Summit Gear Ultralight pack or Hyperlite Porter

[Roadtonowhere]

Does anyone have experience with the Summit Gear Overland 60 ultralight pack, and if so what are your thoughts? Looking at either it or a Hyperlite Porter. The Porter is 10l bigger and a bit dearer. On the other hand, the Summit Gear is made in Australia and 60l is probably a good size to encourage me not to carry too much. I have a One Planet canvas pack if I am going somewhere really scrubby but would be interested in any comments on how something like the Hyperlite or Summit Gear would stand up to a trip like the Western Arthur's with rock scraping etc

[crollsurf]

Both look good. I'd go the Summit Gear for the feel good of buying local.

I wouldn't buy the Porter because it has no back pouch, which means accessing and stowing wet weather gear is a pain. Southwest is a better option.

My concern about the Summit Gear is the side pockets. Easy to reach, but I could see myself losing a water bottle in the scrub. That's a leave no trace issue for me and water management once you've lost the bottle.


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[Roadtonowhere]

Thanks for that. I spoke to the Summit Gear guys and they were very helpful with information. One thing that their pack has is load tensioners to pull the pack in. I tend to carry a bladder so the pockets aren't too much of an issue if I am in scrub.

[crollsurf]

Load tensioners are nice but a thing of the past. You manage loads with your hip belt, shoulder, and sternum straps. What's important is getting a pack that matches the distance between your shoulders and hip

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[Roadtonowhere]

Of course it's important to get the correct back length and always has been. Disagree with you about load tensioners / lifters, as do many pack manufacturers (I'm talking about at the shoulders not compression straps on the side of the pack), but each to their own.

[wander]

I chose the Port because it did not have external pockets.

That said I do use the daisy chain to hold an external water bottle. The lack of a hole for a bladder straw precludes use of same.

I could cut the compression straps off but I know the trip after I do that I will come up with a use for these straps.

[Roadtonowhere]

Thanks Wander. I have decided to go with the Summit Gear in the end. The Port would also be great but I had a chat to summit gear on the phone and they were very helpful and answered my questions well. I am going to give them a go as an Oz manufacturer.