katabatic onni vs HMG packs

[Shae S]

I emailed katabatic about when they are having packs in stock again, sadly they said it wont be until 2020. Im looking to upgrade myself to a lighter pack and was wanting to go with a Katabatic onni, however i dont want to wait a year. Anyone have any thoughts between Katabatic packs and Hyperlite packs? The junction is a attractive option..

[BlackHatGuy]

Ummmmm, this is 2020. Did you mean 2021?

[Shae S]

@doug-i yes lol sorry about that, this stay at home stuff has made my mind mush

[Johnny Mikes]

Bit of late reply but for what it’s worth…

Both outfits make great packs.

I own both a HMG Porter 4400 with an added Porter pocket (also a HMG daypack) and a Katabatic Onni 65L V40.

I had the Porter, later bought my partner a Katabatic (Artemis I think it was? 55L?) and based on how her pack pack performed and how much she likes it, a couple of years ago I decided to get the Onni. The Onni is now my go-to pack for just backpacking as I find it a bit more comfortable to carry, in part given the ribbed/vented back  (but then I’ve always been a guy who sweats a lot when active). I like the depth of the side pockets (they hold a full Nalgene soft wide mouth just fine) and the pack’s fabric, while perhaps not as light as Dyneema is definitely more durable. (My Porter has a less than a handful of small (easy to do, no big deal) patches, due to abrasion and small rips during hard use; as of yet at least, my V40 Onni has none.) The mesh is also robust and more durable than the often ripped/holed mesh I notice on some other brands of packs but I can’t speak to how it compares to any mesh HMG uses – not that the Junction has mesh as I recall. The Onni is an excellent pack and, for my use which is generally off trail in the mtns, the wee bit of extra weight is easily made up by it’s durability and some features I like.

I now primarily use the Porter – which I feel is still an excellent pack – when packrafting or when I know I’ll be in super wet conditions given its high (not 100%) degree of seam taping. Note that a few weeks ago I did a fair bit of seam sealing on the Porter as there were some issues where, due to wear and tear and stress over time,  some of the seam tape had lifted kinda “in the corners” and attachment points for buckles etc were no longer as resistant to rain and splash as they seem to have been when new.

When Katabatic does packs again here’s what I like them to take note of from at least the perspective my specific use in the environments I frequent: 1) I do like the HMG hip pockets better than the stretchy Katabatic pockets. (HMG’s are easier to use with one hand and I suspect more durable long-term when abrading the pack scrambling etc) 2) Ditch the  port (read hole in pack – admittedly a well-shielded one but still an opening) for a hydration tube – personally I would never put a litre or 2 of water inside a pack with my multi-day gear even if my sleeping bag etc are well protected. Plus the inside of my pack is often full or fairly full for multi-day trips already and on long, hot days when one drinks a lot of water, I have no interest in partially unpacking my pack to refill – I use those awesome Katabatic external pockets for water. 3) add a very small zippered pocket inside near the top of the back sheet akin to what HMG does. I do find HMG’s pocket handy as the hard-to-lose place for my keys, driver’s licence etc vs being in some small stuff sack I could lose when out and about.

btw – the HMG 4400 size pods work/fit great in the Onni (and Artemis) as well!

 

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