The growing use of ultralight, abrasion-resistant, and waterproof pack materials like Woven Dyneema and Challenge Ultra has ushered in a new era of durable lightweight, sub-3-pound backpacks that can withstand the abuse of multiple thru-hikes, bushwhacking, packrafting, canyoneering, and winter hiking and still come back for more. In the past, increased durability was larger achieved by using thicker and heavier fabrics to make backpacks. The reason these new backpack materials are such a game changer is that they are many times stronger than conventional materials such as Robic Nylon, Cordura, Dyneema DCF, or XPac resulting in far better durability without an increase in weight. While you may pay a premium for a backpack that is both lightweight and durable, it’s worth the investment since your backpack is the one piece of gear that can’t fail.
Make / Model | Weight | Material |
---|---|---|
Hyperlite Mountain Gear NorthRim 55 | 34.4 oz / 975g | Woven Dyneema |
Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul 50L | 30.7 oz / 870g | Ultra 400 |
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Halka 55 | 43.5 oz / 1234g | Woven Dyneema |
Seek Outside Gila 3500 | 43 oz / 1219g | Ultra 400 |
Black Diamond Beta Light 45 | 31.4 oz / 890g | Ultra 400, Ultra 200 |
ULA Ultra 24 Circuit 68L | 36.7 oz / 1040g | Ultra 400, Ultra 200 |
Durston Kakwa 55 | 31 oz / 880g | Ultra 200 |
LiteAF Ultra Curve 46L | 31 oz / 879g | Ultra 200 |
Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L | 18 oz / 510g | Ultra 200 |
Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L | 19.6 oz / 556g | Ultra 100 |
Here’s my go-to list of the most durable lightweight backpacks available today in the 45-70L volume range used by most multi-day backpackers and thru-hikers. Go ahead, run these packs through your favorite backpack torture test. I’m pretty sure you’ll be impressed with their durability under fire. Be sure to check out our selection guide below for answers to commonly asked questions about backpack durability
1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Northrim 55L
2. Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul 50
3. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Halka 55 Backpack
4. Seek Outside Gila 3500 Backpack
5. Black Diamond Beta Light 45 Backpack
Shop at Backcountry | Shop at Black Diamond |
6. ULA Ultra 24 Circuit Backpack
7. LiteAF Ultra Curve 46L
8. Durston Gear Kakwa 55 Backpack
9. Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L
10. Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L Backpack
What Makes a Lightweight Backpack Durable?
I’ve always been a bit obsessed with the durability of lightweight and ultralight backpacks because I destroyed so many of them back in the days when they were made with less durable fabrics like Silnylon, Robic (nylon), Dyneema Grid (nylon reinforced with Dyneema threads) and Dyneema Composite Fabrics or DCF, which is a Dyneema/Polyester laminate.
Abrasion Resistance
One of the key areas of backpack failure is due to abrasion, which occurs whenever you set the pack down on the ground, scrape against rock, or bushwhack through dense vegetation. Abrasion wears down the fabric of a backpack, eventually causing holes to form and allowing water and moisture to wet the contents. With continued use, the material will eventually fail.
In terms of durability, Ultra 400 and Woven Dyneema are top dogs in terms of abrasion resistance. Woven Dyneema, which is used on the high wear areas of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear NorthRim backpack has been field proven. It’s also been proven on custom-made mountaineering packs. Ultra 400 has less of a field track record but has been demonstrated to have a very high abrasion resistance on a standardized laboratory test, called the Taber Abrasion Test. Ultra 200 and Ultra 100 have comparatively less abrasion resistance than Ultra 400, which is used for the most demanding applications, like the bottom of backpacks.
Some pack makers also use a material called EcoPak EPX400 and EcoPak EPX200 which is not as abrasion resistant as EPL Ultra and is less expensive, but still quite durable. It’s also made entirely with recycled content and available in a wide variety of colors. Finally, Liteskin is slightly less abrasion resistant than EcoPak EPX400, but considerably more than EcoPak EPX200. (Sources: Dimension Polyant Outdoor Material Guide 2017, EcoPak Outdoor fabric 2022 Guide).
Backpack Failure Points
If you do a careful analysis of backpack failure points, you’ll find that they fail in a number of common areas, in addition to fabric abrasion on the bottom of backpacks and along the sides.
- Ripped side and front mesh pockets
- Torn shoulder strap or hip belt anchors
- Broken buckles
- Zipper failure
- Torn attachment points, including compression strap anchors
- Worn-out frame stay slots
If you want a lightweight (sub 3 pound) backpack that is going to last for a long time without a lot of pampering, it’s best to aim for packs that are:
- Overbuilt with bigger buckles and wide webbing straps
- Reinforced shoulder straps and hip belt wings
- No external mesh
- Have streamlined roll-top style designs
- Minimize their use of zippers
- Use standard hardware that owners can replace without sewing.
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