I want to love my HMG pack, but I don't. Tips?

I’ve had an HMG Windrider 2400 for a several years, very similar design, but not identical.

Reaching water bottle in side pocket: Works for me using a tall 1.5 liter Smart Water bottle. I started using tall bottles years before buying the Windrider and haven’t tried anything else. I cut off the compression strap that goes over that pocket, perhaps the dumbest feature on the pack. I’ve also made other modifications.

Velcro: Doesn’t bother me much, but I agree it’s not needed. Some kind of “lip stiffener” makes folding easier (decades of experience with dry bags), so I’d be careful about removing it entirely. Maybe remove just the hook side, or cover most of the hook side with non-sticky Velcro loop tape or plain tape, leaving a little patch to make alignment easier.

Fabric stiffness: It softens a fair amount with use, though not all the way to traditional fabrics. I like having some fabric stiffness, makes packing easier.

— Rex

I also use the smart water bottles. No trouble reaching those in my arc haul.

I wonder if my pack is sitting too high, does your hipbelt sit above the pelvic bone or around it?

Great idea on the Velcro, I will do that if Im going to keep the pack

I’ve had the Southwest 3400 for a few years and love it.  I haven’t had any of the problems you mention and haven’t modified anything….sounds like it just may not be your pack.

I wanted to like HMG as well but never could fall in love with it.   I ended up with a Arc Haul and a Unaweep.

Like you I got an HMG pack a few years back and wanted to like it. Somehow it just didn’t work for me.

More than anything I hated the white DCF and the fit and ended up selling it.

Pack fit like shoes is very personal.

For the water bottle, I use a shoulder mounted pouch and keep a 20oz vitamin water bottle there. If I need to reach the side pockets, I loosen the straps and take an arm out. My shoulders don’t allow me to reach it while wearing it.

As for the velcro, roll the top to the outside a time or two and the velcro is all covered up during loading/unloading.

I love the white.  Goes with the theme.

You might want to check out the Katabatic Onni with LiteSkin.  The LiteSkin is soft and not too stiff, magnets instead of velcro on the roll top, and the water bottle pockets are very easy to access (almost to a fault).

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/forum/commerce/gear-swap/

I have a Windrider 3400 and really like it.  I can’t reach a water bottle in the side pockets either, but I generally have trouble doing so with any pack.  I added a Zimmerbuilt water bottle holder to my shoulder strap (~25 oz Smartwater) and it’s been working out great.  I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but it’s not in the way and I’ve been doing a better job of staying hydrated since it’s so easy to access.

Yeah, I have only had mine (Southwest 2400, black) since April, and have been holding off on mods till I could decide on a few.
1) Yes, the Velcro is a bit painful to use with cotton or wool…less so with poly and nylon. However, you can simply take a Bic Lighter to the stuff and leave it as a stiffener. I think leaving about 2″ in the center will work. Grab the buckles at each end and pull rapidly…instant alignment. Note that this leaves the stiffener in place so closing like a dry bag works fine.

2) Yes, the lower straps on the pouch pockets can go.

3) Either one of the closures on the pack can go…the lower strap & buckle got stuffed in the side pockets and there they have remained for three, week long trips. I just use the dry-bag style of closure.

4) The Y strap on the top can go (though for canister use, I would miss it…but I rarely use a canister and have 13-14 other packs.) This is complicated and it is really not necessary.

5) The torso strap is way heavier than I need. I can make one out of some 1/2″ strap and 2 layers of elastic. This has worked fine on half a dozen different packs. I can also drop the complicated adjustment system and simply sew it in once it is dialed in to me.

6) I don’t need hose keepers on the straps.

7) Attachment buckles for accessory’s. These can go, the pack carries everything I need for three seasons for up to two weeks at a time.

I am guessing I can drop an ounce or two. Yes, it is stiff and promises to stay stiff for quite some time. That I can live with.

Yes, water bottles are a b!tch to put back, even though I can get them out. I may go with a single liter gatoraid bottle. Was planning on trying that this coming week.

Rex, I was thinking about a similar strap arrangement on upper part of the pack, but I was going to use the upper accessory buckles. I like your idea of running right around. Thanks!

Yes a edge stiffener is nicer than velcro. One of the nice things with a Hanchor Marl (and other packs, but the Marl is very similar to the Windrider).

It’s hard, perhaps impossible, to find the perfect off-the-shelf backpack. If one knows exactly what they want then a custom made pack from a reputable pack maker is often the only solution, or make it yourself if you have the skills and equipment.

There are four things I look for in a pack:

1. fit
2. does the frame transfer the weight to my hips with the max load I intend to carry
3. is it comfortable
4. is it easy to live out of

It sounds like your dissatisfaction is all in category 4. Now sometimes #4 is minor irritations that can easily be remedied and other times it means the pack won’t work. For example, 10 years ago I bought a pack from a well known cottage manufacturer. A Platypus one-liter bottle would not stay in the water pocket — it kept falling out. I contacted the manufacturer who acknowledged my complaint was a common problem. I offered to pay to have the pockets replaced with taller material and he told me to buy new water bottles. So I gave the pack away since it had a couple other irritating features and I didn’t like how the conversation went. It was a frameless pack so excellent fit, load carrying capacity, and comfort weren’t something that was going to happen anyway and I realized that, for me, a frameless pack wasn’t going to do the job on most of my trips.

So let’s consider your dilemma

– cant reach water bottles in side pocket while carrying pack. I can reach perfectly with my arc haul, but there’s just no way with the hmg. What do you guys do?

– the Velcro is so abrasive. It was grabbing onto my t-shirt nonstop as I’m packing the pack at home. Has anyone thought about removing it completely? It’s a roll top, so not having a Velcro wouldn’t change anything right?

– the stiffness of the pack. Arc haul’s gridstop is pretty soft, but DCF on the HMG is super stiff. Does this loosen up over time? I feel like I’m using a paper bag.

Can’t reach the water bottle while wearing the pack

For 40 years I hiked with packs that did not have “water pockets” so I find this feature of minimal value (that’s my opinion of course). I’m okay to stop once every hour or two and take off my pack to drink. Actually my two go-to packs have well designed water bottle pockets. The smaller pack, a McHale Bump, is harder to reach back when traveling because it is a narrow pack. I can reach pack and retrieve a bottle, but I can’t put it back. However, the pocket is adjustable and I could set it up to work, but it isn’t a feature I need. My McHale LBP 36 is easy to retrieve and return a bottle, but I almost always stop and take the pack off to drink. I have a feeling your pack cannot be fixed to grab the bottle unless you change bottles or do something about pocket itself. If this is the only unsolvable problem, perhaps it isn’t that big a deal?

the Velcro is so abrasive

That  would drive me nuts. I hate velcro closures and prefer a drawstring. Not only the irritation of Velcro catching on stuff, but it gets dirty and eventually fails. I would remove it and sew in a drawstring if you need something to replace the Velcro. Can the top just be rolled over and secured without the Velcro. If a drawstring would fix it, that upgrade shouldn’t be a big deal even for an idiot like me who can barely sew.

the stiffness of the pack

The DCF will soften up a little over time. Is your concern durability or something else? I don’t see how this would affect its use and the material is pretty robust. To me a non-issue.

So bottom line, assuming `#1 – #3 criteria fits your needs, the only BIG issue I see is the water bottle access. If a different bottle would work, then great, switch. If that doesn’t solve the problem, then how important is this feature versus everything else?

I’m way late on this post. I hated being unable to reach my water bottles in my sw3400. I traded for a porter 2400 and purchased hmg water bottle holster. It’s the best bottle holster I’ve used to date and makes it so easy to get to the bottle and put it back in there. Very secure too. My rugby nickname was t-Rex so you can imagine how short my arms are.

I have this pack and use bottle holster on the shoulder strap which work perfectly!  Also, with the Velcro problem I fold down the sides when I’m loading up it seems to resolve the problem.  I like this pack a lot but don’t love it…that said I just order my second pack from Katabatic.  I have to say my older Katabatic Gear pack is my most favorite ever and want the new lite skin to be the same with a little more capacity for a bear can.

Pam