New Pack — Zpacks, HMG, Durston

I’m probably not the best person to comment as I didn’t care for the HMG or Z-Packs packs – I loved the look of the HMG Packs but they weren’t comfortable for me – I tried them twice, a 4400 Porter and a 3400 Southwest.  I had and used a Z-Packs Arc Haul for a while but the stays kept popping out – but that was prior to the pre-curved stays so perhaps that’s no longer an issue.  The past few years I’ve settled on a SWD Long Haul 50 and it’s an excellent pack if you’re looking at other options.

I’ve not tried the Durston packs, but do have a X-Mid 1P from the original 2018 run and it’s a well thought out tent.  Most of my complaints have been corrected in the v2, but I figure I’ll wear my v1 out before I buy a new one.

If you are used to using a HMG pack then the SW 55 will probably work well for you.  I tried the Kakwa 55 and it’s a great pack, but there were a couple things I wasn’t a fan of like the sewn in shoulder strap pockets and hip belt pockets.  The mesh back pocket isn’t as stretchy or open as traditional mesh, but it’s still open mesh.  Hard to beat the price of it for what you get.  Like Brad, I’ve also got a SWD LH50 and it’s my current pack.  They aren’t cheap in price like the Kakwa but if you contact them they can pretty much customize the pack however you want.

With the Kakwa we do include standard shoulder strap pockets and we sew them on because a sewn on pocket is generally more secure/solid/less wiggle but if you prefer a different type of pocket you can put another pocket over top. There are daisy chains running below our shoulder strap pockets and they are largely just sewn on at one edge, so you can slide them over enough to attach a different style on top. You can also cut them off of course if you’re confident you don’t want them. I do think they are really nice design for phones, bear spray etc.

Our front pocket is a non-stretch knit mesh so it is a lot more durable than your typical stretchy meshes like lycra mesh or other stretch meshes. It also has the top elastic protected inside the hem so I think it’s quite a bit more durable than most mesh pockets. A solid fabric is more durable yet, but I think the mesh we use here is a nice trade off where it’s is quite durable and we made it larger for the 2024 version, while still having the advantages of mesh (e.g. easier to see what’s inside).

Thanks Dan for the feedback. I probably would remove one of the shoulder strap pockets and use my HMG shoulder pocket. I like it for my phone and eye glasses. Won’t need new kit until summer so will continue to contemplate the pack and a new tent — Xmid-1 is in the mix  with the Diopole 1.