MH Thruway 50 (out of the box)

[Russell Ellsworth]

Just got two of these (one for me and one for my adult son); intended use for us is for 1 to 2 week-long hikes. We've been trying to really reduce weight and this seemed to fit the bill. Haven't used it yet but I do have one complaint: It is advertised as 1# 14 oz. without any caveat that this weight is without the sleeping pad, yet that seems to be the case; it came out to exactly that without the pad. It is about 6 oz. more with the pad. A big improvement over our current heavy packs (savings of 2.5 and 4 pounds for me and my son, respectively) but it should be made clear exactly what the advertised weight includes. Maybe I just missed it.

We will test it out later in the summer.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

But I like internal frame packs.

[Megan P]

So I stumbled upon this post while looking for suggestion on a new pack. Currently have a Hornet which I LOVE but doesn't cut it with a heavy load so looking for something to replace it. I was wondering what your conclusion was after testing this back with all the other frameless packs? What packs do you recommend?

Looking at a ULA Circuit and the new Osprey Exos 48. But wide open for suggestions.

Any advice is appreciated. THANKS!

[Seth Brewer]

There are lots of good options — the ULA Circuit being one of my overall favorites. I hope to be trying out an Exos in the coming months, but many people here love them as a pack.

Check out my website: http://www.peaksandvalleys.com if you want to see my summary reviews of some of these packs

Other great options may be (depending on your max weight normally carried):

ULA OHM or Circuit (loads up to 35 lbs)

(MY REVIEW OF THE CIRCUIT: Used this pack as my winter pack for a 3 day snowshoe trip in VT. Full 35lbs of gear (never winter camped at -18* before) and found the pack to be more than sufficient for the task. Excellent load transfer, wonderfully large hip pockets to store snacks and gloves, large side pockets can hold two one-liter bottles each. A great bag at a competitive price. Saw more of these packs on my A.T thru-hike than probably any other single UL style pack.

Used this pack for about 125 miles in Northern Washington during the winter finish of my PCT thru-hike. What can I say except that it is a great pack. More comfortable at 40 lbs. than any other UL pack I've tried. Not the fanciest, not the newest materials, but for both a beginning hiker and an experience one – this is truly a top performer. Also saw more of these packs on the PCT than any other UL style pack. If it didn't work well for a lot of folks – I wouldn't have seen so many. Arguably one of the best "first UL backpack's" on the market, and if my opinion, rightly so.)

Zpacks Arc Blast (loads <25 lbs)

Gossamer Gear Mariposa (lots of room for gear), or Gorilla (a very popular mid-volume bag)

Six Moons Designs (packs are going to be released soon – and look promising)

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 2400 / 3400 (excellent packs and more durable than the Arc Blast, though no trampoline style mesh back, weights up to 35 lbs)

For lower weights — <20 lbs you could also consider the excellent packs from Mountain Laurel Designs.

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