Great review. I come from the day when we were meeting in garages and sewing our own backpacks, hunting fabrics and clips for straps…….Which wasn’t that long ago. I own more backpacks than humanly possible, and I still backpack at 67. I used to teach backpack design to novices, and break them down like this. I was a Boy Scout volunteer, council/district member, District and Council Trainer. I would do it all over again! Best years ever. To this day my husband, who does none of these things, will show me a new product and I can say, “….already own it.” 😊. My problem, at my age, is anyone to go with.

@kristenmosher834

11 ай бұрын

If you are anywhere on the East Coast, I would go backpacking with you :)

Hey Dan!! Just bumped in to you at the PDX airport!! Thanks for taking the time to say hello! Looking forward to how your camping trip to Oregon is!

The Outdoor Vitals pillows are nothing short of amazing. Won't hike without them.

One advantage to removing the frame is you can sinch it down further if you're carrying very little. An example on my last two night hike we were camping in a Valley for both nights and headed up to a peak for the second day leaving most our gear at camp. It was extremely windy so I appreciated making the pack as small as possible

Those carbon fiber stays are niiiiice! It is also awesome that they included hip belt pockets! The pack looks great! Almost every UL gear company has a backpack with more or less the same general design but not at this price point or with hip belt pockets

Thanks for the update. Looks like a great backpack!! I am really liking a lot of outdoor vitals things! Thanks for sharing!!

That opener. 😂😂😂 “Our deepest apologies to the ultralight community.” 🤣

If I were in the market for a new bag, this one would definitely be on my radar. Thanks for sharing, Danny Boy.

I’ve had my osprey talon 33 for about 6 years and I still love it… With my system, I can load it out for at least a few days… but I gotta say, when a pack like this hits the market, I’m pretty tempted to switch.

I use a sharpee and write what I put in specific pockets. Super helpful!

Hey Dan, been following you for awhile now. You've definitely helped me make some great decisions in my purchases, but most importantly inspired me to try and get back into more backpacking. I was part of the Chicago backpackers group on meetup but then deployed overseas only to return to covid. Crazy life has not been great for backpacking the past couple years but heading out to Montana this weekend to visit my uncle who lives right outside glacier national park. And then I've setup a return trip to pictured rocks end of September. Can't wait! Anyway, I just wanted to throw this out there, I know you are up in WI and I'm located in northern IL so if you ever are up for dragging someone along on a trip, would love to join ya some time. (Have all my own gear). I have a 13 year old son I really want to get into the hobby. If anything would love to know of some beginner hikes I could take him on that won't scare him off lol....thanks for videos Dan! Always great!

Oh man, I'm excited to get back into your videos! Love the intro truth... I mean spoof.

Loved the intro, and for that a thumbs up. Let's see what the actual video tells us now.

Nice skit Dan. That was cool good to see that. Keep it coming!

You should compare it to the Durston Kakwa 40 too! Very similar layout and it's only $250

@gabeah

10 ай бұрын

Durston is a way better design and they don’t make you get a hokey membership to get a better price. It’s priced way more realistically from the jump

3 fully separate videos from one trip! that’s very smart here by dan i love it

@DanBecker

Жыл бұрын

4th on the way! 👀

Anyone interested in this pack might also want to check out the Exped Lightning. Very similar design to this one. The Exped pack has a single aluminum stay that the shoulder straps slide up or down on. It's great for heavier loads as I can comfortably carry up to 35-40lbs when needed. From the specs, the Outdoor Vitals pack is about 13oz lighter. The extra comfort and adjustability of the Exped pack is worth the additional weight for me, though. Dan, you should review one!

Funny intro. Ultralight is fine, but this old girl wants a few luxuries!! Bring on the pillow and chairs.

It's good to see that even a 'professional' youtuber sometimes makes mistakes when they speak... Another fun initial review. Glad to see they upgraded the hip belt pickets. The hip belt pockets on the Shadowlight is the only issue I have.

@Axe_North

Жыл бұрын

You would be suprised how many time we can say something and cut it and say it again loll

I love my Arc Haul, I have the old school model I bought every add on.

My only issue with this bag, and I believe that most are having this issue, is the strap. I ordered the proper size, but boy is it tight. Literally no room for tensioning or letting it out. I'm a medium and need a large. That said, my Shadowlight was true to size, including the medium belt. The CS40 medium belt fits like a small. I emailed customer service ant they said to hold out and see if my concerns about fitting over winter gear is still a problem. I may make a 1" extender if I can get them to send me the clips, or buy a large belt for winter hikes. The belt is removable so I can swap it.

Love your reviews and videos. Have you reviewed the ULA Equipment Circuit or would you? Thank you!

Very good review. You touch on something near the end that I wish people, and reviewers in particular, would put more pressure on pack manufacturers for, and that's how they measure capacity. It's always been wild to me that you have companies like ULA (for just one example) advertising packs as "70 liter" packs that have the same internal capacity as 40 liter packs from other companies. There really ought to be some standardization around how pack capacity is communicated to customers.

Great review. 40L is on the smaller size. Can you share what you would normally take for a 3/4 day trip with that bag, and what food you would pack?

Dan you should try the Decathlon 900 gear, its a great budget option

Loved the intro. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada.

Do you have a video of you using an old school military duffel bag? Just the two straps carrying everything. Would love to see you review of the problems with that system such as no hip belt or side pockets for water. Would love to see you do this or make a Frankenstein version where you sew and add what should have been included.

Just fit my whole setup with room to spare in the new hyperlight Elevate 22 liter pack. Might be the pack of 23

I've added a foot long extension to my backpack hip belt. I had to I have a 50" waist!

Hyper light unbound 40 is the best 2023 backpack

That was hilarious! Love the intro 😂

Best pack is the Nashville Equipment Cutaway and the new one too

Looks awesome!

The opener had me cracking up.

Nice pack, but gotta love the Hyperlight SW 3400 black

Man. I just preordered a CS40 2 days ago without looking into Zpacks. I had heard of them, but I was sold by the design of the OV pack. They make it sound like it transfers weight to the hips and stays off the back enough. But sounds like the Arc does a better job of having that trampoline style. I definitely like the fact that Zpacks are made in the USA. But that price tag is just so steep. A hundred bucks more and then yeah…all the add-ons…I’m not a Saudi prince.

I think this is the pack I’ve been waiting for! Unfortunately it’s definitely out of my budget right now.

That intro made my day!

9:05 11:20 That would be a no-go for me. Most packs this price are seam sealed and have very good waterproof protection, but that throws it out the window. Edit: Realize this is probably fine for rain, but definitely not for crossing streams.

How about a review of the Outdoor Vitals Oblivion pad?

Hey Dan have you ever hiked the old lovers path in pennsylvania?

Looking for a lightweight backpack myself and was wondering which of the following ones is best: Durston Kakwa 40/55, Outdoor Vitals CS40, one of the hyperlite mountaingears backpacks or the Zpack Arc Haul Ultra 40/50L. Maybe there is another proper one as well? Personally I don't like the white colour of the hyperlite mountaingear and the CS40 because of the dirty looks of it. Furthermore they both look great.

A lack of daisy chains on the shoulder straps is a deal-killer to me.....

@davidsawmandave8731

Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, u are right , yup deal killer

I like a 70-80 L pack. I love the "just one big sack" type of pack. This one is too small for my liking. Plus it looks just like the Hyperlight pack.

I’m still watching because I like you Dan.

The best backpack is the one you are comfortable carrying all your gear in. After getting my base weight near to that 10 lb mark I lost another lb by going with a 40L frameless pack from Waymark Gear. I have to admit I was scared to try a belt less frameless pack, but I have never looked back. I’m very happy with my set up now. If you’re carrying more than 20 lbs and can’t fit it all in a 40L pack, you’re bringing to much crap!

@NVIK5

7 ай бұрын

My man how would you fit food for 10 days and a bear canister into your tiny backpack? You like being uncomfortable, but not everyone does. I like an actual tent, comfortable sleeping pad etc., not sleeping in a tarp eaten by bugs. I use an Atompacks 55l that weights 1 kg, has a hipbelt etc. See no point in saving weight from this.

Hello from British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦🖐👍❤🎠🎪👌🖌🎨😎🤳🌳🌲🚐🌴

Any chance we'll see a UL pack shootout with Z, OV, Nashville, and Hyper? (and a couple of others that I am forgetting)...

The first step of light backpacking - be in good shape. I rarely see people counting the weight of their bellies and I see a lot of people counting ounces in their backpacks while they could lose pounds of body fat.

@Matt-N

10 ай бұрын

My old cycling coach used to say "Don't focus on the weight of your bike (pack) focus on the weight the bike (pack) is carrying..

REVIEW THE DURSTON KIKWA 55 BACKPACK DAN! THE 2024 MODEL IS ULTRA 200X MATERIAL AND $260!

I almost bought one of these types of backpacks. But I have good light gear not ultralight weight. So I was concerned with the weight that he was talking about and being uncomfortable. I also go solo a lot so i cant rely on splitting gear. I have a base weight of 14lbs (before a bag), so it is a little more. I bought the Osprey AG Lt 65 liter backpack and I LOVE IT. It actually has a ton of support and SUPER breathable frame and pads. I hiked in the middle of summer when it was 95 degrees out and the frame allowed so much ventilation. I feel more comfortable knowing I have a lot more support than some of these ultralight weight bags. This bag is only around 4lbs which might not be like the 2 pounders, but 2 more pounds for a ton of support just makes sense to me. The other thing, I bought this thing on sale for $210 which is a killer price especially compared to these ultralight options. The hyperlite mountain gear pack was available for me and it was like $430. So I saved a ton of money as well!!!!

@Inspector007

11 ай бұрын

I have the same Oprey 65L. Have carried up to 37lbs COMFORTABLY. That said, I am considering an ultra lite pack for certain trips.

Gotta love outdoor vitals for literally answering there fans . On top of that the new material is super durable ❤

Can anyone offer a comparison between the LiteAF full suspension curved 40L vs this Outdoor Vitals CS40L? Thanks.

Durston Kakwa 40 can carry 45 pounds because the frame design is done how a frame should be done to transfer loads to the hips. This OV pack isn't done right for that reason.

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

A good to know. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Lol, everyone on here has their favorite pack. Some of them are very strong about it. Dan is always clear that he's just giving his opinion. I don't watch videos like this because I think Dan's word is the last word (sorry Dan 😁), but because he shows you the features and his personal pros or cons. I'm not going to buy one because I don't want to spend that much but maybe someday I'll be willing to do so. Currently I'm very happy with my REI flash 55 for $200.

But how much lighter is the z pqcks arch ?

So it’s basically a carbon copy of the Arc Haul. Kinda similar to their tent which is super similar to Gossamer Gears The One.

@user-ee9nh8jr1p

Жыл бұрын

No. I own Arc Haul and easily see tons of differences. This is definitely a different backpack, not a carbon copy

No! The Atom Packs, Atom + 40l is the best backpack no matter what year it is!!!!!!

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

I am considring Atom Packs or the Durston Kakwa. Help me out, decisions! Cheers!

did u test "pajak xc3 " ?

You should review the volpi backpacks

Outdoor Vitals CS40 Ultra VS Durston Kakwa ???

But do you have bloopers for the beginning along with your voiceover bloopers 🤣

@DanBecker

Жыл бұрын

I did that voiceover in one take!! 😂😂

Dan wont say if it is actually garbage because of the good terms hes on with outdoor vitals.

I love the ZPacks Arc series since the Arc Blast. My best pack is a custom Arc Blast with the aluminum frame that they made for me 10 years ago. Best pack for long hikes with big water carry. However, I’ve wanted a 30-40L pack for shorter hikes between resupply, etc. I looked at this and it wasn’t workable for me . Way too big. OV makes their packs only for large humans. One limitation that most cottage companies don’t think about is the width of the shoulder straps. With the trend towards wider, they are making the pack unusable for smaller stature humans, especially women. Wider straps do not ride well over the front if the shoulder, rub your neck and are just a barrier to using these packs. I’d like to see modular shoulder straps in S curve and narrower widths. Six Moon Designs is doing thus, but oddly the rest of their packs aren’t compatible with other companies’ because they weigh so much more.

just ditched my 80's Gregory.......HeAvY but a great pack and comfy....antique

Nice bag Dan! I have the HMG 2400 southwest currently, what would you say to anyone wanting to change to those backpacks?

@millerhoo

Жыл бұрын

I have the HMG 2400 and the Kakwa 40 - I would go with the Kakwa 40 all day.

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

@@millerhoo Good to know. I have the Kakwa on my list for my first section hike on the AZT.

Wonderful pack. Not something I will need, but hopefully the tech will trickle down to us less hardcore packers

I'm always interested in new innovative gear. However, I try to buy only from cottage industry made in USA gear. Granted that is not always possible, but I try. That being said, all of OV gear is made in China. I had bought one of the original "Dominion 2.5" tents when OV first came on the scene. At that time OV promoted itself as a US company that removed the middle man. There were design issues with the tent that I contacted OV about, their response was lackadaisical at best. That was the end of my desire to do business with them. There are options outside of OV's gear for the same cost and are made here in the States by US owned companies. Just saying..... Happy Trails!

@brycetheshredder

Жыл бұрын

Actually most of their gear is made in vietnam. But the older stuff was from china.

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for shedding some light on OV. Laurel Mountain Designs according to a blog I happened upon was dismissive of a customer's concerns about whether or not they would be able to ship in time for their trek.

You should do a made in the usa pack comparison

Looks like tyvek, like i could just try sewing some silisocks together.

LMAO that ultralight bag at the beginning would only cost $600 too!

I currently own Arc Haul 70. Super pack, but super expensive. With all the bells and whistles it was over 500, maybe even close to 600. If I would look for a new backpack right now, I would be interested in Kakwa drom Dan Durston and Ranger from Darwin. This OV pack does not sound inspiring for me.

Emmett's a Redbull F1 fan? Here's a like comment and subscribe and I haven't even seen the review. Well played.

Do people actually have base weights of 20 pounds? Is that still a thing?

Lol, water bladder pouch 😂

Hahahahahahah! The intro is awesome.

Backpacks are too expensive in general. Paying almost $400 for 55L from some brands: ridiculous.

The backpack looks promising, how they compare with Arc Haul in terms of comfort in your subjective feel? P.S. Dear Emmet, can europeans have a small subtitle with a metrics system pleeease?

About 80 liters - main compartment - is as small as anyone should be carrying.

😂 brilliant edit.

If your shoulders are getting sore with only 22lbs then either 1 - the pack is not well designed, 2 - it’s the wrong size or 3 - it’s not adjusted properly. By the look on the video I would bet it’s 2 and 3. Your load lifters should be angled up to your pack (they are angled down). Most of the weight should be on your hips. Load lifters lift weight off your shoulders when tightened- they can’t do that unless they are angled up. Return the pack and get the next size up.

@DennisMathias

Жыл бұрын

I used to have a pack called the Adventure 16 that had an aluminum heliarc welded frame with just about 100% weight on the hip. The only thing the shoulder straps did was keep the pack upright. You could totally loosen the shoulder straps and still carry the pack! I put a lot of miles on that pack and thought it was a great design. If you were maneuvering you could tighten the straps to firm up the carry but shoulders were just not an issue.

@DanBecker

Жыл бұрын

Sore with a base weight of 20 is what I meant.

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

@@DennisMathias Advenure 16, that was back in the day. In west LA on Pico Blvd, , we had an Adventure 16. They closed, and it was such a bummer. Their May sales were awesome!! Thank you for your post.

How does this compare to the Durston Kakwa 40?

@ExoticIdiotics

Жыл бұрын

I have not tried the Outdoor Vitals pack, but I opted for the Durston since it's made with the same material and is significantly cheaper. I loved my Durston tent so much I figured their pack had to be good too---and I am not disappointed.

@millerhoo

Жыл бұрын

I am a fan of my kakwa 40. I tired the HMG 2400 and exos 55 pro and just kept coming back to the Kakwa. Something I think about… I got a large and kind of wonder how a medium would fit being a torso length of 19. It sits low on my hips. I struggle a bit to keep the internal Velcro frame lid closed pulling things out of the pack. I curved the top of the frame a bit (it comes straight out of the box) Bv450 or bigger probably needs to be strapped on. Notable pros: I can easily get my bv425 in the pack. The zippers are AWESOME and work as promised on the pack. Right water bottle is easy to access. Durable, comfortable and good looking.

The intro 😂😂😂😂😂

Farbon Ciber?

Ultralight is a life style bro

@SupremeOverlord10

Жыл бұрын

Twekers and dweebs

That intro 😘👌 😂😂😂

Don't everyone laugh, but I still have my old (1990s) Jansport D3 external frame pack. My knee doctor insisted I get something more "modern", so I bought the Osprey Aether 70L and have used it. But, the Jansport was much more functional. I'm thinking of trying to "restore" it a bit and take it on a few long day hikes to see how it does. So, over the many years of hiking, I still find it to be the best backpack, certainly in terms of functionality. I welcome other comments from those that used an external frame or even the Jansport. Thanks, and have a blessed week!

@veroniquediallo6055

Жыл бұрын

I am tickled. Jansport, I mean , yeah , they were making innovative gear that were used in successfully ascending Mt. Everest. Pioneer level stuff!

I wouldn't pay $330 fir a backpack if it had legs & carried itself 😮

@TheNypenfan

Жыл бұрын

Used to say the same thing. Then I bought a $300ish ula custom bag….now I can never go back. That and a good bag or quilt are the two things I’ll spend the extra money on now.

@maximuskiowa7393

Жыл бұрын

Shure i get it the materials are light & new & popular but why the 500% mark up.

@TheNypenfan

Жыл бұрын

@@maximuskiowa7393 it’s not that it’s lighter and new…..it’s that it was lighter, stronger, and more durable. Sure I could buy a cordura bag that will last 20 yrs for $80, but it will weigh 6 lbs. Or I can buy a $300 bag that will perform the same but weigh 1ish lbs and also be nearly waterproof. For me, the extra $200 is worth it over the next 10yrs

I wish you hadn’t mentioned fire and Smokey the bear. I’m still upset at 67yo that he told me that I was solely responsible for all the forest fires.

I love outdoor vitals products, but I really wish they made women’s backpacks and more apparel designed for women. Being a busty gal, the backpacking shoulder straps for women really make a difference!

Helikon Summit 40L/1.3 kg only 100 $

Dan? Dan? Are you drinking the sponsor Kool aid?

@DanBecker

Жыл бұрын

Nope. I always am open if I’m sponsored

I don't see a difference between those kind of backpacks

... Speaking of a frame in a backpack is confusing to many ,,, frame "stays" are nothing more than 2 thin strips of solid material that create form structure .. regardless of what they are made of .. .. todays "new" designs from one manufacturer or another all look the same ,, with space age material and limitations from one size to the next ...

Wtf how u ppl luxury backpacking is crazy $400 for backpacking just to is crazy

Oh great another over priced backpack 🎉

Meh. Any old rucksack can carry 20 pounds. $300 for a pack that cannot do much more is absurd. Your Arc Haul is soooo much more of a (real, useful) backpack. Well worth the extra $$$ if you insist on a UL pack. Load lifters are not for pulling the pack close. They are for LIFTING the load off of your shoulders (and down to your hip belt). As you demonstrate, they do nothing useful with such a flimsy frame.

Gee, what a surprise. Another really expensive piece of gear only an elite select few can afford. You know what really funny, is that Dan does this all the time, then wonders why 17% of the people aren't hiking/camping/backpacking.

Too many features

Nope 👎