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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/wanderlosttravel on 2024-08-14 21:20:48+00:00.

Is Zpacks still the only ultralight brand that offers a truly arched frame?

EDIT: I’m not here to argue about the effectiveness of the arch. Maybe it doesn’t work for you, but I have way to much of my own experience that confirms it does indeed actually work for some of us. Thats probably part of the reason Zpacks in one of the most popular ultralight brands! If your only response is to argue with me why my own extensive experience isn’t reality than you’ve totally missed the point of my post.

What do I mean by this “truly arched frame”? I mean a frame that maintains an arch even when fully loaded such that the backpack material itself is kept off the majority of your back. In other words, a frame that allows airflow to your back. Zpacks does this two ways from what I can tell. One, by using carbon fiber frames which are less flexible (than say aluminum). And two, on many of their packs, they have also added adjustable tension points that actually hold the curve in place.

To me a truly arched frame makes a world of difference in keeping cool while hiking in hot sunny weather. The air moving between your back and the pack greatly increases comfort, decreases heat, and thus decreases water loss through sweat. It also has the side benefit of decreasing long term bad odor from enormous amounts of sweat build up on the pack.

To me, this design should almost be standard for framed backpacks as it adds almost no weight penalty while providing a significant increase in comfort. Zpacks tends to actually be one of the lightest, framed backpack makers on the market despite having frames like this.

So why don’t I just buy Zpacks? I probably will as I have no problem with the brand and like my current pack. But, they aren’t quite a cottage company any more so if I could support a small garage company, I’d love to. Also their prices seem to have increased more drastically than the competition. A good comparison, I currently own a Superior Wilderness Design 50 liter and Zpacks 60 liter pack both of which I bought around 3 years ago for $300 each. The comparative SWD pack is now $355 while Zpacks is now asking $399. There could be other factors, but generally as a company gets larger, it should be able to scale and thus become more competitive not less.

Finally, I like seeing competition for similar products as thats how they improve. Some people don’t like the Arc Haul design. But they might really love an HMG arched pack. I guess I’m hoping some gear designers/companies might see this post and realize that at least some of us value this feature and it honestly could be the sole thing keeping us from buying your backpacks. My partner feels the exact same way as I do. She went from Osprey to Zpacks and has said she would never purchase a backpack without a frame arched enough to allow significant airflow to her back.