ZPacks Arc Haul

Anyone gets one in green then photos would be much appreciated. I'm second-guessing the choice of green given how light it is.

Having experience with an EXOS 58 size Large (actually 60 L.) I like the "trampoline" style mesh back frame concept. It really is cooler than mesh covered foam.

But the 17 to 20 oz. of a 60 L. of the new Arc Haul is great. That's a lot less than my EXOS 58.I think I'd have a ripstop shovel pocket instead of mesh, no mesh side pockets and a detachable top lid compartment if'n I wuz getting one. Green, of course.

Hi Ryan

See my heavier than spec weight above (about 46pounds). It carries perfectly fine like that, for me. Can't comment on multiple day use yet, but based on experience I don't see its carry abilities degrading at all over a few days of use in a row with heavy weight. (The only time I've ever had a pack degrade in carry comfort, that was noticeable, was a certain pack with a certain harness length adjustment buckle, that after a couple of hours with 22kg+ weight, the lumbar pad foam would compress enough that i could feel the buckle. Nothing like this will happen with the ArcHaul that I envisage…).

This pack is a great carry!

Adam

I've little doubt Joe and Co would make those mods for you Eric, the lid compartment being the hardest (but could be something like their multipack).

Adam,

That load carrying capacity is quite impressive – 46lbs from a 1.5lb pack. Did that weight feel reasonable or did it feel like you'd really be pushing it if you were on a 10-15mi hike? I loaded up my wife's Arc Blast the other night with ~30lbs and I was shocked at how comfortable it felt compared to my pack with a framesheet and aluminum stay AND thicker padded hipbelt.

Out of curiosity, which pack was it that had the lumbar/buckle problem? I am looking for a new pack and I have an idea which one you're talking about. Please PM me if you don't want to mention it specifically.

Hi Drew

At that weight, for me, it was perfectly comfortable…as comfortable as any load carrying pack I've carried before at that weight. I include some pretty serious (and heavy) packs in that analysis. Bear in mind that I'm pretty strong at the moment, including in the upper body, so if you are more slightly built it might not be as comfortable with those sorts of weights.

The pack in question you won't buy or never see, its Australian. One Planet Shadow (I got one of the first of Mk 1, directly from the company). Great pack otherwise, just needed some beefing up in the lumbar pad. I still have it, and I would do that myself (might still do, I can just slide a square of CCF behind it) but that pack is now redundent for me as the Arc Haul kills it on weight (also better fabric water resistance, and better comfort). I might still hang onto the Shadow as a training pack only, otherwise I'll probably sell it off.

Cheers

Hi Adam,

I did see your review. I think yours is probably the best on the Internet right now! The weight was impressive, but I think your hike was only about an hour, yes? Those longer trips are what will show the true deficiencies in a pack(if there are any). I've had a few packs that felt great for a short while and then on day two I started asking myself why the hipbelt was killing me or similar. There are probably no issues with this pack, but I want to make sure before I trade in the ol' Circuit.

Ryan

My Arc Haul just showed up in the mail. Preliminary thoughts:

1. Like everything else I have received from Zpacks, this is exceptionally well made.

2. It's going to be hard to fill this on a summer hike around here — lots of capacity. But in the winter it will be very nice, and I'm trying to get down to one pack. :)

3. The Tall suspension fits me perfectly. Joe told me the pack is the same, they just add a couple of inches to the frame. It puts the top of the frame just above my shoulders, where the load lifters will work well with a heavier load. (I'm only six feet, but all my height is in my torso. The ULA Tall packs fit pretty well, though on my Circuit the top of the load lifters is below my shoulder.)

4. The "key pocket" is placed just below the opening, so it rolls up inside the roll-top. Not sure how that will work with my wallet and car key. I'd have asked them to place it lower, below the shoulder harness.

5. Stuffing it with clothing and walking around, I like the full wrap hip belt, and the mesh is nice where it contacts my back.

6. The bottom webbing part of the shoulder strap is probably too short, and the end isn't sewn down — I can predict right now that I will loosen the shoulder strap and have it come apart, multiple times per day. But it's easily replaceable, so I'll contact Zpacks when I get back from my next hike to see if I can get a longer set.

We have a ~75 miler coming up soon; looking forward to trying it.

(First time poster/long time lurker…)
I just received my Arc Haul on the June 10th. I took it out for a 3 day weekend on June 12-14 to Lake Ediza/Mt Ritter area. I only used it to hike in and out, as I use a XS Zero as a daypack.

I should note that I am an old slow hiker and was carrying about 25 pounds total. I am 5'10" with a very short (17 1/2") torso, but got the regular length with a large belt.

I had been eyeing the Arc Zip for a while, but did not pull the trigger, because I need a really good frame to transfer the weight to my hips. I liked the mesh back, but the minimal frame and waist belt looked inadequate for my needs.

When the Arc Haul came out I read a couple of reviews and ordered back in April. It looked like the beefed up suspension system was just what the doctor ordered.

Some observations:

1. I was in a hurry, so I did some cursory adjustments. I adjusted the torso length down to the minimum, and the length seemed about right. I loosened the shoulder straps. With those adjustments, the lifters were anchored well above my shoulder height. I made minor adjustments to the lifters to keep the pack close, but made sure I eliminate all pressure from my shoulders. I am sensitive to shoulder pressure which tends to cause my hands to swell and get a little numb.

2. The load distribution is outstanding, and the weight is barely noticeable. The waist band does not have to be tightened as much as my other packs, because the wrap around works well. The upper waist strap was fairly tight and the lower was barely snugged. My legs and gut felt better as a result.

3. The mesh back works great, and I normally hike hot. I took it off for a break and snack. Normally my packs are really cold and clammy when I put the pack back on afterwards, but this one was nice and cool and dry!

4. The volume is large. I was hiking with a BV450 bear canister, and I am far from an ultralight. I had a Zpacks 20* SB, a TarpTent Strato1, LW Exped synmat. I had about 3 liters of carried water, a XS Zero daypack and lots of electronic toys.

5. The pack was stable even when going downhill, and I tend to keep the shoulder straps loose.

6. One of the small tie-down buckles on the extra strap broke, but Joe had extra buckles in the mail when I got back. Typical great ZPacks service!

7. I struggle to get a water bottle (Gatoraid 32 oz) out of the side pockets, and can't get it back in without stopping. That was to be expected as that is true for all my packs. I carried a bladder, and used it on the way back. (I am always hoping to get rid of that bladder!)

8. The arc cord is tough to pull. You need to compress the side frame pieces one at a time when you snug. It is also easier before you close the top and tighten the side compression straps (I had Joe add them). I tried it after everything was snugged up, and it wasn't going to work!

9. I had the keypocket filled with my keys and mini wallet, but they didn't interfere with the roll top (that I could tell).

Summary – Took one weekend for this to become my go-to pack. Bigger, lighter and carries better that my former go-to pack. It remains to be seen how well the Dyneema Grid will hold up, if I can get a Bearicade Weekender in horizontally and how well it will carry with more food weight. I'll find out in 2 weeks when I go on a 6 day solo trip.

Hugh

So a Bearikade only fits in the top of the pack?

What about a BearVault 450 (solo)? Will it fit with the lid facing the back panel?

I am curious to see how this pack handles 30-35 pound loads. Most of my trips are 20-25 lbs but occasionally I do longer (heavier) trips. The light weight of this pack intrigues me

Hi Ryan

Yes, I agree, a longer hike might pull out some extra things I haven't noticed. I've done a few more training walks of the ~hour mark. Some of these I'm pushing steep terrain absolutely flat out!

Its still perfectly comfortable for me. In terms of comfort, the only thing I can really see as being a problem on most packs for a longer walk is foam compression, but the foams Joe has used in the straps on this…I really don't see that as being a problem.

I've played more with different fill volumes, and I stand partially corrected on my comments earlier about the optional key pouch-fully loaded pack and key pouch stuffed full with my normal everyday leather wallet, keys, and smartphone, there was still enough length in the roll top to execute a 2-3roll….carefully. It still worked.

Notice that Zpacks have since updated that feature! They now have a detachable keypouch as the option, not the built in one. I think this is a good move, and its great to see them innovating and thinking. If you are having issues with your roll top you could just detach the pocket now, use it as your wallet in town, also it would be more flexible so you could move it more out of they way as you roll. They give you the stick on velcro tabs so that you can decide yourself on its exact positioning…excellent.

Cheers,

Adam

I wore the pack for a six day hike on the AT in Southwest Virginia (Atkins to Damascus).

The key pocket turned out to not be an issue at all. I could easily roll up the top with my wallet and car key in the pocket.

The pack fits and wears well. It took a couple of days to dial everything in the way I liked — the shoulder straps are adjustable, and I moved them around a few times until it felt right. The hip belt is comfortable, but it's softer than the Circuit hip belt. The hip belt pockets are terrific, and seam taped with waterproof zippers ! I think my heaviest load was maybe 28 pounds or so, might have been 30 with a full load of food and water. Very comfortable.

The design of the pack is well thought out — lots of items can be removed and replaced without cutting, like the sternum strap. We did not get rained on while hiking, so I can't comment on the seam taping of the inside of the pack, but I am hopeful that will work well. The mesh back panel seemed to work to keep my back a little drier, but the weather was warm and humid so I got pretty wet anyway. I did not use anywhere near the full capacity even with my tent inside (SMD Lunar Duo) and a full food bag, but the compression system works pretty well. I do need to see how my winter bag fits, but it should be fine.

Had a couple of problems. The Arc suspension is created by pulling a cord attached between the frame and the mesh back panel using an adjuster and a bowline knot. It's under considerable tension when in use. One of the corner bowlines popped out while hiking on the second day, and a brief inspection showed two others ready to do the same. The "tail" was too short and it was pulling itself apart under load. Easy to fix – I took apart the knot, loosened everything, and tied new bowlines with longer tails and stopper knots. (I like "field repairable.") Zpacks is sending me new, longer cord so I can re-tie all four corners, and Joe said he'll ask the pack makers to leave a longer tail on the knot. The other issue was the webbing on the lower part of the shoulder strap was too short and came apart a couple of times when I loosened the strap to take off the pack — they are sending me longer webbing, which is easily replaceable (not sewn on).

Overall I like it and it'll be my primary pack.

Thanks for your experience Ken

I also noticed the knots were finished very short, I'll retie them myself sometime soon. I'm not a fan of bowlines for knots that are meant to hang around for a while…

Good catch Ken. An inspection showed the same issue just waiting to happen on my pack. As you said tho…easily remedied.

First a word about working with Zpacks…

It was/is a pleasure. I exchanged many emails w/ Joe and Matt during the process of specifying the customizations. They were both very prompt and very helpful. Joe even took the time to explain some of the processes involved in (and issues encountered during) production, and what I should expect. I.E. Awesome customer service.

When the pack arrived it had a Med hip belt installed, not the Large I had ordered. No problem…Matt had the correct size in the mail immediately and refunded the shipping charges for returning the original. This gave me the chance to experience the process for a hip belt change. It took some effort, and involved some mild cursing, but the process went well and all is good. Needless to say, this is not something I would do on a regular basis…nor would I expect to have to.

I am impressed that Zpacks is so accommodating re: customizations. This has to be harder and harder to do as their production volume increases…but they clearly understand that the customer base to which they cater places great value on that willingness. I think that this is “part of the company DNA” and hope it never changes.

About the pack:

Many others have already reviewed the performance and features of the pack so I will not reiterate what has already been said except to say that I agree that this pack carries weight very well. Loaded to 40 lbs it feels like…40 lbs on your back (never fun)…but the Arc Haul frame handles it as well or better than any other lightweight pack I’ve tried.

Roll top cinches to the sides and Double side compression cords:

Cinching the top to the pack sides is a feature I loved on my GG Crown VC and it works great on the Arc Haul. Bonus (genius) design touch…Zpacks simply added the extra clip on one corner of the top closure (retaining the original) so that the stock roll top closure configuration is still available. I wasn’t certain if doubling the side compression cords would make much of difference, but I really like the flexibility. Weight penalty = two LL3’s.

Double top straps:

Another beloved feature of the Crown VC nicely implemented here. I much prefer this to a single top strap at a very minimal weight/complexity penalty. Joe suggested the straps be cut 45” long…easily secures a bear can if required. The straps may actually be longer than necessary…experience will tell…but this is easily modified.

I think what stands out most about this pack may be more of a design/construction philosophy than a feature. Every strap, cord, adjustment mechanism, attachment, etc is removable, replaceable and field repairable. Shy of the failure of a foundational design component (CF stay, mesh back panel, belt strap) you should be able to recover from any on-trail equipment malfunction with a bit of cord and a decent knowledge of knots.

In summary, I am very impressed and look forward to using this as my main UL pack for a long time to come.

I agree with John and Ken's comments.

The way buckles, straps, etc are done on this pack truly is a breath of fresh air.

Not only replaceability/adaptability, they clearly, have seriously thought about every single buckle and how to get the most out of that situation, while picking the lightest most durable option they could. This is rare even on high level manufactured packs-usually just go for big ones and sew them in!

Right now the pack is sitting loaded with training weight next to my poles and shoes behind me in my office. Underneath my whiteboard-a personal engine room for me for innovative thinking. Having that pack sitting there is literally an inspiration to push to the next level. Its that good.

Sensational.

The BearVault 450 sits nicely either with the lid facing the front/back or the side. I didn't try it facing up yet.

I rented a Bearikade Weekender last week for a 6 day trip. It fit horizontally as the last item in the rolltop, which is where I wanted it! It goes in only so far before it hits the upper frame crossmember. It works perfectly, and its like it was made for it. The fit is snug so there is no shifting possible.

I have already decided to buy a Bearikade for my longer trips.

For this 6 day trip I was carrying 34 pounds to start, but the Arc Haul rode really well! The only problem is the side pockets are impossible for me to use with the pack on so I still need a bladder.

I just received my new Arc Haul pack a couple days ago and I have been trying it out for feel and fit. In loading it up with a 30 pound load and a Bearikade Weekender in top (it fit in horizontally just fine), one of the vertical carbon fiber stays has popped out of the top webbing port/anchor on two occasions. Granted that this is a new pack to me and I'm trying to sort out the geometry of the straps, mesh back, load lifters, hip belt, etc. while keeping the Arc frame bowed the suggested 2.5". But I was surprised when one stay popped out sideways (i.e. through) the top port/anchor …likely from the pressure of top of the canister.

I notice that the vertical frame components are ~ 3/16" round rods while the horizontal components are flat stays. All of the pictures of Arc Hauls that I have seen since this model debuted have seemed to be flat stays. So, I am curious if anyone else has received an Arc Haul with the round rods for vertical frame components? Wonder if Joe has changed the vertical frame components from a flat stay to a round rod for some reason?

If anyone else has received round rod frame components, I appreciate hearing that from you and if you've experienced any pop-outs like I did in my initial testing. Other than this issue, the pack seems awesome and well constructed. Thanks! Brian

Wow, that is interesting indeed. Surely the round stays would be stronger or at least stiffer than flat. I think the old non-arc exo used round stays instead of flat, right?

Just double checked my ~4 week old Arc Haul. All stays, vertical and horizontal, are rectangular although the horizontal are broader and thinner (more flat in cross section) while the vertical are narrower and thicker (more square in cross section).

Mine are all flat stays.

I can't see how they would pop out of mine either as you describe, the stitching of that webbing piece is complete, except for the very bottom where the stay normally enters

>>I can't see how they would pop out of mine either as you describe, the stitching of that webbing piece is complete, except for the very bottom where the stay normally enters

Likewise. Hard to imagine any of the stays popping out.

I had to swap the hip belt for another size and damn near burst a blood vessel muscling that stay in and out of the pockets. I suspect the vertical stays are easiest to replace as they are the longest and so offer the most flex.

Only trying to cover all the bases here, but is it possible that you have "too much" bow dialed in thus shortening the effective length of the stays and allowing them to disengage from the anchor pockets? Do they still pop out when you reduce the bow to more like 1.5"?

This could be a (rare) manufacturing defect. If so I am certain Zpacks will make it right as quickly as possible.

Thanks for the replies and insight guys! Much appreciated.

After reading your comments, I need to clarify that the round carbon fiber rod that makes up the vertical component "popped through" the upper port/anchor. It remained within the webbing loop that restrains it from moving side-to-side but slipped between that webbing loop and the webbing that folds over the top of it to keep the stay from moving further vertically. In other words, the stay slipped between the two webbing components that secure it…and extended out at an angle beyond the upper port/anchor.

I did think to check the amount of arc in the stay with a ruler to confirm that my eyeballed 2.5" was close and it was right there. I'm thinking that the top of my canister pushed sideways against the upper portion of the vertical rod and allowed the well-rounded tip of the rod to slide into the gap between the side webbing and top webbing. It seems as though the webbing that holds the rod to address side-to-side movement might be too wide for the thin rod, or at least wide enough for the wider flat stay?

I'll run this by Joe when he returns from his trek. Perhaps my pack needs the flat stays, but I'm curious if Joe has changed the type of stays at this stage. And, user error could certainly be the explanation as I'm still getting used to the pack. Thanks again for your comments! Brian

Bri,

Regardless of how, or with what, you loaded the pack I will argue those stays should never come out of the retaining pockets, and I'm pretty sure Joe would agree. At the very least he will want to see what is happening so take some good pictures. Hell, *I* want to see pics of what's happening so I can compare to my pack and see if something similar is possible :)

Yes, please post photos if you can I am also interested in seeing. Mine are all flat stays.
I just returned from hiking the PCT SOBO through Oregon. I'm no speedster and I don't do high milage per day by any means but after a rough spring health wise and three years recovering from PF I'm proud to say I did Oregon in 29 days! And the Arc Haul was a big reason I was able to do so.
A short intro to the conditions….As many here know, Oregon has seen some very high temps and is VERY DRY. I watched forest fires both to the east and west of the trail most of the time I was there. There's a lot of lakes, which currently are the main water sources, but true to character the PCT is mostly above or beyond reach of a lot of those lakes and this required long water carries with the extensive heat. Almost all streams and springs are gone. There were a few exceptions and they were like gold. So I was basically doing desert water carries in Oregon as I do require good hydration for high exertion. I also went nearly stoveless, pre-preparing homemade dehydrated meals that were cold but tasty! The three meals I had hot were prepared in established campground fireplaces, it is so darn dry the risk had to be mitigated by fireplaces and lake water available as a precaution.
Back to the pack….I was able to carry nine days worth of food, two days at a time of water (four to six liters) and the minimum of gear very comfortably. In fact this PCT hike was the most comfortable I have been pack wise in years of long trails. My total weight with food and without water is 24 pounds, (15 pounds base weight) the water weight varied from one source to another. The hike took place before any trail maintenance had been done since winter, there was a LOT of dead and down and many burn areas that both required a lot of bushwhacking around and climbing through deadfall and surrounding vegetation. River crossings, the Muddy, which although high and swift I waded, Russell and Milk Creek were boulder hoppers. At no time did I feel the pack put me at a disadvantage, where as other folks I was with for short times with more traditional packs (i.e. taller, bigger, wider and heavier) really had a hard time in the process of climbing over trees as their packs proved rather ungainly and hard to maneuver in tight places. None of it was easy for anyone but I felt less worn out at the end of the day than I have ever previously. At no time did the pack rub me or provide any problems other than when I tied the cords on the line locks for the back netting wrong, and the cords wore through a bit, my fault but Lisa is sending me more cord to replace the worn ones free of charge! Such service! In all I am very pleased with the performance of the pack. Also a full pack is a full pack, but after a mile or so, I almost forget about it! :-)