As ultralight backpacking gear has gotten lighter weight, so have ultralight backpacks. So a lot so, that many thru-hikers, section-hikers, and long-distance backpackers are turning to frameless ultralight backpacks for his or her adventures. Designed for a great deal of 20-25 kilos or much less (together with meals, water, and gasoline), these backpacks and their producers have confirmed to be wildly progressive of their use of cutting-edge supplies, colours, and options. While backpacking this mild isn’t for everybody, the elevated availability of ultralight backpacking gear and entry to know-how by means of social media has made it extra achievable than ever.
If your goal is to scale back the load of your backpack to shut to a pound or much less, listed here are some methods of attaining that objective.
- Use a frameless backpack, because you don’t want the added assist or weight of a body or perhaps a hip belt for hundreds below 20-25 kilos.
- Reduce the quantity of your pack to 40L or much less. which forces you to make use of lighter-weight and extra compact gear.
- Pick backpacks made with ultralight materials like Dyneema DCF, Ultra, or EcoPaokay that are waterproof and extremely sturdy.
Here are the ten frameless ultralight backpacks that we advocate that embody these qualities.
Be positive to learn our Frameless Ultralight Backpack Selection Guide beneath which explains these tradeoffs in larger element.
1. Nashville Packs Cutaway (42L)
Available from:
Nashville Packs
2. Pa’lante Packs V2 (31-37L)
Available from:
Pa’lante Packs | Garage Grown Gear
3. LiteAF Ultra Curve 30L (45L)
Available from:
LiteAF
4. Waymark EVLV Ultra (35L)
Available from:
Waymark Gear Company | Garage Grown Gear
5. Dandee Pack’s The Standard Pack (35L)
Available from:
Dandee Packs | Garage Grown Gear
6. Superior Wilderness Designs Ultralight Superior (40L)
Available from:
Superior Wilderness Designs
7. Mountain Laurel Designs Burn (38L)
Available from:
Mountain Laurel Designs
8. Gossamer Gear G4-20 (42L)
Available from:
Gossamer Gear
9. Mountainsmith Zerk (40L)
Available from:
REI | Backcountry
10. Atom Packs – The Atom (35L)
Available from:
Atom Packs
Frameless Ultralight Backpack Selection Guide
Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Backpacks
Many frameless ultralight backpacks are made by hand by cottage producers and will be custom-made by way of colours, material, or options. Some of the extra established backpack producers or retailers listed above solely supply “stock” backpacks with a hard and fast set of options. The benefit of buying a inventory backpack is that it’s normally accessible instantly and not using a lengthy wait time. If you determined to go the customized route, you’ll want to contact the producer when you’ve got any questions earlier than you order. Most customized backpacks are non-returnable.
Frameless Ultralight Backpack Volume
How a lot quantity do you really want in an ultralight backpack, if you’re actually making an attempt to get your TOTAL pack weight beneath 20 kilos? It’s exhausting to make a blanket suggestion as a result of it finally comes right down to the local weather you propose to hike in and what your clothes, sleep insulation, shelter, vitamin, and water wants will likely be. For basic three-season circumstances, most UL backpackers discover {that a} 40L pack supplies greater than sufficient quantity for a 3-5 day journey, together with gear, meals, gasoline, and water. It will get far more tough to suit all the things you want right into a 30L backpack, nonetheless, until you may resupply extra continuously, you go stoveless, otherwise you don’t want to hold a lot water. However, given the checklist of packs above, there’s not an enormous weight penalty for carrying a better quantity pack than you want, since they’re all so light-weight and you’ll compress them utilizing a roll-top closure or aspect compression.
Massive External Storage
Frameless ultralight backpacks are inclined to have quite a lot of exterior storage which is accessible whilst you’re nonetheless sporting the backpack. This is as a lot a mantra as a design philosophy with the underlying objective of climbing as many miles as attainable (like all day) with out ever having to cease and take your backpack off. Many frameless ultralight packs include pockets sewn onto their shoulder straps, backside stretch pockets so you may attain beneath a pack when worn to tug out snacks or deposit used wrappers, and accessible aspect pockets.
Ultralight Backpack Fabrics
Most ultralight backpacks are made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF), XPac, Nylon (Robic, Cordura, Dyneema X, and so on.) In phrases of sturdiness, Ultra is normally probably the most sturdy by way of abrasion resistance, then EcoPaokay, XPac and LiteSkin, then DCF, and at last Nylon, though it depends upon the denier or weight of the fabric used. DCF and XPac revolutionized UL backpack manufacturing as a result of they’re so light-weight, however are being rapidly overtaken by newer waterproof materials like EcoPaokay and Ultra that are much more sturdy and ecologically sustainable merchandise.
The greatest areas of damage and tear on a backpack is the bottom, the place you place it down on the bottom, and the aspect pockets, particularly in the event that they’re made with mesh. Most UL pack makers have switched to extra sturdy mesh, use extra sturdy stretch mesh that has finer holes and is much less vulnerable to snagging, or have switched to creating exterior pockets with stable materials for higher sturdiness.
DCF, XPac, ECOPAK, Ultra, and LiteSkin are all waterproof supplies in order that they gained’t take in water when it rains. DCF has the benefit that it may be seam-taped which drastically will increase the waterproofing of a backpack. While XPac, ECOPAK, and Liteskin will be seam-sealed, most individuals don’t hassle and line their packs with trash compactor luggage or use waterproof stuff sacks. Very little water will get in anyway. It’s a lot the identical with Robic Nylon and different high-tenacity nylons though they’ll soak via, could make your gear moist, and take some time to dry out. See the next FAQs for extra recommendation and reader dialogue:
Hip Belts on Frameless Backpacks
The hip belts discovered on frameless backpacks aren’t load-bearing as a result of there’s no body to switch to load to the hips. This explains why many ultralight packs don’t have them, they’re detachable, or stowable, and solely made with webbing in the event that they’re included in any respect. Their solely actual goal is to supply an anchorage for hip belt pockets or to forestall the pack from bouncing in opposition to your torso when you stroll quick.
Since the hip belts aren’t load-bearing, all the load will relaxation in your shoulders. When selecting packs, you need to contemplate how a lot shoulder strap padding you like and the strap width that you just discover most snug.
Shoulder Straps
An growing variety of frameless pack makers are together with S-shaped backpack straps on their packs, that are extra snug for ladies as a result of they accommodate breasts extra comfortably. Many males additionally discover them extra snug than the J-shaped shoulder straps that had been used beforehand.
There’s additionally an growing use of vest-style shoulder straps on many backpacks which might take some getting used to when you had been born and bred on extra typical shoulder straps. The added width and pocket storage on vest-style packs makes them a beautiful function and may also help distribute the load throughout your shoulders, particularly in case your pack lacks a hip belt.
Torso Length
Shorter torso lengths are additionally more and more accessible to accommodate girls, who on common, aren’t as tall as males. However, matching your actual torso size is much less crucial on a frameless backpack as a result of the hip belt will not be load-bearing. The becoming course of is definitely extra much like becoming a daypack (and not using a hip belt) than an everyday framed backpack, though matching your torso size remains to be an excellent benchmark to goal for.
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