Hi all,
I’m currently in the market for a new pack for a 6-10 month backpacking trip next year, covering South America, the US (JMT woot!), India and Nepal. I’ve done lots of walking here in Australia, predominantly in Tasmania, where conditions are extremely rough on gear, meaning most of what I have is very tough and heavy. I’m sure some of you would cry seeing some of the stuff I take. Oh well!
However, given conditions shouldn’t be so uncomfortable overseas, I’m looking to get lighter, and a pack is one place where I definitely could lose a few pounds (or, you know, kg for the rest of the world). I had originally settled on a Zpacks Arc Haul, as I think it has roughly the feature set I’m after: lightweight, framed, waterproof materials, claimed to be comfortable carrying 15+kg, interesting colours. However, after reading lots of reviews, there were enough concerns about what looks like a complicated frame system to make me quite hesitant.
In looking for alternatives, I came across the SWD Long Haul:
http://superiorwildernessdesignsllc.bigcartel.com/product/the-long-haul-pack
It’s a 62L total volume pack with a simple frame, (aluminium stays), made of a waterproof material that comes in cool colours, and is probably slightly more durable to boot. It weighs a little more than the Arc Haul, but also comes with a number of features (belt pockets) as standard that are add-ons for the Zpacks. Claimed comfy carrying weight is 30lb/13.5kg, but the section hiker review claimed up to 35lb/15kg, which would likely be enough for most things I’ll be doing. I aim to have a base weight somewhere around 6kg, including camera gear, and will probably be doing up to 10 days at a time, but will be sharing with my partner.
So after that long-winded introduction, I’m really looking for any opinions of people on here who have used one of these packs. At face value, it looks like it ticks just about all the boxes for me, but there is a relative dearth of information out there, especially when compared to other more established UL packs. If you have used it, did you find it comfortable? To what weights? Any particular features you liked or didn’t like? Customisations you would make? Issues with the fabric?
I understand that they are a relatively new, small brand, so experience may be limited, but this seemed a good place to ask. I have read every review on the net I can find, but am looking for more feedback before I place an order for an expensive, custom bit of gear. Anything you can provide is useful :) .
Cheers!
