Great review! I just bought a Hyperlite Southwest 2400 40L Backpack today, it was around $500, which is super expensive. But I love the quality of the product. Thank you for this video! Take care!
Hi Ben Got the 3400 too. Love it. The external pockets are huge and great for stuffing gear in. I must carry too much stuff I reckon I Couldn’t manage with a 2400. Especially with 4 season gear. Got a zpacks arc haul as well but for me between the 2 I prefer the HMG.
Hi Richard 👋🏼, glad you enjoyed the video. No such thing as too much stuff mate, so long as you are happy to carry it all 😉. I do like to go pretty light though and generally the adage is you will fill the pack you have, so sometimes giving yourself a smaller space to fill is a good idea. The Arc haul is a great looking pack, have a friend who uses it and I’ve admired it a few times. The HMG kit is such incredible quality and tough as though right? Appreciate you watching mate. Cheers, Ben.
@@OutdoorIntrigue Definitely on filling the bigger pack. I’ve gone full circle I was tiny and super light weight for everything. Since moving up to Scotland I seem to buy more big and burly. Any winter trips planned?
@@richardwaudby7338 I know how that goes, I’ve gone from ultralight and back to heavier and a lot in-between a few times in the last 15 years or so. I am pretty settled on weight reduction being really important though, but I stop short of the pure sadism some ultralighters go for 🤣. No big trip plans currently as Megs is still recovering from a fractured hip. But out in the hills all the time, running mostly lately. We are lucky location wise with hills right outside the front door. Where abouts in Scotland are you?
That Southwest is amazing 🤩 I bought the 4400,I thought I would need the extra space for winter camping, but it’s way too big, the 2400 would be enough, HMG doesn’t count the big front pocket in their measurements, and that thing is huge 🤘🏔🤘
I'm in the same boat. Just bought the 4400 Porter model specifically for winter camping in the arctic (possibly cross-country/alpine snowboarding), however I will be camping for an extended period of time (months out of house), and want to make 100% sure I pack redundancy and extra redundancy of clothes for those extra cold days (even factoring in laundry) in addition to daily commodities such as laptop, chair and table (yeah). It's a huge bag (I tested beforehand), but for something more akin to an expedition, I'm pretty sure I didn't go wrong with the 4400 size for weights bordering on 25 kg (55 lbs) some days. Cheers!
As a total newbie, I'm hoping to do the Camino later in the year, or early next, and am currently going through the research phase, in deciding what gear I'd like to take. I'm planning on first doing the Ridgeway, and then the Coast to Coast, to get some dearly needed experience. I'm also trying to get the choice of gear right first time. As such, and after watching a ton of videos, including this excellent one, I've finally decided on the 2400 Southwest. Thank you for your help in making the decision...
Hey 👋🏼, sounds like you’ve got some awesome adventures lined up! No doubt you’ll refine your gear even more as you use it and hike those trails. The Southwest is a great and durable pack, I’m sure you’ll love it. Let us know how your hikes go, and take care, Ben & Megs.
Liked your review. I'm looking at the Junction 2400 and 3400. I need a pack that I can used as a day pack and a back pack for multi day use. Has the 2400 given you enough room? Can the 3400 compress down to what you had in the video?
For those purposes I would definitely suggest the 2400 size. It’s still really pretty big. It will depend on the size of your gear, but that rolltop offers a lot of adjustment. I always found the 3400 too big, but you could roll it down to pretty much the same size as the 2400. Hood that’s helpful mate. ☺️
The 3400 can compress down pretty small. I went with it because of weekend winter camping. Insulation takes up a good bit of room, and having the extra in the 3400 really does help. A lot
There is a video on youtube on how to make your top strap in to load lifters. So it is possible with a few modifications. I have the 2400 and 4400 and love them both. Great video
Did this to mine. It is what made it usable for me. I have a 3400, and large (which is supposed to be proper size for me) was only comfortable full, and a medium was not comfortable full. Adding load lifters to medium made it much better across the range.
Hey Gordon, the Osprey packs are definitely great options, especially for the money. There are a lot of cheaper very good packs out there compared to the HMG. However if you are happy to spend the money then it’s brilliant. 200 grams is a chunk of weight to save and the overall quality of the pack is much higher than any Osprey pack. The DCF is extremely tough and won’t rip or tear, you can really bash these packs around. If you handle a HMG in the flesh compared to something like an Osprey you can see why they cost what they do (to some degree, they are still bloody expensive!). All that said it’s so dependant on what you want from your pack and your setup as a whole. Never an easy answer! Lol, hope that’s useful in some way mate.
@@OutdoorIntrigue thanks ben. Appreciate your thoughts. I’d been under the impression the dcf was fragile for abrasion but interested in your report. Gordon
@@whenigotothemountains1203 No problem. Just to add that DCF can be fragile to abrasion, but more so in lower denier’s. This DCF is noticeably tough and heavy duty. My Bonfus DCF pack uses an extremely light DCF and I had issues with it last year where my ice axe grip was rubbing on it. It also doesn’t help that the ice axe grip was essentially like sandpaper! 😂
Not necessarily a negative, but the packs are now made in Mexico and no longer supplied from the US. They put out a press release stating this was due to labor shortage in US due to Covid.
Another great review. Any plans to review your Bonfus pack now you have had some time with it? There are virtually no reviews on TH-cam of their packs.
I think you probably could but it’d be a bit awkward. I have the HMG water bottle attachment that sits up on the shoulder strap and typically use a soft flask with it.
2 vertical aluminum stays stuck in a fabric channel isn’t a frame lol. The waist belt is totally flexible, no wrap around support, no real stiffness. Bottom line is there is no possibility that system can transfer weight effectively to your hips and be completely comfortable. The only really good thing is the water proof characteristics of the fabric, that’s very nice.
Vertical aluminium stays are literally the definition of a modern framed backpack.. The pack absolutely does transfer weight to your hips. I would suggest reading some of the excellent articles on backpackinglight to do a little learning.
Dan Becker (see video) had the inside of his pack completely soaked while hiking in the rain all day. Apparently the stitching along the top of the shoulder straps where it attaches to the pack is not seam sealed. Fail!
Hi Alex, thanks for watching. It is strange that they don’t tape the inside where the straps are sewn on. Personally I never had an issue with it as that area isn’t usually exposed. However the best way to fix it is really cheap and easy, you just buy a small strip of adhesive DCF tape and stick it over the stitching on the inside of the pack. It’s a 2 minute job to do. Take care, Ben.
Isn t it anoying that the white color turn fast into dirty color? What can we do against it? It is misfortunately the only deal breaker at the moment. The black one isn t an option for me because it is heavier
Unfortunately, HMG's packs are no longer made in the US. For those of us who cherish cottage gear companies who are helping revive American manufacturing, that makes their packs a nonstarter.
Hey, thanks for watching and commenting. It’s really interesting you raised this point because I had no idea. I just read up on the changes and I see they now have an additional factory in Mexico, so some production will still be USA based but certainly not all of it. As a Brit we are used to not having much U.K. manufactured gear so I feel like our emotions on these topics are less strong. I can certainly appreciate the concerns with the changes though, and hopefully it doesn’t mean any changes to the quality of their gear. I don’t think it will tbf. Nice one for calling this out though!
@@OutdoorIntrigue you mistakenly said that the junction uses the solid material on the big back pocket and the mesh on the two side pickers it’s actually the other way around. Also you said if you’re outside of the US you will have to pay duties which isn’t always the case with orders shipped to Canada. Anyway good video none the less
@@christianb8228 Well spotted! I hadn’t noticed that mistake myself at all 😂 and true on import duties, but generally they will exist for a lot of the world. Thanks for watching appreciate it!
8:20 Waterproof? No HMG pack is remotely waterproof. If you believe so, you have not been out for a long time in heavy rain and rough weather. All HMG packs get wet on the inside, even with a rain cover in heavy downpour. Including the hip pockets. If you want to avoid a wet surprise, use a proper large drybag for everything. I actually don't believe what you say about yours and Meg's experience walking in rain. It's contrary to what all other advanced HMG pack owners say. Have a look inside your pack. Do you see any taped seams on the bottom section? Neither is the exposed area on top where shoulder straps connect. th-cam.com/video/SCjS492IBGk/w-d-xo.html Out in nature I use 6 HMG Pods, a 65 liter Sea to Summit drybag and an Arcteryx rain cover. That about does keep you safe. I love my NorthRim 3400 (second one I own) and not only have I trekked the mountains +200 days with it, but I live with it daily as a nomad. It’s my home and it travels with me globally.
No need to remove the Velcro if you dislike it. Just purchase and attach a Velcro strip on one side. Velcro is found in shops that sell fabric and sewing accessories. The width of the HMG Velcro is identical to the standard size. I’ve done so and it stays put, even with washing/extended use. The extra stiffness/thickness is nice to have when folding the top down.
To say they aren’t remotely waterproof is bs mate. They are largely waterproof. They can absolutely have water ingress, we taped the internal seams with DCF tape, it’s an extremely cheap 5 minute job. Even in intense prolonged rain using HMG pods is generally sufficient. You might have some water sitting in the base of the pack, but that’s fairly standard even for DCF packs. Usually you’ll get some water coming in when you open the pack anyway. We’d always suggest keeping sensitive down products in a dry bag, but you don’t have to with these packs. Unless you’re submerging your pack the inside won’t be soaked. Using a rain cover on a DCF pack is ridiculous, I mean you do you, but that is just needless. You don’t have to believe us, but we live in the mountains in one of the wettest areas in Europe, and spend all our free times in the hills. Happy trails buddy.
"You might have some water sitting in the base of the pack". That would count as a fail. Did you test the water capabilities of the HMG pack in its original format, or only after modifying it with tape? "Even in intense prolonged rain using HMG pods is generally sufficient". I would agree, but prefer to be 100% sure. Thus; large drybag. My signal-orange rain cover is used for visibility.
@@OutdoorIntrigue One thing that for sure in untrue is that Dyneema does not hold water. An HMG pack gets wet and takes a while to dry. Wet material weighs more than dry. So, the added weigh of a rain cover is not much. Plus, the protection against abrasion and dirt.
Just go watch some of our videos and you’ll literally see us using the pack regularly… No point in making a flippant comment when you’ve not watched any of our adventure videos.
I hate how decent a review this is but how ugly those things are. Such a shame, actually looks like my nans bag for life. And I can't get over the fact that it's about $10 worth of materials for upwards of £200. Major disconnect there. Anyone else feel like this? I see many people liking these but really??? Sorry for the rant I just don't get it boys 😅
I guess they aren’t for everyone looks wise. Personally I like the look 👀. The main cost is the material, DCF is really expensive. A good alternative is lightweight packs using the new ecopak material that’s similar to DCF but much cheaper.
Great review! I just bought a Hyperlite Southwest 2400 40L Backpack today, it was around $500, which is super expensive. But I love the quality of the product. Thank you for this video! Take care!
That’s awesome! Hopefully you have loads of great hikes with it, they are really tough packs. Appreciate you watching! Happy trails.
Hi Ben Got the 3400 too. Love it. The external pockets are huge and great for stuffing gear in. I must carry too much stuff I reckon I Couldn’t manage with a 2400. Especially with 4 season gear. Got a zpacks arc haul as well but for me between the 2 I prefer the HMG.
Hi Richard 👋🏼, glad you enjoyed the video. No such thing as too much stuff mate, so long as you are happy to carry it all 😉. I do like to go pretty light though and generally the adage is you will fill the pack you have, so sometimes giving yourself a smaller space to fill is a good idea. The Arc haul is a great looking pack, have a friend who uses it and I’ve admired it a few times. The HMG kit is such incredible quality and tough as though right? Appreciate you watching mate. Cheers, Ben.
@@OutdoorIntrigue Definitely on filling the bigger pack. I’ve gone full circle I was tiny and super light weight for everything. Since moving up to Scotland I seem to buy more big and burly.
Any winter trips planned?
@@richardwaudby7338 I know how that goes, I’ve gone from ultralight and back to heavier and a lot in-between a few times in the last 15 years or so. I am pretty settled on weight reduction being really important though, but I stop short of the pure sadism some ultralighters go for 🤣. No big trip plans currently as Megs is still recovering from a fractured hip. But out in the hills all the time, running mostly lately. We are lucky location wise with hills right outside the front door. Where abouts in Scotland are you?
@@OutdoorIntrigue Hope she gets well soon. Based in Edinburgh.
@@richardwaudby7338 Thanks mate. Edinburgh is lovely. Give us a shout if you are over on the west coast down our way and fancy a hike or something.
That Southwest is amazing 🤩 I bought the 4400,I thought I would need the extra space for winter camping, but it’s way too big, the 2400 would be enough, HMG doesn’t count the big front pocket in their measurements, and that thing is huge 🤘🏔🤘
Yeah they are great packs, massive though! Unless your lugging loads of kit I suggest the 2400 for most. Happy trails!!
I'm in the same boat. Just bought the 4400 Porter model specifically for winter camping in the arctic (possibly cross-country/alpine snowboarding), however I will be camping for an extended period of time (months out of house), and want to make 100% sure I pack redundancy and extra redundancy of clothes for those extra cold days (even factoring in laundry) in addition to daily commodities such as laptop, chair and table (yeah). It's a huge bag (I tested beforehand), but for something more akin to an expedition, I'm pretty sure I didn't go wrong with the 4400 size for weights bordering on 25 kg (55 lbs) some days. Cheers!
Thanks for the video. Out of curiosity how small does the 4400 roll up? Wondering if it can fit as a carry on for airlines if not fully packed up.
Sorry for the slow reply! We’ve been moving. It rolls up a lot and should be good as carry on for most airlines.
As a total newbie, I'm hoping to do the Camino later in the year, or early next, and am currently going through the research phase, in deciding what gear I'd like to take. I'm planning on first doing the Ridgeway, and then the Coast to Coast, to get some dearly needed experience. I'm also trying to get the choice of gear right first time. As such, and after watching a ton of videos, including this excellent one, I've finally decided on the 2400 Southwest. Thank you for your help in making the decision...
Hey 👋🏼, sounds like you’ve got some awesome adventures lined up! No doubt you’ll refine your gear even more as you use it and hike those trails. The Southwest is a great and durable pack, I’m sure you’ll love it. Let us know how your hikes go, and take care, Ben & Megs.
Hoping that worked out for you. I'd recommend the Junction, for the mesh back pocket which is more convenient IMO.
Liked your review. I'm looking at the Junction 2400 and 3400. I need a pack that I can used as a day pack and a back pack for multi day use. Has the 2400 given you enough room? Can the 3400 compress down to what you had in the video?
For those purposes I would definitely suggest the 2400 size. It’s still really pretty big. It will depend on the size of your gear, but that rolltop offers a lot of adjustment. I always found the 3400 too big, but you could roll it down to pretty much the same size as the 2400. Hood that’s helpful mate. ☺️
The 3400 can compress down pretty small. I went with it because of weekend winter camping. Insulation takes up a good bit of room, and having the extra in the 3400 really does help. A lot
@@jerrysambrook4480 That’s great mate, you enjoying the pack?
@@OutdoorIntrigue after adding the load lifter, I sure do. Also bent the frame stays to fit better as well
@@jerrysambrook4480 Awesome! Sounds like some good modifying.
There is a video on youtube on how to make your top strap in to load lifters. So it is possible with a few modifications. I have the 2400 and 4400 and love them both. Great video
th-cam.com/video/tUNUmqcHHaI/w-d-xo.html
Hey 👋🏼, very cool to know! Had no idea you could convert the top strap into load lifters! Thanks for watching and sharing the handy modification vid 😊
Did this to mine. It is what made it usable for me. I have a 3400, and large (which is supposed to be proper size for me) was only comfortable full, and a medium was not comfortable full. Adding load lifters to medium made it much better across the range.
@@jerrysambrook4480 interesting that it works so well for you with a load lifter, HMG take note!
Hi,
i've been looking for the video but it seems i can't find it. Do you have any link please ?
Good review ben. If you were to compare to eg exos 38 at half the price and 200g more (?), what would you think? Gordon
Hey Gordon, the Osprey packs are definitely great options, especially for the money. There are a lot of cheaper very good packs out there compared to the HMG. However if you are happy to spend the money then it’s brilliant. 200 grams is a chunk of weight to save and the overall quality of the pack is much higher than any Osprey pack. The DCF is extremely tough and won’t rip or tear, you can really bash these packs around. If you handle a HMG in the flesh compared to something like an Osprey you can see why they cost what they do (to some degree, they are still bloody expensive!). All that said it’s so dependant on what you want from your pack and your setup as a whole. Never an easy answer! Lol, hope that’s useful in some way mate.
@@OutdoorIntrigue thanks ben. Appreciate your thoughts. I’d been under the impression the dcf was fragile for abrasion but interested in your report. Gordon
@@whenigotothemountains1203 No problem. Just to add that DCF can be fragile to abrasion, but more so in lower denier’s. This DCF is noticeably tough and heavy duty. My Bonfus DCF pack uses an extremely light DCF and I had issues with it last year where my ice axe grip was rubbing on it. It also doesn’t help that the ice axe grip was essentially like sandpaper! 😂
Not necessarily a negative, but the packs are now made in Mexico and no longer supplied from the US. They put out a press release stating this was due to labor shortage in US due to Covid.
Yeah I saw they made that change earlier this year I think. One of those that’s not ideal but also hopefully not a huge negative.
Brilliant review bro 🤌🏽
Thanks mate!!
Another great review. Any plans to review your Bonfus pack now you have had some time with it? There are virtually no reviews on TH-cam of their packs.
Hey Mike, definitely planning on reviewing the Bonfus pack. It’s 100% on the to do list. Cheers for watching mate!
Clean, concise content. Thanks!
I’m now subscriber 274x because of this video. I like to remember these thing for when channels go ultra big 🙃
Thanks for watching Christopher, glad it was useful! Really appreciate the kind words too - welcome to the channel ☺️🙏🏼
Does the white backpack gets dirty very quick? And is it easy to clean the outside to it can look fresh again if it gets dirty?
It will pick up marks over time and eventually permanently carry some discolouration
How does the water get out of the outside pockets? Is There a hole?
Hey, yeah there are little drainage holes.
@@OutdoorIntrigue thanks!
Are you able to reach your water bottle from the side pocket when it’s on your back?
I think you probably could but it’d be a bit awkward. I have the HMG water bottle attachment that sits up on the shoulder strap and typically use a soft flask with it.
I just bought mine on discount. I'm hoping it'll change my hiking experience!
Hopefully you really enjoy using it!! You got any hikes planned to test it out?
@@OutdoorIntrigue Yes! Hopefully Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia in May!
@@charc4814 Sounds awesome!!! No doubt you will have some great adventures.
Do you know of any UK or European distributors of hyperlite mountain gear that you can link?
Hey Harry, thanks for watching 🙏🏼 the link is in the description for the distributor we used to purchase our packs.
2 vertical aluminum stays stuck in a fabric channel isn’t a frame lol. The waist belt is totally flexible, no wrap around support, no real stiffness. Bottom line is there is no possibility that system can transfer weight effectively to your hips and be completely comfortable. The only really good thing is the water proof characteristics of the fabric, that’s very nice.
Vertical aluminium stays are literally the definition of a modern framed backpack.. The pack absolutely does transfer weight to your hips. I would suggest reading some of the excellent articles on backpackinglight to do a little learning.
Dan Becker (see video) had the inside of his pack completely soaked while hiking in the rain all day. Apparently the stitching along the top of the shoulder straps where it attaches to the pack is not seam sealed. Fail!
Hi Alex, thanks for watching. It is strange that they don’t tape the inside where the straps are sewn on. Personally I never had an issue with it as that area isn’t usually exposed. However the best way to fix it is really cheap and easy, you just buy a small strip of adhesive DCF tape and stick it over the stitching on the inside of the pack. It’s a 2 minute job to do. Take care, Ben.
Does anyone know the waist size of the southwest 2400
It’s adjustable so covers a fairly broad span of sizes. Certainly seems to be suitable for anything from 26 inches (maybe less) to 40 inches or so.
Isn t it anoying that the white color turn fast into dirty color? What can we do against it? It is misfortunately the only deal breaker at the moment.
The black one isn t an option for me because it is heavier
Yeah there isn’t much you can do to keep the white versions from picking up marks and dirt over time. I think it looks cool though.
Thanks
Our pleasure. Thanks for watching!! 🙌🏼
Unfortunately, HMG's packs are no longer made in the US. For those of us who cherish cottage gear companies who are helping revive American manufacturing, that makes their packs a nonstarter.
Hey, thanks for watching and commenting. It’s really interesting you raised this point because I had no idea. I just read up on the changes and I see they now have an additional factory in Mexico, so some production will still be USA based but certainly not all of it. As a Brit we are used to not having much U.K. manufactured gear so I feel like our emotions on these topics are less strong. I can certainly appreciate the concerns with the changes though, and hopefully it doesn’t mean any changes to the quality of their gear. I don’t think it will tbf. Nice one for calling this out though!
@@OutdoorIntrigue you mistakenly said that the junction uses the solid material on the big back pocket and the mesh on the two side pickers it’s actually the other way around. Also you said if you’re outside of the US you will have to pay duties which isn’t always the case with orders shipped to Canada. Anyway good video none the less
@@christianb8228 Well spotted! I hadn’t noticed that mistake myself at all 😂 and true on import duties, but generally they will exist for a lot of the world. Thanks for watching appreciate it!
8:20 Waterproof? No HMG pack is remotely waterproof. If you believe so, you have not been out for a long time in heavy rain and rough weather.
All HMG packs get wet on the inside, even with a rain cover in heavy downpour. Including the hip pockets. If you want to avoid a wet surprise, use a proper large drybag for everything. I actually don't believe what you say about yours and Meg's experience walking in rain. It's contrary to what all other advanced HMG pack owners say.
Have a look inside your pack. Do you see any taped seams on the bottom section?
Neither is the exposed area on top where shoulder straps connect.
th-cam.com/video/SCjS492IBGk/w-d-xo.html
Out in nature I use 6 HMG Pods, a 65 liter Sea to Summit drybag and an Arcteryx rain cover. That about does keep you safe.
I love my NorthRim 3400 (second one I own) and not only have I trekked the mountains +200 days with it, but I live with it daily as a nomad.
It’s my home and it travels with me globally.
No need to remove the Velcro if you dislike it. Just purchase and attach a Velcro strip on one side. Velcro is found in shops that sell fabric and sewing accessories. The width of the HMG Velcro is identical to the standard size. I’ve done so and it stays put, even with washing/extended use.
The extra stiffness/thickness is nice to have when folding the top down.
To say they aren’t remotely waterproof is bs mate. They are largely waterproof. They can absolutely have water ingress, we taped the internal seams with DCF tape, it’s an extremely cheap 5 minute job. Even in intense prolonged rain using HMG pods is generally sufficient. You might have some water sitting in the base of the pack, but that’s fairly standard even for DCF packs. Usually you’ll get some water coming in when you open the pack anyway. We’d always suggest keeping sensitive down products in a dry bag, but you don’t have to with these packs. Unless you’re submerging your pack the inside won’t be soaked. Using a rain cover on a DCF pack is ridiculous, I mean you do you, but that is just needless. You don’t have to believe us, but we live in the mountains in one of the wettest areas in Europe, and spend all our free times in the hills. Happy trails buddy.
This does seem like a cracking idea tbf
"You might have some water sitting in the base of the pack". That would count as a fail.
Did you test the water capabilities of the HMG pack in its original format, or only after modifying it with tape?
"Even in intense prolonged rain using HMG pods is generally sufficient". I would agree, but prefer to be 100% sure. Thus; large drybag.
My signal-orange rain cover is used for visibility.
@@OutdoorIntrigue One thing that for sure in untrue is that Dyneema does not hold water. An HMG pack gets wet and takes a while to dry. Wet material weighs more than dry. So, the added weigh of a rain cover is not much. Plus, the protection against abrasion and dirt.
I love people reviewing things that they never used 😅
Just go watch some of our videos and you’ll literally see us using the pack regularly… No point in making a flippant comment when you’ve not watched any of our adventure videos.
I hate how decent a review this is but how ugly those things are. Such a shame, actually looks like my nans bag for life. And I can't get over the fact that it's about $10 worth of materials for upwards of £200. Major disconnect there. Anyone else feel like this?
I see many people liking these but really??? Sorry for the rant I just don't get it boys 😅
I guess they aren’t for everyone looks wise. Personally I like the look 👀. The main cost is the material, DCF is really expensive. A good alternative is lightweight packs using the new ecopak material that’s similar to DCF but much cheaper.