. I'm slowly working on listing and sorting all of my gear, weighing it, and considering if I need to get something new and lighter, what I can do without, etc.

I would plan to get the black color...way cooler looking and a bit more durable.

@cottonmountaineering - thanks for relaying your experiences from the PCT and insight on the frameless packs. It confirms what I was thinking in that I'd like at least a lightweight frame for durability and ease of carry on some of those longer segments, even if it means a few more ounces.

its very reasonable to get down to 10-12lbs for base weight, ditch some electronics and youll be all set

[JTOlson26]

Thank you to each of you for the continued replies.

I'm going to work no getting the base weight down - even if it means spending a few extra bucks. Now I wish I would have bought the UL version of the Feathered Friends Swallow a few years instead of the standard!

[JTOlson26]

The Unbound 55 would be a pretty big pack...

@justiner, I've been thinking about this and mulling it over...I know the age-old adage is "you'll fill however much pack you have!" and I've been guilty of living that reality in the past, for sure! But putting that aside for the moment, the 55L is only* 1.8 oz heavier. With any unused space I should just be able to give it a couple extra rolls and be good, right?

I'm considering a few fairly long segments without resupply - 8-10 days a time or two - and I'm thinking that having some extra space for food early in those segments might be wise. But maybe I'm not thinking about it correctly. I am more than happy to be educated, so please provide any helpful and/or critical feedback!

*Sorry to those uber ultra-lite fanatics for whom uttering a phrase such as "only 1.8 oz heavier" is akin to blasphemy!

[justiner]

I think the 40 v 55 difference is in the top circumference and height, so there's not much difference and yeah the weight is negligible.

10 days is a long time to be out. Speaking from experience, that can be a pretty crappy first few days. I've packed for 10 days using a pack with 40L of internal capacity (that I measured) and there was no real room for much else, except that < 10lb gear rollout I listed in my lighterpack. The Unbound 40 has 35l of internal capacity (again, that I measured myself). So the 40 probably wouldn't work without some serious shenanigans. I had a ton of calories (~4300 cals/day), but the calories were pretty dense (4.53 cals/gram). But still, it looked like this:

ct_food.jpg (211.69 KiB) Viewed 10169 times

You may want to play around with the menu, see how much a day's ration weighs and takes up in volume and make some decisions, either with pack size, menu choice or something else! I usually try to get one day's ration fit into a gallon ziplock, which somewhat simplifies things. Are any of the 8-10 day stretches in places where you'll need bear-proof containers?