?? HMG Southwest 3400 ?? How many pounds are you carrying comfortably??

I’ve carried a 2013 HMG Windrider 2400 at up to 35 pounds – and wouldn’t want to push it higher for comfort. Other reviewers say 30 pounds max. The Southwest 3400 is basically the same pack with a longer top collar and solid fabric pockets.

With the weight and bulk of a synthetic bag, large tent, and winter clothing, you might consider the HMG Southwest 4400. The 4400 includes an “Internal plastic frame sheet for added back panel support” which other reviews say lets them carry 10+ pounds more.

Almost everyone thinks HMG’s “Load capacity” numbers are too high for comfort; however, the packs won’t fall apart at those loads, either.

Standard advice applies: a pack must fit you with your anticipated load. Doesn’t matter if it works for me or anyone else.

— Rex

RE:4400   Great!  That sounds like a better “fit”!  I’ll check that out!

BIG Thanks, Rex!

It doesn’t sound like your gear would fit well in a pack with a volume of 3400 – that sleeping bag must be huge for a start!

If I’m guessing correctly it also sounds like your base weight (all your carried gear including the pack carrying it but minus consumables like food, water, sunscreen etc) will be beyond the 20lb upper limit of a “lightweight” load.

In other words, it sounds like an HMG (or, indeed, any other truly ultralight pack) is unlikely to be a suitable fit for your needs.

I would suggest you look at higher volume, higher load-capability packs such as some of the (excellent) Seek Outside packs or even the larger Ospreys. I know you were hoping for DCF but I’m not aware of any packs made of that material that would quite meet your needs.

Look at the Elemental Horizons Aquilo, great suspension with the volume you need.

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BIG Thanks, Alex and David!

I’m in the early stages of updating my 20+ year old equipment.  …Looks like using a REI Magma 10 instead of -40 North Face will save me 3 pounds and lots of bulk. My “never on the ground” Bibler I-tent can go back in the closet where it has been forever.  …If I go with any Tarptent Lithium I can drop 200%+ in weight… ok, this is all sounding better!

Best!

dane

Be careful of REI’s constantly changing specs and marketing for the Magma sleeping bags!

Currently available in roughly the 10F range for men:

The Magma 15 Men’s is EN/ISO rated as 16 F lower limit (warm sleepers, generally men). Why didn’t they call it the Magma 16 Mens?

Just to confuse things, the Magma 15 Women’s is EN/ISO rated as 3 F lower limit (~men), and 17 F comfort limit (~women). Could have called it the Magma 17 Womens, but they didn’t.

And if you drop ~7 pounds of base weight, HMG packs should be back on your list.

— Rex

PS – Any gender may sleep in any sleeping bag. The REI Gender Police won’t check :-)