Zpacks
Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62
The Arc Zip is the Arc Haul with front zip access, so the pack opens like a suitcase instead of only from the top. It keeps the tensioned carbon arc that lifts the pack off the back -- Zpacks' distinguishing feature -- at 23.9 oz for 62 L.
Price and availability on Zpacks’s site may differ.
Specifications
What do these specs mean? →Features
Pros
- ✓Front zip access solves the top-loader problem without giving up the carbon arc frame.
- ✓The tensioned arc genuinely lifts the pack off the back, which no other frame here does.
- ✓23.9 oz for a framed, waterproof 62 L pack is an excellent ratio.
- ✓62 L handles a bear canister and a long food carry comfortably.
- ✓Waterproof Ultra fabric with taped seams throughout.
- ✓Carbon stays are stiffer per gram than aluminium.
- ✓Zpacks' arc suspension has been refined across many generations.
- ✓Hipbelt pockets included.
Cons
- ✗$449 is the most expensive ultralight pack in this catalog alongside the BD Beta Light.
- ✗A full-length zip is the most likely component to fail on any pack.
- ✗No published maximum load figure.
- ✗The arc frame requires correct tensioning to work, which takes some learning.
- ✗No adjustable torso.
- ✗Ultra laminate is difficult to field-repair.
- ✗Only one volume is offered, unlike the Arc Haul's four.
- ✗Carbon stays can snap rather than bend under severe overload.
Common Questions
Compare the Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62
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