Durston Wapta Pack

Looks good

Thanks for the kind words Mike and Thom.

There was a thread a month ago when it launched, so that has some more discussion but also I’m happy to answer any Qs here. It’ll be nice to get these packs in the wild in a few months and hear what people think. Obviously I’m pretty excited but hardly neutral.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/durston-wapta-30/

Hey Dan,

Love the pack (and the hat)! and the video does a fantastic job of showing the features and details. This is something you have done a great job with.

I see a lot of features and components that I have used and appreciate. Top strap buckles are an interesting topic. I’m a big fan of a lot of the WooJin Plastics components as well as many of the DuraFlex pieces. Is each piece specific to the purpose or maybe chosen for costs or to maintain brand loyalty throughout (using all WJ or all DF and not mixing)?

What thread specs are being used on your packs? I am more interested actually if it is nylon or polyester but the size would be nice to know as well :)

Maybe I have missed this, but, is the back panel shaped or straight seams?

Mike, when do you expect you receive your pack and what is the intended first trip?!??!

Hey Eric, I think the packs are shipping early next year. Dan is using a new fabric  from Aluula. It’s crazy that pack fabric got better so fast after Ultra, but I’m excited for it. I plan on doing the Trans Catalina trail this summer, so I think I’ll be taking this pack on it. 38 miles, and a result, so I think I can get through it with this one.

Here is the link to the fabric.
https://aluula.com/graflyte/

Hi Eric,

Plastic hardware
The costs for this stuff are pretty trivial so decisions are mostly about finding the right hardware for the application in terms of function, ease of use, and strength. We used to use mostly Duraflex but had some issues with their buckles breaking so we are mostly using Woojin now. I think our packs are all Woojin except the tensioners are from ITW. This neat top strap buckle is from Woojin while Duraflex doesn’t have anything similar. I like Duraflex but Woojin seems more innovative.

I usually only mix when I need to. Our tents use YKK buckles inside the peaks but then we wanted smaller 10mm buckles at the doors which YKK doesn’t make so we use another brand there (I think Duraflex but would have to check). And the LineLoc3s at the corners are ITW.

Other
I don’t recall the thread off hand (I’d have to look into it) since it was almost a year ago we decided that. It’s definitely something synthetic (nylon or poly) and a medium-heavy weight.

The pack panel is one piece but tapers wider at the top.

They don’t say much about the fabric. Bonded at a molecular level. I don’t see the tests. They’re ongoing. NASA is considering it, along with others I’m sure.  I don’t see where it’s better than Ultra. It may prove out to be. It looks comparable . Mostly the company is based in Canada. So is Durston, so that makes perfect sense. Nice features like the rest of his gear.

ALUULA fabric started several years ago and has revolutionized the wind sports world (e.g. kite surfing). If you watch some videos from that niche you can see the fabric is the real deal:

The new ‘Graflyte’ fabric from them is more aimed specifically at packs and is new so there is less info on it, but the technology/bonding is well proven.

My video on the Wapta pack (linked in a previous post) explains the advantages over Ultra, but Ultra is also a very nice fabric.

It really is a well thought out pack. I know nothing about fabrics but it looks to be very solid in that regard, even the really interesting bottom pocket. I’d prefer a touch more padding on the shoulder straps and the hip belt, but that’s me–I carry a bear canister and that changes how a pack carries. For 2-3? nights without a canister, this pack looks to be a real winner. (although this pack could carry a Bearikade scout pretty easily. Frankly this pack is yet another reason to get a Scout…). Dan’s located in the PNW, my home area, and knows about rain and wet brush for sure. Clearly this is designed with that in mind.

the background music on the video on the other hand…annoying. How ’bout some mellow Miles Davis or Freddy Hubbard?

Yeah sorry about that music. Bad call to have that as the background music. Glad you’re liking how the pack looks though. The padding is pretty normal on the Wapta. It’s not super thick but it’s the same thickness as the Kakwa.

For feeling a canister, this is hard to say. Those mesh padded strips are thicker but then the other areas aren’t padded on the back panel.  You’ll want to be a bit thoughtful how it is packed, but most other packs in this niche are purely just fabric between you and the contents so it’s better than most.

Holy cow… you designed your own fabric and didn’t bother to brag about it? How very Canadian (and awesome) of you, Dan!

Love the UHMWPE on the outside (where it should be) and promise of never delaminating or unraveling. Sweet.

Thanks Bill :)    We were involved during the design process but I don’t want to take too much credit from ALUULA because they did the heavy lifting. They already had the core fusion technology working in their other fabrics and then to make Graflyte I offered some suggestions on how to optimize it for a pack application (e.g. have the weave on the outside, softer hand, target weights etc) but they actually did the hard work of making it happen. It is a really cool fabric so I’m looking forward to having it out on the trails in 2024.

“Yeah sorry about that music.”  that’s a generous response, Dan. You would have been within your rights to say, “yeah, yeah, everyone thinks they’re a g-ddamm music critic.” Others may well like the music. I’m a grumpy old guy. No need to apologize.