Katabatic Elios 55 vs HMG Windrider 55

I had the same concerns with the HMG backpanel and ventilation. Living and hiking in the desert, I haven't found it to be a problem.

The Exped Lighting packs seem to handle weight pretty well with only one stay:)

Given Katabotic's track record for quality, I would buy the Helios.

I've owned an hmg ice pack (same suspension as windrider) for the last few years and now I'm using a katabatic artemis (same suspension as helios). I prefer the katabatic in almost all respects. I still haven't had the artemis out in sustained rain, but the taped seems and simpler construction of the hmg likely makes it more weatherproof. That said, I probably won't pack any differently with the katabatic. The katabatic carries a load better, and sits more comfortably on the hips because of the shaped hipbelt. The HMG begins to sag at the belt under heavier loads because of the lack of contouring. The load transfer on the katabatic is coming both from a semi stiff foam back as well as the shaped (removable) center stay. The only down side I can see with the center stay on the katabatic is that it doesn't move laterally with you quite as well as the two stay system of the hmg. So far I'm very happy with the katabatic. I'll also mention, its definitely worth the time to bend the stay to the shape of your back. Helps a lot with comfort.

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Serge, thank you for the great comparison. That's exactly what I was looking for.

I'm hoping that the Katabatic will hold up to just around 40 pounds max during winter trips. Anyone have input on that?

The HMG 4400 has a stiff back panel as well. It can be added to the 3400 as an upgrade. I think Mike wanted $20 to do it or just go for the 4400 for the weight capacity.

I can't compare per se, but I haul groceries in my HMG Windrider literally every day on top of the 25# dumbbell I leave in the bottom of the pack all the time and as long as you get the right size HMG pack (for Dog's sake, size UP in back panel height!!), it actually carries pretty well for as simplistic as the suspension is. I'm often walking home with 40+ pounds, and it's not a bad pack. If I were buying new from HMG, I'd definitely opt for the addition of the plastic framesheet and consider the full 150d cuben upgrade for structure.

Then again, my Unaweep is even more comfortable, but it weighs more…

I just got an Artemis.. could you elaborate a bit on bending the stay? how did you do it & what sort of bend did you put in it?

Andy, I just took out the stay and held it up to my back in the mirror and made some minor adjustments. The lumbar bend was a little too extreme for me, as i felt it pushing against my back, so I bent it a little staiter.

Just wanted to update this thread with my findings after ordering both packs.

I bought the HMG 3400 southwest and the Katabatic Elios 55, tried them on with some various weight (25#, 35#, 45#, 55#)

This is my opinion after trying them out:

The Katabatic is a much nicer looking pack. The seams are nicely finished but with sewn nylon and not taped. It's smaller than the HMG but the main compartment is largely the same format and features. The frame sheet is a pretty cool combination of stiff foam, ribbed/perforated foam and a single beefy stay in the center. The waist band and shoulder straps are a similar perforated foam but very thin and not stiff. It was my experience that the weight did not transfer to the hips as well above 25# and tended to sag. The perforated back panel is a nice feature though along with the elastic side bottle holders. It's my opinion that the pack would be well suited to about 20-25 pounds but I wouldn't go any heavier. Really nice product but not what I'm looking for at the moment.

The HMG was much sturdier. the main compartment roll top is tall. Much taller than the circuit I have and about the same diameter. The seams are taped so no need for a pack cover. There are two very beefy stays and a thin pad sewn into the back panel. The curve of the stays fit me almost perfectly out of the box. The pack in general fits my body type really well. The outside ripstop is as functional as the Elios outside pockets but not the best looking in my opinion. The Y shaped top strap holds the roll top closure very flat. The hip belt and shoulder straps are similar to my ULA circuit but thinner and narrower. This pack was comfortable and transferred the weight really well to the hips. I'd carry this up to 40# no problem. Once I put it on and wore it for a while, I realized that I didn't miss having load lifters. It's super robust and seems like it will hold up really well for years to come. In comparison to the circuit, the ergonomics fit better with the HMG but I think the suspension and hip belt is sturdier and transfers weight better with the ULA circuit.

Hope that may be helpful to someone.

I'm keeping the Southwest pack.

Scott, I'm glad you found which pack worked for you. To provide a contrast, I found that the Katabatic Artemis transfers weight as well as my HMG Porter, if not better, due to the shaped nature of the hipbelt and the load lifters. On a recent trip, I had ~37 lbs in my Artemis and it carried it well. When I've tried to overload my Porter with weight, I find slippage/rubbing of the hipbelt to be more of an issue.

Scott, "It's my opinion that the pack [Artemis] would be well suited to about 20-25 pounds but I wouldn't go any heavier. " "This pack [HMG] was comfortable and transferred the weight really well to the hips. I'd carry this up to 40# no problem" "In comparison to the circuit, the ergonomics fit better with the HMG but I think the suspension and hip belt is sturdier and transfers weight better with the ULA circuit" Does this mean that you've gone full circle, and actually prefer the Circuit over both the Artemis and HMG for weights around 30 pounds?

I don't have a Winderider 55 but I recently picked up both the Katabatic Artemis and the ULA Circuit to compare and keep just one. Everyone's report of the new Katabatic packs are spot on. They look and feel awesome. The quality is unparalleled. I won't get into a feature vs feature comparison of the two since that's not what the OP requested but I did load both packs up to 30lbs and I'd have to give the edge to the Circuit. I felt like the Circuit hipbelt did transfer weight just a tad better. I also felt like the center of mass on the ULA was closer to my back. The Artemis felt like there was just a little more swing when I walked. The fit of the Artemis was near perfect on me though; hugged my torso, which is odd that it would result in feeling like there was more swing. I also love the front zip pocket and burly, nearly waterproof material. In the end, I have no idea which I'm going to keep. :)

If you happen to be a large and decide on the Circuit I could probably be convinced to take the Artemis off your hands :)

Great real world discussion here, fellas. Because of the fixed torso sizing of both packs, fit is going to be pretty subjective. Having worn a friends Elios and owning 3 HMG packs myself, for me, at least, the fit was better with the HMG packs and the stiffness of the frame seemed better. I did like the belt on the Katabatic more overall. I didn't find significant differences in quality – both packs are well made with the edge in seam tolerance going to the Katabatic. Now if we could just throw the Elemental Horizons Kalais into the mix, that would be perfect. ;)

"Now if we could just throw the Elemental Horizons Kalais into the mix, that would be perfect. ;)" +1 on that