Durston Wapta 30 Frameless Backpack Review

The Durston Gear Wapta 30 is an ultralight frameless backpack, weighing 18.3 oz (520g), optimized for minimalist backpacking with loads of 25 pounds or less, including food, fuel, and water. It is made with an ultralight, abrasion-resistant, and waterproof fabric called ALUULA that’s been seam-taped, making the pack effectively waterproof. With an internal closed volume of 30L, the Wapta also sports 16L of additional external pocket storage, minimizing the times you need to stop to unpack gear.

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• Weight: 18.3 oz (520g) w/removable components to further reduce weight
• Type: Frameless
• Volume: 30L internal + 16L external
• Gender: Unisex, with S-shaped shoulder straps
• Access: Rolltop closure
• Hipbelt: Removable
• Pockets: 7 (hipbelt – 2, shoulder straps – 2, front pocket, side pockets -2)
• Hydration capable: No
• Seam-taped: Yes
• Material: ALUULA Graflyte

Backpack storage: pockets

The Wapta 30 is a rolltop backpack with 30L of internal storage. It’s set up like most ultralight backpacks with two side water bottle pockets, an open front pocket, and a rolltop.

The pack’s two side water bottle pockets are easy to access while wearing the pack. The pockets, made of solid fabric, have elastic and a cordlock tensioner at the top to hold contents in place as well as a drainage hole at the bottom to vent any moisture that collects inside. The side pockets are large enough to hold two Smartwater bottles, which many backpackers favor. The Wapta is not hydration-capable, so you’ll need to carry all your water externally.

There is also a large, solid front pocket, again with elastic at the top and drainage at the base, to hold layers or wet gear, making it easily accessible or easy to remove during breaks so you can spread it out to dry.

The pack has two hipbelt pockets with waterproof zippers, each large enough to hold a smartphone or snacks. Both pockets are made of ALUULA fabric, which is highly durable. That is a nice touch because many manufacturers use lower-quality fabric for hipbelt pockets, even though this is a high-abrasion area on a backpack.

There are two stretch mesh pockets on the shoulder straps, which are ideal for carrying a smartphone, bear spray canister, or small water bottle. Both pockets have cord locks at the top to secure the contents so they don’t accidentally pop out. These are 5-star pockets, the best I’ve seen on a pack in a long time.

Finally, there is a bottom pocket at the very bottom of the pack, so you can reach behind you to pull out gloves or hats. Some hikers also place food in this pocket or use bar wrappers, which I’ve never understood, because it can absorb food odors that may result in unwanted nighttime visitors (like bears and mini-bears). Like the rest of the pack, this pocket is made with ALUULA. Even if you never use it, it provides a second bottom layer to the pack, making the base even more resistant to ground abrasion when the pack is put down.

The roll top has a stiffener in the extension collar, making it easy to roll up any excess fabric, but the roll-up connects to itself at the top of the pack rather than along the sides, limiting the amount of top compression you can expect. A Y-strap, anchored to a buckle above the open front pocket and the top of the side daisy chains, provides top compression, but is awkward to use unless the main compartment and its extension collar are quite full or the Y-strap is used to hold a foam pad or tent body on the top of the pack. The sides of the Y strap were originally anchored above the shoulder straps on an earlier version of the pack (as shown in the pack video overview at Durston Gear). If you prefer that strap geometry, you can tie the sides of the Y strap to the pack’s haul loop between the shoulder straps.

Backpack suspension: no frame, hipbelt, and shoulder straps

The Wapta 30 is a frameless backpack, so it lacks much internal structure. There’s no frame, no foam pad inside to stiffen the back, and no pocket on the inside or outside of the pack to insert a foam pad. Careful packing is therefore required to prevent the load from barrelling into your back. I usually accomplish this by inserting 4 sections of a Thermarest X-lite foam pad behind the shoulder straps and packing my load loosely inside.

This is made easier with the Wapta, as it offers ample external storage for denser, more rigid gear. Overall, the balance between internal and external storage is quite refined, probably because the designer, Dan Durston, is an experienced and active backpacker himself. Be prepared to experiment with your load organization to dial that balance to be the way you like it.

Hipbelt

The Wapta 30 comes with a removable hipbelt secured with velcro. Since the Wapta is frameless, it’s not designed for load transfer to your hips but to hold the pack close to your torso so it doesn’t bounce when you walk or run. It also provides a platform for the hipbelt pockets, which are large, easy to open when the pack is worn, and which have waterproof zippers. Made with ALUULA and seam-taped, they’re also effectively waterproof, so you can store things you want to remain dry in them, like liner gloves, a fleece hat, or even a wallet. Again, this is a rare feature for hipbelt pockets.

The hipbelt is padded with spacer mesh and conforms well to different hip shapes. It also has a reasonably large and robust center buckle, which you’re less likely to break. It’s also standardized and should be relatively easy to replace if you bust it in another country or in the middle of nowhere.

Shoulder Straps

The Wapta’s shoulder straps are S-shaped and comfortable for men and women alike. They’re sewn directly to the back of the pack and are also lightly padded with spacer mesh. The fronts of the shoulder straps are covered with long daisy chains, which let you hang gear from them, like in the inReach Mini 2, for instance, and provide an anchor for the pack’s single sternum strap, which is easy to move up or down.

A substantial portion of those daisy chains is covered by stretch mesh pockets, though you can still access the daisy chains underneath. These pockets are well-sized to hold a smartphone, small water bottles, or bear spray. Both pockets have cordlocks at the top to secure their contents. These pockets are also great.

External attachments: daisy chains and straps

The Wapta 30 has perforated dual daisy chains running down each side of the pack, allowing you to run cords across the sides or over the front to attach gear or to keep gear stored in the pockets from falling out. As mentioned above, there are also daisy chains that run the length of the shoulder straps.

The pack comes with two side compression straps and a top Y-strap that uses plastic buckles, which I find awkward to use. While they hold tension well, the slack webbing creates a loop: I spend a lot of time off-trail, and this kind of open loop is easy to get hung up on vegetation. Luckily, all these straps and buckles are removable and can be replaced with your own cord/cord locks or webbing. That is a positive in my view. You want the ability to non-destructively modify a backpack to fit your needs, without being forced to use it in a way you find awkward. This kind of “open system architecture” is rare, but it makes for backpacks you’ll keep for a long time.

Comparable frameless ultralight backpacks

The Bottom Line

The Durston Gear Wapta 30 is a thoughtfully designed ultralight frameless backpack that excels in minimalist backpacking scenarios with loads under 25 pounds. Its use of durable, waterproof ALUULA fabric combined with ample external storage pockets and smart organization options makes it highly functional for quick movement across varied terrain. The pack’s suspension system is minimal, requiring careful packing or additional padding to ensure comfort, but its removable padded hipbelt and well-designed S-shaped shoulder straps provide a good fit and stability. While most features, including the innovative stretch-mesh pockets on the straps and waterproof hipbelt pockets, are well executed, the top Y-strap and side compression straps could benefit from easier-to-use hardware to avoid snagging in off-trail conditions. Overall, the Wapta 30 offers a balanced mix of ultralight weight, durability, and practical storage for experienced backpackers willing to fine-tune their load and adapt to its frameless design.

Disclosure: Durston Gear donated a backpack for review.