The Southwest 55 is what a backpacking pack looks like when every decision favors weight and weather resistance. At 29.3 ounces it is less than half the weight of a traditional 55- to 65-liter pack, and the fully woven 200-denier Dyneema body is effectively waterproof — rain that would soak a nylon pack beads off, and the taped seams keep spray out of the main body without a pack cover. The solid Dyneema exterior pockets, the feature that separates the Southwest from Hyperlite's mesh-pocketed Windrider, resist off-trail abrasion from brush and rock remarkably well. Two removable aluminum stays give it a real 35-to-40-pound carry ceiling, higher than its weight suggests. The costs are the point of the design. There is minimal padding anywhere, no top lid, no sleeping-bag compartment, and almost no organization beyond one big roll-top tube and three outer pockets. Hikers coming from an Osprey usually find the first trip spartan, and if your total pack weight runs over 35 pounds the thin hipbelt will remind you constantly. At $399 it is also the most expensive pack in our hiking ranking. For thru-hikers and ounce-counting weekend hikers with dialed-in light gear, nothing at this weight is tougher; for casual backpackers with heavy loads, it is the wrong tool.
29.3 oz total weight, under half of a traditional pack Woven Dyneema body is waterproof and extremely durable for its weight Solid-face exterior pockets survive off-trail abuse Removable stays support loads up to about 35-40 lb $399 is premium money for a deliberately spartan pack Minimal padding punishes total loads over about 35 lb Almost no internal organization or lid storage