Kakwa 55 vs. ULA Circuit vs. GG Mariposa vs. Zpacks Arc Haul – best for comfort?

[DirtNap]

Superior Wilderness Designs (SWD) makes the best load carrying lightweight packs I’ve ever tried on my human body.

[sbennett3705]

On the BV500/Kakwa 55 question, I just tried it and it fits horizontally (sort of). It cannot be pushed below the reinforcement seam, but does fit above it with sufficient turns of the collar to form a seal. But, man it’s tight. Of course, it fits on top with the Y strap. The BV450 fits very comfortably inside, and I believe so would the BV475.

[JG H]

Dan, I checked the dimensions of the Kakwa 55 vs the Mo EP50L and the Kakwa is actually 1L roomier in the main back with nearly identical dimensions. I have no idea why I find it easier to pack the Mo, but I do. I packed and unpacked both a few times and the Mo just held more. It defies logic, I know, and I have no defensible response for it. My BV425 also worked better in the Mo with room to spare on the side and front to pack items around it. Weird.

As for the thin and light Kakwa backpanel foam doing duty as lumbar padding, I’d equate that to putting on an extra t-shirt in a gun fight. Yes, its there and its technically a layer, but is it really doing anything to help? Not that you’d notice.

All that said, I’m still a huge fan of you, your company, and what you’re doing in the backpacking space. The interaction, attention to detail, thoughtfulness, tireless innovation and advancements, and the incredible customer experience is second to absolutely none and every other manufacture should sit up and take notice. Keep it up!

[Dan]

I just wanted to chime in to thank the cottage manufacturers for staying focused on light weight. There are many mass market packs available at slightly higher weights, and I’m sure they are comfortable. I’m much more weight sensitive in my needs, and have less concern about foam thickness, rigidity of stays, etc.

[David D]

Just came back from a 3 day trip with the Kakwa 55.  The 20deg EE Apex wide quilt won’t fit in the bottom in its stuff sack, the bag being too narrow at the hip.  Simple change was packing clothes at the bottom then jamming in the quilt over the clothes, compressing like hell then cinching the Nylofume.

It was getting near freezing so the bag filled up fast with that quilt.

I get some barreling with the bag but that’s never ever been uncomfortable to me.  I kind of prefer it because it means less sweat on my back.  3 days food in an Ursack, clothing for freezing and that quilt, all in ~ 25lbs with 1.5L water, very comfy

[sbennett3705]

Since this post diverged widely from the original topic, I wanted to report the results of my testing. As mentioned earlier, few know which of the candidate packs are best for comfort, so I purchased all three with the intention to keep only one. I invested $1,100 and hope the return policies are honored.

I’ve had the ULA Circuit, Durston Kakwa 55 and ZPacks Arc Haul 70 under test for a couple of weeks. I tested in home with actual loads on an elliptical. (As a respect the makers return policies, I did not hike outdoors so the packs are fully re-saleable).

Conditions of test: the main consideration was pack comfort with my normal loads ranging from 20 to 30 LBS. Pack features were deemed to be equivalent, but there were some major differences which I’ll mention below.

Conclusion: the Zpacks Arc Haul won the comfort test by a long way. However, this was only for my specific needs. I’ve been a cyclist as long as a backpacker, so have the typical shoulder and clavicle injuries, plus some mild scoliosis. So, I need the hips to carry the majority the load with minimal shoulder pressure. The other two pack should be suitable for many others without my challenges.

ULA Circuit

Pro’s:

• Simple, well made design
• Good capacity, could be beneficial for more bulky gear
• Large side pockets hold lots of gear and are easy to reach while walking
• Can be ordered with differnet torso length, shoulder strap shape and belt length
• Swallows BV500 without issue, can be loaded low, mid or high positions

Con’s:

• Hip belt felt slightly less comfortable than others
• Looks like load lifters are too low, perhaps the pack is too small?
• Mesh front pocket is pretty tight, need to jam gear into it, not a fan of lycra mesh for durability reasons
• Suspension compresses too much under load, felt OK at 23 LBS, not acceptable at 30+ LBS

Conclusion: good overall design, but the suspension system compresses too much under heavier loads

Kakwa 55

Pro’s:

• Well made, stitching very straight, simple & elegant overall design
• Plenty of room for all gear, about the same as a 65L pack
• Suspension system is excellent, distributes weight well, little compression under load
• Large front mesh pocket
• Large side pocket holds water bottles, can easily reach while walking
• Felt OK at 23 LBS, not so great at 30+ LBS

Con’s:

• Wing-style hip belts are slightly undersized, insufficient padding and length
• Yoke style shoulder straps a bit to narrow causing pressure at the top of the shoulders, unable to totally eliminate
• Minimal back padding, need to load the pack carefully to avoid uncomfortable protrusions
• BV450/475 fits only at the top position due to dimensions and back comfort, BV500 does not fit inside must go under the Y strap (which I don’t prefer, why bake your food in the sun all day?)

Conclusion: if I had a more compatible body type, this pack would have been my pick except when a BV500 is needed

Zpacks Arc Haul 70

Pro’s

• Excellent built quality, seams were straight and taped
• Plenty of room but compresses when less full
• Excellent help belt, dual adjustable straps, hard to beat the circular design
• Shoulder straps adjustable vertically by a couple of inches, can set left/right straps independently, very little shoulder pressure, load lifters meet above the apex of the strap @ 45 degree angle (perfect!)
• Large front mesh pocket, easily accommodates necessary items
• Suspension system handles loads well, 23 LBS – 30 LBS all felt good as expected from an external frame design (reminds me of how my old Alpenlite felt!)

Con’s:

• Expensive, especially when adding the extra options
• Side pockets cannot be reached when walking despite (reading review to the contrary?)
• Bear can likes to be placed near the apex of the arch to avoid poke-through
• Complex design – many straps and buckles, possible points of failure?

Conclusion: overall best for comfort (for me) since it’s able to isolate the shoulders. Cost and durability concerns are ignored. Life is short, I’m getting older and need the edge ;)

[David D]

Great review, thanks.  Where do you feel the pain in the shoulders with the Kakwa?  I get it on the inside clavicle but only one side that was smashed years ago and this happens eventually with all my packs.  I then put 100% weight to the hips (the belt works for my male-child-bearing-hips) or mount it like a tripod with hips+ the other shoulder.

The Kakwa’s narrow bottom is great for fit and ride but makes it really hard to pack a week’s worth of food or an Apex quilt, but there are work arounds

Besides the price, what kept the Arc Haul out of contention for me was reported squeaking.  I can make the Kakwa squeak a bit if I load it to the gills but some rearranging gets rid of it (unlike my old Osprey or Gregory packs).

[JG H]

Wow. I did not expect the Zpacks to win the comfort contest. I’m surprised and in a positive way. Glad you found the one that works for you. And thanks for the wonderfully informative update!

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad you mostly liked our pack. It sounds like you had the 2024 model of the Kakwa. In the last month or so we’ve been shipping out the 2025 model, which does away with the yoke and also improves the hipbelt shape, so instead of a straight hipbelt it is more ergonomic now. The back padding is still modest, but users can add more into the padding pocket if desired.

Glad you found a pack that works with your shoulder/back conditions.

[sbennett3705]

@David D: sounds like we have similar issues. Dan’s response indicates they have again improved the design for 2025. This is a good and bad thing, I guess. I ordered 3 weeks ago and received last year’s model. Ugh! Seems to be a function of cottage suppliers: small batches with frequent incremental changes. As for the squeaking, this could be a deal killer for me, so I’ll have to see how the Arc Haul settles in.

[George H]

This test (of mostly frameless designs) validates OP’s findings about the Zpacks – besides being a good read:

https://www.yamatomichi.com/en/journals/294675

[Murali C]

I have tried all these packs and I think SWD Long Haul, as someone else said, is an amazing backpack as well – the shoulder straps and hip belt are so soft and comfortable. The side pockets are humongous and accessible while wearing the pack….

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

“Dan’s response indicates they have again improved the design for 2025. This is a good and bad thing, I guess. I ordered 3 weeks ago and received last year’s model. ”

Most of the packs shipping 3 weeks ago were the 2025 except for the UltraGrid fabric in large. With the 2025 updates, the shoulder straps are the same core shape but the yoke part is gone (which didn’t do much usually) and there is no longer the black edging (which allows us to make the shoulder strap pockets wider). Then the hipbelt also omits the black edging (and gets larger hipbelt pockets) and the shape is actually updated to be more ergonomic like the Wapta hipbelt. We didn’t really get complaints about the older hipbelt, but the newer one is a refinement. The most noticeable difference is likely the larger pockets.

[David D]

@sbennett3705

I carried a small cube of parafin to lube the squeaky area in the field.  Ospreys and Gregories have big strips of nylon tightly looped around the frame tube to mount the bag to the frame and that’s where it would always eventually squeak (4 different packs).  Many spots were inaccesible with wax so had to be sprayed with silicone spray to get at the offending spot, but that would wear away eventually.

Hopefully the arc haul is easier to field lube if needed.  I never had to lube the Kakwa yet and it’s received a ton of use.

[sbennett3705]

As a last follow up, I will report on the return policies of the three manufacturers. I ordered three packs and tested them indoors with actual loads. About a week before the return period was up I registered a return for two the three packs. Here’s the outcome:

Zpacks – I actually swapped sizes from a Medium to a Tall. Zpacks quickly sent an RMA and swapped the pack via Fedex at *zero cost* without any hesitation. The same would have held for a full return, less the original shipping cost.

ULA – quickly accepted the return for a flat shipping fee of $8.00. The refund was quickly issued minus the original shipping fee. Their credit card system was down so they opted to send a check which arrived in a few days.

Durston – they also quickly accepted the return with the shipping cost going to the buyer. In this case, it’s an international shipment to Canada which is around $30 for USPS, $60 for UPS. It’s important to indicate its “returned goods” otherwise Canadian customs may hold the shipment and attempt to charge a tariff. The refund was quickly issued minus the original shipping fee.

Summary: all three suppliers honored their return policy, but I expect they would push back if the items were not in “new” condition. There is a cost to the return since no one should refund the original shipping charges, and returning the item will entail another shipping cost. So, a test of this kind will entail a cost of $10-$30 per item. Not a bad deal in my view.

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