Tag: hyperlite mountain gear

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Unpacking the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35: A Review

on January 3, 2025

Introduction

Choosing the right backpack can make a significant difference on your outdoor adventures, especially when it comes to comfort, durability, and functionality. One of the standout options currently on the market is the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35. Known for its minimalist design and robust performance, this pack is ideal for hikers, trekkers, and those who value efficiency and reliability in their gear.

Design and Build

The Waypoint 35 is a testament to Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s commitment to quality and innovation. Weighing in at approximately 666grams, this backpack is a featherweight contender among its peers, making it a favorite for minimalist backpackers who appreciate light loads without compromising on capacity and strength.

Constructed with Dyneema® Composite Fabrics, the Waypoint 35 is lightweight, highly durable, and weather-resistant. The choice of materials ensures that the pack can withstand the rigors of outdoor adventures, whether trekking through dense forests or hiking in unpredictable weather.

Comfort and Fit

One of the most commendable aspects of the Waypoint 35 is its exceptional fit. I trekked about 30 kilometers in this pack with about 10 kilos in and the hip belt is snug, offering excellent support for the lower back and evenly distributing the weight across my hips.

The backpack’s frame is another noteworthy feature contributing to its comfort. The solid frame effectively supports the pack’s weight, maintaining its shape and preventing sagging. This structural integrity is a good feature for maintaining good posture and reducing the risk of fatigue during extended periods of use.

Capacity and Storage

The Waypoint 35 offers ample space for various outdoor gear, with a total capacity of 35 liters. While it may appear minimalist, the pack is designed to maximize storage space cleverly. The main compartment is spacious enough to accommodate the bulk of your gear, while additional pockets and attachment points provide options for organizing smaller items or attaching additional equipment externally.

There’s a top-loading design which ensures quick and easy access to your gear, while the external lash points and compression straps allow for customization according to your specific needs. Whether you are heading out for a weekend trek or just a day hike, you will find the Waypoint 35 adaptable to different scenarios.

Features and Functionality

The Waypoint 35 is designed with versatility in mind. Here are a few key features that enhance its functionality:

  1. Weather Resistance: Thanks to its Dyneema® fabric and water-tight design, the Waypoint 35 provides excellent protection against the elements, keeping your gear dry in wet conditions.
  2. Accessibility: Easy-access pockets and compartments allow for convenient storage and retrieval of frequently used items, such as maps, snacks, or a camera.
  3. Hydration Compatibility: The pack is hydration-compatible, with space and ports available for a hydration reservoir, which is a significant advantage for those undertaking long treks where staying hydrated is crucial.
  4. Modular Design: The Waypoint 35’s design allows for personal customization, as the numerous clips and loops let you attach and expand with additional gear.

Potential Uses

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 is exceptionally versatile, catering to a wide range of outdoor activities:

  • Day Hikes: Its lightweight and compact design make it ideal for day hikes, providing enough space for essentials without burdening you with unnecessary weight.
  • Overnight Trips: With careful packing, the Waypoint 35 can also accommodate gear necessary for overnight excursions, especially in milder climates where bulky clothing is unnecessary.
  • Climbing and Mountaineering: Thanks to its robust frame and weather-resistant materials, the Waypoint 35 is also suitable for more technical pursuits like climbing and mountaineering, where the reliability of gear is of utmost importance.
  • Travel: Beyond outdoor adventure, the pack’s size and functionality make it an excellent companion for travel, offering the ruggedness needed for off-the-beaten-path journeys and the convenience desired for more routine travels.

Aesthetic and Visual Appeal

While functionality is great, the aesthetic appeal of this pack is, like all HMG packs, probably the sexiest 35L pack on the market. The Waypoint 35 scores well in this category with its sleek, streamlined design. Its minimalist and modern look makes it a stylish choice that doesn’t sacrifice performance for appearance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 is a remarkable backpack that stands out due to its lightweight yet durable construction, comfortable fit, and versatile functionality. Whether you’re an avid hiker seeking a reliable pack for day trips or a more serious adventurer looking for gear to support longer treks, the Waypoint 35 offers an excellent balance of comfort, utility,

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HMG Unbound review

on March 17, 2024

HMG Unbound review

  • Great design
  • Water tight
  • Lots of pockets
  • Frame and comfortable hip belt
  • Robust – will last a lifetime

On first look the unbound looks like every other UL pack released in the last couple of years. And in some ways it is a copy of smaller cottage bag forms. A way for HMG to stay relevant in a fast changing market. HMG have always made great, robust, ultralight backpacks. I bought my first HMG pack in 2010 – The Windrider 4400 70L white backpack. The Windrider has been the standard for over a decade and often copied design. Today however, the Windrider feels its age. It’s a great pack, and my first Windrider is still the backpack I use the most. I would also say that the Windrider or similar packs like the Southwest, junction and porter are still the packs I recommend most. Their versatility for different uses, their robustness, comfort and useability just makes them damn good multipurpose backpacks that most people will never regret. With that said, The overall market has clearly been trending towards smaller, lighter “long distance” ultralight packs.

Standard features of the new breed: Bottom pocket, large front pocket, large side pockets, with/without hipbelt and frame, and shoulder strap pockets (which the unbound doesn’t have). In other words, the minimalistic designs of the early UL movement have been getting replaced and outdone by highly technical, complex bags with one specific goal: To make it through a long hike with minimal fuss and maximal comfort. Classic minimal, multifunction packs that would last a lifetime, i e the Windrider, just weren’t the sexy new kid on the block anymore. They look and feel their age. A near 20 year design with minimal updates. I think the current Hyperlite mountain gear Windrider could be summed up as Version 1.5. 

Older, OG UL Hikers use and still love the classic multipurpose design of the Windriders. But the new hipster class hikers, the ones giving themselves trail names, (For reference mine is “Just Ken”) using pronouns in their bios,  and bringing more electronics than a Best buy, needed something more. they needed sexy! This is where the unbound comes in. Sexy as hell, lots of pockets and do dads, even the new standard bottom pocket. Hyperlite didn’t just copy UL packs from the smaller, sexier, new brands, they made the new segment their own. The unbound is so good, that it looks like all the packs the Unbound is inspired by, are in fact the inspired. The unbound is simply put, one of the best designed UL long distance packs on the market. 

Light, at just 879g for white 55L or 975g for black, it’s not the lightest 55 Liter pack, but it certainly compares nicely in the segment. And like all Hyperlite mountain gear backpacks, the extra weight is worth it in the form of robustness and comfort. Unlike most other packs, the unbound sews its webbing on the outside of the pack, which allows for all the extra pockets, features and doodads, while still allowing for the bag to be taped and sealed. (Most backpacks use a flat felled seam) The outside webbing also allows for a simple daisy chain to be sewn into the seam itself. Simple, effective. The large front pocket is divided into two sections, a large main pocket, and a smaller “Kangaroo” pocket. Again, simple and effective. The bottom pocket does what it’s supposed to and for me atleast: it’s the comfort of the Unbound that separates it from the rest of the packs in this genre. This pack feels great, even with heavier loads.

Compared to something like the Zpacks Arc-blast – which to me has always been the standard – pen-ultimate ultralight 55L backpack. I would say the Unbound looks better IMO, and with heavier loads a more comfortable backpack. But I would give overall comfort for lighter loads to the Arc-blast as well as better back ventilation. Though the arc-blast starts to break down with heavier, or awkward loads as the frame doesn’t do much. There are of course a multitude of lightweight backpacks that I can compare the Unbound to, but I will keep this review simple and the comparison to the Arc-blast as the arc-blast is a well known, very light 55 Liter pack that most people will know how they look and feel at this point.

Back to the Unbound, Sweaty back syndrome is still a thing with this pack, but let’s be honest, if you’re calling yourself “elf on the trail” with Zeek, Zerk pronouns, sweaty back is the least of your problems. With that said, sweaty backs is like condensation in a tent. It’s there, no matter what you do, it can’t be avoided but can be mitigated. The Unbound through and through looks and feels like an HMG pack. The quality is sharp, the design near perfect. function and use superb. It’s everything you want in a 55 liter long distance backpack, with nothing you don’t. So it’s not made in a little basement in Maine. It’s Not made in China either. And judging by how massive certain brands have become in the UL market, brands that very specifically make their original or copied designs in Asia. It’s obvious the market could care less where the products are made, for reference, HMG built factories in Mexico, where the unbound is produced.

Biggest complaints about the Unbound? No shoulder strap pockets and I think the hip-belt pockets are a bit on the small side. Granted, a lot of the Unbounds competitors don’t bother with hip-belt pockets, but still, they could be bigger. Also, as it’s a pack designed for a very specific purpose, it’s not a pack that I would personally have as my goto pack. I need a bigger pack that has a bit more flexibility in it’s useage. Hence, why the 70L Windrider is my preferred one pack to rule them all.

Hyperlite mountain gear is a company known for making robust, if not basic lightweight equipment. But premium in its use and functionality. There is nothing basic about the unbound packs. They are high quality, modern ultralight backpacks with a very specific market in mind: The gear nerd who likes to walk long distances with weekly resupplies, live in a tent for six months and call themselves “Trail fart!

You can purchase the Backpack at my shop in the EU at Backpackinglight.dk or in sweden at Backpackinglight.se

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TGO Challenge 2018 part 1 video and pics

on June 2, 2018

Scotland, what a beautiful nation and what an incredible hike Scotland has to offer. Truly incredible experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed. The TGO Challenge is a hiking adventure that is organized once a year since 1980. You have a few different starting points, and a few ending, and you make your own route through the country. Our route started in Lochailort and ended at Dunnottar castle of the coast of Stonehaven – A total hike of about 340km with some of the detours and other site we sent of towards. We did this is 12 days of hiking.

you can either read all of this, or just click on the video and watch all of it..

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The full route as seen on Viewranger

I flew into Edinburgh, took the direct bus to Glasgow, in Glasgow I sent two packages to myself at the post office that is located right outside the bus stop. I had my resuplies sent to the Inverlochy villas in Fort william where I was staying for the night and Braemar youth hostel. This cost about 3pounds per package.

From Glasgow I met up with Niels blok who has ultralightpedestrian.com, and we took the train up to Lochailort where we arrived at around 23.00 in the evening. Tired, and no place to sleep we pitched the Ultamid 2 in the parking lot right outside the train station. This worked just fine as we arrived on the last train, and the first train wouldn’t start until around 7.30 in the morning.. plenty of time to get sleep.

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We woke up, packed our shit and after a nice long and healthy fight with the Lochailort inn employees, we were able to get breakfast and check in for the TGO Challenge. Though we were one step away from having to grovel on our hands and knees to get that damn breakfast.

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From there we made our way into the mountains via the Prince charlies cave, which we didn’t see, along the Loch beoraid where we stopped and ate breakfast at or around the Kinlochbeoraid bothy

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From there we pushed through the Gleann Donn, a wild trail, or rather no trail, just bogs and rocks to climb up a ravine and down into Glen Finnan where all ambition to climb another ravine was lost and we set up camp at the bothy there.

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After a nice evening at the camp we decided that the ravine wasn’t for us, so we made a detour around the ravine as you can see in the pic below.

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That worked out just fine for us and we continued on our journey.

IMG_2876.jpgDay two started with that detour taking us around Beinn an Tuim, though, next time I will probably opt to climb up and over as I don’t care for road walking too much either.

Once we caught up with our route we then made our way along the Leann Fionnlighe which was rather spectacular at times, felt like we were heading into true scandinavien mountains. Large rolling hills, wet bogs, bugs and some waterfalls along the way.

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After what turned out to be the worst campsite of the trail, a small little tick infested hell by the water (though the water and view was nice).. We trekked our way into Fort william, ate a burger, drank a beer and changed out my Ultamid 2 for a Terra nova laser 1 competition. Several reasons for that really, 1. I wanted to try a new tent that I had plans on importing and selling 2. I wanted a tent with a smaller footprint and 3. I wanted a little better protection from ticks. My hiking mate Niels had been talking about his horrific experience with Lime disease, and just the whole, spending a week in a hospital nearly dead stuff kind of scared me into submission.. inner tent it would be then.

 

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Video: Hyperlite mountain gear Ultamid 4 – Review

on February 17, 2018

Ok, it was cold, shitty and hardly any snow – in other words a typical winter day in Stockholm. Stockholm is known for it’s absolutely horrific and pointless winters. With that said, it’s a good enough place to test different gear for upcoming winter trips in the mountains. So I went out to test some gear including the hyperlite mountain gear Ultamid 4, The soto muka multifuel stove, my winter quilt system and a few other pieces of equipment that I plan on using on a winter trip in Jämtland in a few weeks.

If you haven’t seen it already I posted a video of the Soto muka stove that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKt7adKB9rg&t=3s

What is the Ultamid 4

The HMG Ultamid 4 is a massive 4 man pyramid tent from Hyperlite mountain gear. Here is Hyperlite mountain gears description of the Ultamid 4:

Providing maximum coverage at a minimum weight, the UltaMid 4 pyramid tent is stripped down and dialed in to meet the exacting requirements of passionate, goal-oriented adventurers. This ultralight four-person tent takes harsh conditions in stride all four seasons of the year. It handles, wind, rain, snow, sleet and hail better than traditional tents with much smaller footprints.

Weight: 

A tent this big surely must weight a ton you say.. no. The Ultamid 4 weighs just 618grams – without all the guylines, so around 700 with. The pack size is not too bad either, about two liters in total volume.

Size:

The Ultamid 4 is massive – in the video I show myself more or less standing up in the tent, slightly bent of course, but still. It’s easily a four man tent. Most four man tents might fit two, and two man tents are excellent one man tents. The Ultamid 4 however is a four man tent, and an excellent two man, and a palace for one.

actual dimensions are

  • Width: 111” (281.9cm)
  • Length: 111” (281.9cm)
  • Height: 75” (190.5cm)

Overall conclusion:

I have been a fan of pyramid tents for years and have used them all over the world in various conditions. The Ultamid 4 is by far the largest of all the pyramid tents that I have and would bring with me. I like the sturdiness of the Ultamid series in general – as both the Ultamid 2 and Ultamid 4 have a ton of tie outs and are built to be used and abused. Easily all around, year round tents. If you are looking for that one tent that can be used everything and have cash to burn, then you can’t go wrong with either the Ultamid 2 or Ultamid 4.

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Gear review: Hyperlite mountain gear Windrider 4400 backpack

on September 28, 2017

I bought this pack about a year or so ago with the intention of replacing my Zpacks arc-blast. I wanted a larger backpack capable of carrying heavier loads, yet still light enough to use on my shorter trips. There are a few backpacks that meet this criteria, but none quite fit the bill as well as the Windrider did. The arc-blast is a 55 liter backpack, and while this worked for me on a lot of my trips – I found the liter and carrying capabilities limiting for winter hikes, hikes longer than 5-7 days, family hikes and so on. I am an avid believer in Cuben textiles for backpacks because it’s waterproof, or atleast doesn’t absorb water, lighter than traditional materials and a heck of a lot stronger.

DSC06882The Hyperlite mountain gear Windrider 4400 is absolutely beautiful in it’s simplicity.

With that said, I bought my Windrider form the states, and even with the winter discount HMG was running, I ended up paying about 500usd to get the pack to Sweden after import fees and shipping. Though the initial price tag was appealing! Now of course I would just buy from one of the many European retailers such as backpackinglight.dk (my own webshop).

I have been using the Windrider for all my trips since I got it last year. This includes 10 days across the wilds of Sarek national park in northern Sweden, a winter trip through Jämtland mountains, a few smaller week trips along Sörmlandsleden and many weekend trips with the family. So it’s been put through it’s paces for it’s intended purpose (or the purpose I intended to use it in)

Who is Hyperlite Mountain Gear?

HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR IS NOT ABOUT BELLS AND WHISTLES. NONESSENTIAL FEATURES. OR THE LATEST TRENDING COLORS. WHAT WE’RE ABOUT IS STRIPPED DOWN, HIGH PERFORMANCE GEAR THAT’S BEEN DIALED IN TO MEET, IN AS MINIMALIST A MANNER AS POSSIBLE, THE EXACTING REQUIREMENTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT.

Hyperlite mountain gear produce all their own gear in Maine, USA.

What is the Windrider 4400

The 4400 is a 70 liter backpack made from Dyneema (fd cuben fibre) material. The material itself is 100% waterproof, while the backpacks are not 100% waterproof, they are certainly much closer to that watermark than anything else on the market. The Windrider much like Hyperlite mountain gears other backpacks is a stripped down, essentials only backpack. I love and prefer a roll top on my bags, no zippers or anything else that will undoubtedly breakdown over time. As it goes, I also like mesh pockets on the outside, though the Southwest 4400’s solid pockets, certainly keep things aesthetically cleaner. I prefer the mesh pockets though as I like to see what I have in those pockets.

The Windrider also uses aluminum backpack stays, which are removable, and foam padding to increase the overall comfort of the packs. On top of this the packs are seam sealed, have hydro ports, ice axe loops and so on.

Another key point here is that the hip belt is not removable, I actually prefer the simplicity of this. They have just four sizes to choose from and the hip belts are meant to fit all sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Tall. Sometimes when buying gear the choice can get fairly ridiculous. Small hip belt, with medium large backpack, nano size hip belt pockets, sternum or no sternum straps so on and so forth. So points for simplicity here.

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Weight:

My windrider 4400 white pack weighs 988 grams. Not the lightest on the market, but light enough for most uses and most applications.

Who’s it for?

As it’s a 70Liter pack, the Windrider 4400 is probably best for trekkers who carry either a lot of gear, winter gear, longer unsupported trips or family gear. For me it has become my all in one pack that I can use on everything from my two days hikes to several weeks. It’s my go to bag for just about any trip I make, anywhere I plan to go. It’s certainly large at 70Liters, but it can easily be compressed down with the roll top and side compression straps.

Here in Sweden the HMG windrider is actually starting to be used by most “professional” hikers, lightweight or otherwise. At least when they get to choose. The HMG packs have also made a big mark on the Packraft and kayakers gear lists, as they are lightweight, waterproof and can carry a lot of weight.

If most of your hikes are summer time hikes of under a week or so, then this bag is probably a bit much, and I would suggest looking at their smaller bags such as the 3400 and 2400 which are 55Liter and 45 Liter packs.

Will it hold?

Dyneema is the strongest, lightest material being produced right now, and the HMG series backpacks are built to last. You’re probably not going to find a more robust backpack on the market – anywhere by any producer. In all seriousness, this pack will probably last as long as you do.

Ventilation

I’m not going to do a side by side comparison to other backpacks here with regards to ventilation on my back. When the aluminum stays are in the HMG and I stand with proper posture, the backpack doesn’t press at all against my back – regardless of how much weight I have in it. This of course allows for good ventilation and except for my shoulder blades and lower back, no part of my body is being touched by the backpack. Just how I like it.

My own experience

On my trip through Sarek it rained constantly for about 2 days as well as waist high wading daily – I don’t use rain covers or anything like that so I have to trust my backpack that it will do it’s just in keeping things dry. Now of course you’re thinking “what an idiot”. You’d be right in thinking so. In actuality I pack everything in watertight stuff sacks, I prefer the Pack pods from HMG and the Stuff sack pillow, and I use a giant trash bag as a pack liner on the inside to keep as much water as possible out. I find this combination of watertight-ish backpack with only one entry point (the roll top), a giant trash bag liner, and everything packed in watertight stuff sacks, keeps everything perfectly dry no matter the rain or wading, and this proved the case even in Sarek on the wettest of terrain, my gear was kept perfectly dry.

I also find that for my longer trips the HMG windrider holds up without any problems, at most I have had around 17 kilos in my pack and while the pack can certainly handle the wait, my body can’t. So it’s hard for me to say anything about carrying capabilities in the 17+kilo range as I think it sucks no matter what backpack I have on.

DSC06368Me in northern Sweden with the windrider 4400. This was packed for a 9 day hike and around 13 kilos. 

Some people have reservations about mesh pockets on the outside of a pack – they can “tip the balance”, they can easily tear in forestry and so on. Personally I don’t really have this problem. The mesh pockets I use mainly for my tenkara fishing rod, a water bottle and trash. Balance is not an issue. As far as the mesh pockets tearing, this as it were, has not shown itself to be an issue either, and I have certainly trounced through a lot of unkept forestry.

Conclusion:

Lets face it, plunking out 500USD for a backpack is expensive. (In the USA the packs cost 375usd). Though, they are not the most expensive packs by a long shot. Many of the “big brands” have 4-500USD packs that come nowhere near the quality or robustness of the HMG backpacks. If you need one backpack for most everything, you can’t go wrong with a Hyperlite mountain gear Windrider 4400, or any of the 4400 packs. While it’s not the only bag I use, it’s certainly the one I prefer over anything else I have.

Plus:

  • Big 70L pack
  • Simple, effective design.
  • Lightweight
  • Great carrying capabilities
  • 95% watertight
  • Robust, durable fabric and mesh
  • Compressible
  • Removable stays
  • Excellent construction and quality
  • No zippers or do-dads. Just what is needed
  • Small, Medium, Large and Tall. That’s what you get to choose from. Perfect. I hate too many choices as I’m always afraid of getting it wrong.

Minus:

  • Small hip belt pockets
  • Hydropocket not easily removed – razor blade needed
  • Not the lightest 70 liter pack on the market

 

Where to buy:

In The usa: Hyperlite mountain gear

In Europe: Backpackinglight store

Direct link to the Windrider 4400

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Sarek i Bilder (in pictures) – Part 1

on September 12, 2017

My schedule is filled at the moment while trying to get Backpackinglight.se up and running. So instead of a long trail report, I will post some pictures! More pictures coming soon.

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Mukka Stugan is a small little emergency cottage that while offers a nice place to eat lunch while it’s raining, has unfortuantely become a trash can for hikers who can’t be bothered to bring their trash with them.

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The Trailstar by the glacier river.

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13 kilos for a 9 day trip – fully safe and secure with a fishing pole and satellite phone to boot. My packing is watertight, I’m set for far below zero temperatures if needed.

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Dinner!

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Taking a coffee and candy break while drying out my shoes.

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It looks like hell, but believe me, this is some of the best aspects of wearing trailshoes in the wild. When my feet get hot I can just go trudging through some cold water. No blisters, no pain, no problems! Trailshoes are a luxury few have yet discovered.

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Down by Rapadalen – Amazing

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If only Ron would let me sell his MLD gear! The yellow trailstar is probably the single most beautiful tent build today. An incredibly light and well performing piece of kit.

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My Fizan poles and HMG windrider 4400 after a week in Sarek. Both performed incredibly well – so good in fact that I will be supplying both at backpackinglight.se. These are simply the best products available for their intended purpose.