Backpacks I've Owned - Pro's and Con's
I’m a backpack nut and a hiking gear nut and therefore, it’s only fitting that my first post about gear is talking about my favorite piece of backpacking gear - the backpack! I thought it may be helpful for some to see my own personal progression with this piece of gear and compare the pros and cons of the backpacks I have owned throughout my time backpacking.
After each backpack, I will describe what I liked and disliked about each past backpack and what I currently like and dislike about the backpacks I still own.
This backpack was the first backpacking pack I had ever bought and I purchased this pack in late 2015. At the time, I had very little backpacking experience and wanted to stay on a budget. I saw this backpack was big and very cheap, so it seemed like a good option at the time. I still was unsure if I loved backpacking at this point, so I didn’t want to spend too much money. The pros of this pack are already highlighted. It is BIG and it is CHEAP. The cons are it weighs 4lbs, which at the time I did not realize is way too much. I also didn’t realize that I would never need something that big. It does come with a rain fly, which is nice, but after upgrading to better backpacks, is really not essential with modern backpacking materials. This backpack did not transfer weight well, but I also was carrying way too much stuff at this point in my backpacking career, so it’s hard to say what was worse between this backpack and me! I wouldn’t recommend this pack as there are better options for a little more money.
HMG Southwest 3400 $320
I still remember the research that went into buying this pack. At this point, I had transitioned aggressively from beginner backpacking to having a clear understanding of the pros of Ultralight backpacking. I wasn’t quite fully transitioned at this point, but I had done my homework when choosing this pack, and thankfully it seems to have paid off for me so far! At the time of picking this up, I really liked the fact this had removable stays to provide a frame when I wanted it and a frameless pack when I had a lighter load. In addition to that, I really liked the idea of going all-in on DCF material, and HMG packs use a thick fabric, so this felt like a safe bet. I don’t baby my gear, so having something heavier duty was of value to me. I really like the roll top on this pack and how the pack adapts to the size of your gear. A few things. I dislike are the zippers on the side pouches, which HMG has fixed in later releases and the fact there are no shoulder pouches. You can see in the photo above I improvised using ZPacks water bottle holders, however that is something I wish HMG would have incorporated from the start. This is more of my personal preference, so not something I am overly upset about, but I really like having water there as it offsets the weight, at least in my mind, and having water readily accessible is always nice! All in all, I would highly recommend this pack to anyone today. The new options give people more variety when picking up a pack as well. I would probably move this down to the 2400 if I were buying this again, but it is nice to have the extra space when I use this pack for winter activities. This pack remains my go to pack for anything that ends up over 25lbs (5+ day trips, off-season trips, winter sports, etc.).
ZPacks Nero $200
The ZPacks Nero was a backpack that I didn’t own long, but do have some regrets selling so quickly. It felt too small at the time to fill a void that I was looking for in long day hikes and weekend trips. By the time I purchased this pack, I had most of my gear dialed in to the Ultralight movement, at least to the point I find myself today. At 37L, it is a small pack, but it offers a pouch on the back and side pockets, which are major cons of the HMG Summit pack below. I also liked the fact you could add extra back comfort by adding a sit pad or a therm-a-rest sleep pad. This maximized space savings and allowed me to pack all my gear for a long overnight trip. For me, this wasn’t a colder weather option given it’s size, and I ended up selling it as I felt like it had limited use cases. In hindsight, I should have kept this and never bought the HMG Summit pack, given they are similarly priced, but this pack provides more features and is very close in weight.
HMG Summit Pack $195
The HMG Summit pack is very minimal without side pockets or a back pouch, instead using a modular system to add attachments or remain very small. This pack is really only useful up to long day trips or maybe an overnight trip in the summer months, at least based on the gear I carry. It’s not super practical as water needs to be stored inside the pack. I used this for day hikes on a number of different trips, but this could easily be replaced in the future by my larger Nathan running vest or by just taking my Pa’lante V2 pack. Lacking side pockets and a back pouch make this a hard backpack for me to want to use, but it is very light and packs down super well, so I find myself taking this as an option when flying as it is an easy add-on.
Pa’lante V2 Pack - $210
This is the most recent backpack I have purchased and one that I really looked forward to. As I continue to hone my gear skills, I went through another round of extensive research into the pack that would solve anything my HMG Southwest was too big for. This pack nailed the mark. The size to weight ratio is great for my needs. I really love the front shoulder strap pouches, as it allows me to carry 2L of water up front with ease. The bottom pocket is a big hit for many, but for me it is seldom used. The side pockets are designed in a way that you can access many things with the pack on, and I have noticed this myself when hiking. This pack does come with a car seat style hip belt that is hidden, which is pretty cool and a nice add-on when you have the heavier carries. This is a fully frameless pack, so anything well over 20lbs is going to be a stretch. The point of this pack is to fill it with ultralight gear, so for many use cases, that limit is no issue. I carried this backpack for our 3 day trip in the Winds with a bear canister and even with that heavy canister topping me out around 23lbs, I didn’t find the pack uncomfortable. I really like the back pouch being visible and super stretchy. I’m not sure there’s anything I strongly dislike about this pack. I do wish the rolltop was similar to the HMG pack as the buttons Pa’lante uses are sometimes a pain. Aside from that, this pack is a great pack for anything I do that stays under 23-ish pounds! For me, that is any overnight trip and 3-5 day trips in 3 season conditions.
