Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 55
For hauling loads, HMG makes the Porter: the same roll-top Dyneema body as the Southwest and Windrider, but with a solid-fabric exterior and no mesh or front pocket, built to be strapped to and dragged through brush. It comes in four volumes from 40 to 85 L, and the two larger sizes are rated to 60 lbs.
Specifications
What do these specs mean? →Sizes Available
| Capacity | Price | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 40 L | $380 | 1.9 lbs |
| 55 Lthis pack | $410 | 2.0 lbs |
| 70 L | $450 | 2.4 lbs |
| 85 L | $500 | 2.7 lbs |
Features
Pros
- ✓Four volumes from 40 to 85 L under one design, and the 85 L is the largest Dyneema pack on sale.
- ✓The 70 and 85 L sizes carry a 60 lb rating, half again the 40 lb rating of the 40 and 55 L sizes (HMG's 70 L Southwest, Windrider and NorthRim are also rated to 60 lbs).
- ✓Solid Dyneema Composite Hybrid outside with no mesh pockets, so there is nothing to snag or tear on brush and rock.
- ✓32 oz for a 55 L framed pack is lighter than nearly every nylon hauler of the same volume.
- ✓Removable aluminium stays let the pack strip down for lighter loads.
- ✓Four torso lengths per size, including a Tall.
- ✓Roll-top closure on a waterproof laminate body keeps rain out without a cover.
Cons
- ✗No exterior pockets beyond the hipbelt, so everything wanted mid-hike goes inside or on the daisy chains.
- ✗The 40 and 55 L sizes share the 40 lb ceiling of HMG's lighter packs; only the 70 and 85 L earn the 60 lb rating.
- ✗$410 to $500 is Dyneema pricing; a nylon hauler with the same rating costs well under half.
- ✗Torso length is fixed per size with no adjustment.
- ✗The sewn-through foam back panel has no airflow channel.
Compare the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 55
Related backpacks
More from Hyperlite Mountain Gear →
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55
The Southwest 55 is Hyperlite Mountain Gear's flagship all-rounder, built from waterproof Dyneema Woven Composite with solid woven pockets for brush country. It's the pack that made white Dyneema the visual signature of modern thru-hiking.
Weight
1.93 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 40 L / 70 L
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 55
The Windrider is the Southwest with a large mesh front pocket in place of solid Dyneema, so wet gear can drain and dry. The 2025 overhaul moved the line to Dyneema Woven Composite and widened the shoulder straps.
Weight
1.94 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 40 L / 70 L
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction 55
The Junction sits between the Southwest and Windrider: a hybrid front pocket that is part solid Dyneema and part mesh, aiming to combine the Southwest's durability with the Windrider's drainage. Same 2025 fabric overhaul as the rest of the line.
Weight
1.91 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 40 L
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40
The Unbound 40 is HMG's fast-and-light pack for dialed kits, with a stretch front pocket and bottom pocket aimed at hikers who move all day and camp minimally. At 40 liters it suits sub-10-lb base weights and shorter resupply intervals.
Weight
1.71 lbs
Capacity
40 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 55 L
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
HMG's lightest framed pack is the Waypoint 35: a single aluminium stay in a 35 L laminate body with 6.5 L of stretch-mesh outside pockets and a padded, pocketed hipbelt that comes off. It fills the slot between the frameless Contour 35 and the two-stay Unbound 40.
Weight
1.5 lbs
Capacity
35 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35
The Contour 35 is Hyperlite's frameless fast-and-light pack, and at 15.7 oz it is one of the few sub-pound packs on this site. Dyneema Composite Fabric makes it effectively waterproof at a weight woven fabrics cannot reach.
Weight
0.98 lbs
Capacity
35 L
Frame
Frameless