Durston Wapta 30

The 2025 model is updated with a removable top strap, reshaped side pockets, improved hardware, and other refinements.

Improvements for 2025 include:

Reshaped side pockets for improve carry and aesthetics.
Updated hardware to make the pack easier to adjust,
Top strap is now removable to go even lighter.

Still not sure about how to carry a bear canister with this pack. Maybe that isn’t what it is designed for, but boy it would be nice. The top strap needs to be about 3-4″ longer to fit around the circumference of a BearVault…

The Wapta isn’t really designed for a bear canister – mostly because if you have a bear canister you are probably getting to pack weights where a framed pack would be better suited. It does have that V top strap that can be used to strap one on top, but the 5mm webbing is thin so it would tend to slide around more than ideal. The top strap is intended more for soft objects on top (tent, Z-Rest).

But if you did want to carry a bear canister and it’s not one of the small ones that could fit inside (e.g. BV425), then the top strap is an option. For the 2025 model you can easily swap on a longer top strap if desired. It’s still quite thin webbing (5mm x 2) so you’d want the bear canister to either have grooves to give it some more grip, or you can wrap it something that is more grippy.

If you have the 2024 model, you could snip the attachments where the top strap connects and then tie on a longer strap in the same spot we tie on the 2025 strap.

Places where you need bear canister tend to have lots of water – JMT, SHR etc. So, weight of pack is not really bad. I have used my MLD Prophet on the JMT and SHR with the can inside.

There are couple of options – look into buying Zpacks Nero top V strap. This can be easily attached to Wapta. There are two connections on one side and one connection on the other side – just reverse it on Wapta. Empty can on top is doable.

Then there is Simple Outdoor Solutions which has a bearikade harness. You can easily attach this as well – you can even attach the empty can on top of the front pocket.

One more thing you can do which I have done on my MLD Burn (as my bearikade wasn’t comfortable inside) was to not attach the buckles of the roll top closure – roll the roll top and then don’t buckle it. Place a sit pad and then the bear canister and then take the two ends and take it over the horizontal end sides and try to buckle it with another webbing strap with opposite male/female buckles. Am not sure if this is clear. The V strap is over the circular part of the can. The roll top buckles/extension webbing is over the side and top of the can. This is pretty stable carry. Of course, opening and closing the pack should be limited to start/end of day.

Hey Dan! Thanks for the reply. This is one of those instances where I would just need the bear canister to have it. I am planning on hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail and will likely carry my food in the Wapta 30 but carry the bear can empty on top. Then at night just drop my food bag into the canister.

Is there an attachment or longer 5mm webbing I can order from you? I do have the 2025 version (got on that really quick after the email came!).

Maybe this just isn’t the pack for a bear canister trip? I do have the Uinta Highline Trail also planned for this summer and that should be just fine for the Wapta.

Thank you for this advice Murali!

The cord you need is called 5mm or 1/4″ “flat drawcord”. We don’t stock it in bulk but QuestOutfitters has some:
https://www.questoutfitters.com/narrow_roll_good_products.htm#ROUND

I just bought the 2025 model and have it packed up now for a quick overnighter starting tomorrow. I’ve got 16 pounds in or on the pack with all my food and water and filming equipment, and it seems to carry very well.

I’m not a fan of the sewn in shoulder pouches, but I understand that lots of people want them and you can’t please everybody. I do appreciate that even with the sewn in shoulder pouches, I was still able to attach my preferred shoulder pouch for my phone.

I’ve never had a pack with a bottom pocket. What do people use it for? I’ve just stuffed my windshirt in there for now.

I’ll report back with my thoughts after the trip, but I’m pretty confident this is going to be my “go to” pack for short trips with lightish weight.

the bottom pocket was originally designed to put snacks in with the larger opening for taking out your snacks while on the move and the small corner one on the opposite side for putting your trash(after eating your snacks)into, but people use it for different things including a windshirt or what ever they want to access while on the move and don’t want to stop and take off their pack to access.

“the bottom pocket was originally designed to put snacks in ”

I ended up using super light “belly pack”, which is a fanny pack turned around and carried below or on my pack hip belt. This is where lunch, Steripen, map and a few other items were stashed while backpacking. It makes for a great day pack too for days when I want to go out and about without my pack/tent etc.  I think mine weighs about two ounces. Big enough on a day hike for a water bottle, steripen and lunch. Wind shirt/rain shell is carried around my waist using the arms to tie a knot.

Interesting, thanks. I hadn’t even noticed that there was a small opening on the other side.

I don’t think my bottom pocket on the Wapta 30 has the small entry hole. I probably wouldn’t use it anyway. But I went looking for it due to curiosity from this thread, and unless it’s some kind of trap door thing I can’t find it.

Yeah there’s not a ‘trash port’ in ours. A goal with our bottom pocket was to use a non-stretch fabric because putting a stretch material on the bottom (highest wear spot) creates a weakpoint. I think we pulled it off, but at least for now we haven’t complicated it with a trash port. It might not work as well without elasticity but I may tinker with that as some point.

I’ve used the pack so far on two overnight trips and like it quite a bit. I don’t think I would use the “trash port” anyway, but I was confused looking for it. On my first trip, I used it for my windshirt. Then on the second trip I used it for my rain gear. I’ll be publishing a review next week on YouTube. Of course, having only had it out on a couple of trips, it’s just a preliminary review. But this pack has just graduated to my “go to” pack for short trips with my current base weight of around 10 pounds. And I would definetely take it out for longer trips with my previously standard 6-7 pound base weight. (I switched from a tarp to a tent, and also carry a bunch of filming gear now and a few more luxury items like a full sized pad.)

Thanks for putting a video together John. I know those are a lot of work.