Backpacks

assorted items on black textile
assorted items on black textile

Hyperlite Junction 55L

  • Price- $420 55L / $395 40L

  • Weight- 31.6oz (896g) 55L Medium

This has become our go to pack since 2019 for all our spring, summer, fall and light winter backpacking. Both Bugs and I are on our second pack but we got over 3000 miles out of our original packs, and a lot of our miles are the hard, off-trail, thorn-filled, tear your gear up kind. It's Dyneema body is highly water resistant, the hardline side pockets take a fair amount of abrasion to shred (the Hayduke left my new pack with only one hole to sew) and its minimalist design still manages to carry 6 days of food+water with relative ease and comfort (~35lbs). Our newer packs have an improved Velcro around the opening of the body that's less prone to snagging the stitching in your puffy or your ever so delicate Alpha Direct hoodie.

The Good- A good balance of weight vs. durability vs. carry capacity. I like the minimalistic approach while still including two removable internal aluminum frame stays, increasing the carrying capacity. Between the stays and your back is a sewn-in padded frame sheet, adding some structure, stopping the pack contents from stabbing you in the back, and preventing "barreling."

The stitching and internal seem taping is nice, making this pack fairly water resistant until you put some heavy wear on it.

And the hip belt pockets are functional and large enough for many cell phones and they feature water resistant zippers.

The Bad- I know this may sound hypocritical, but the Dyneema pack body. Yes, the material I was just praising is also one of its weaknesses.

As a non-woven material any small puncture becomes a permanent hole. Imagine a woven material, a thorn or needle can slip between the individual fibers, that is inherently untrue with this type of Dyneema. As a result you'll find yourself mending or patching small holes that show up now and again. I do want to say that I believe the smoothness of the pack body actually allows many thorns to glide off the pack instead of puncturing it, but eventually some do get through.

The shoulder straps could be a little more cushioned, but this is a pretty minor complaint.

-UPDATE LATE 2025-

I have seen that Hyperlite's latest iterations of this pack are made from a new WOVEN Dyneema material. This could fix my biggest complaint about this pack and I'm looking forward to hearing performance reviews about these new packs.

Hyperlite also has new pack out now with a focus on long distance hiking, the Unbound. This could be a great fit for anyone looking for a Dyneema pack with new long distance focused features, like a stretchy bottom pocket. I'd be interested in trying this in the future.

In conclusion, is Dyneema the penultimate backpack material? I'm not sure: for shelters I'm a true believer, but as a pack body it can be prone to punctures. Honestly though, this shortcoming hasn't been enough of an issue cause me to rethink my pack choice, so full steam ahead!

(seen on Moose on the Hayduke somewhere in Utah and seen on Bugs backpacking near the Myanmar border in Northern Thailand)

A hiker with a Hyperlite backpack walks toward a massive red rock formation in a desert canyon.
A hiker with a Hyperlite backpack walks toward a massive red rock formation in a desert canyon.
A female hiker with a Hyperlite backpack petting two dogs on a sunny dirt road in Norther Thailand..
A female hiker with a Hyperlite backpack petting two dogs on a sunny dirt road in Norther Thailand..

Hyperlite Headwall 55L (39.8oz men's medium)

  • Price- $475

  • Weight- 39.8oz (1128g) medium

After noticing that heavy winter loads mixed with sharp and pokey gear like snowshoes, ice axes, and crampons were putting a little more wear on my trusted summer workhorse bag (see above review), I added a winter bag to my kit. I've really enjoyed this pack the last several years and knowing I'm not trashing my summer bag all winter long has been nice! And yes, that's the pack there in the snow. I'm not sure how, but I never managed to capture a photo really showcasing this pack; I'll work on that...

The Good- Woven Dyneema panels in high abrasion areas protect the bag from sharp ski edges, ice axe points, and the nasty business end of all our fun winter toys.

It comes with a large back pocket shaped specifically for avalanche gear. (I always carry my snow shovel, avy probe, and tent poles in there.)

I also love the side straps. They are great for securely strapping on skis, snowshoes, or your sleeping pad. You also have the flexibility to strap your skis vertically or in an "A frame" style.

The Bad- The shoulder straps pull little, as in I feel a little too much load on them when carrying a full winter kit but this could be a sizing issue and not a design problem.

They have limited stock of this bag remaining, though there are several other winter models available with similar features if you can't get your hands on this exact one. May 2026- supply no longer seems to be an issue.

A smiling man wearing an orange Arc'teryx jacket with a Hyperlite backpack lying in the snow.
A smiling man wearing an orange Arc'teryx jacket with a Hyperlite backpack lying in the snow.