
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.
Specifications
What do these specs mean? →Features
Pros
- ✓HMG's lightest framed pack: 23.5 oz with a single aluminium stay and a padded hipbelt.
- ✓Rated to 40 lbs, the same ceiling as the 55 L Southwest, in a 35 L body.
- ✓DCH 3.8 on the body keeps the weight down while 5.1 reinforces the wear points.
- ✓The hipbelt is padded, pocketed and removable, so the pack strips to a summit sack.
- ✓Four torso lengths, S through Tall.
- ✓6.5 L of external pocket volume in stretch mesh for layers and water.
Cons
- ✗$380 is $30 more than the frameless Contour 35 for one stay.
- ✗A 40 lb rating in a 35 L pack is academic; HMG itself suggests a base weight around 10 lb.
- ✗Dyneema Stretch Mesh UL is the lightest of HMG's mesh grades and the first thing to wear.
- ✗No hydration sleeve is listed, no lid and no rain cover.
- ✗Torso length comes in four fixed sizes rather than adjusting.
Compare the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
Related backpacks
More from Hyperlite Mountain Gear →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 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
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.
Weight
2.0 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 40 L / 70 L / 85 L
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





