Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62 vs Zpacks Arc Pro 60
Quick take: The Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62 carries more (62 vs 60 liters); the Zpacks Arc Pro 60 is lighter (1.4 vs 1.54 lbs).
Which one to buy
A zipper is the whole question between these two $449 Zpacks packs. The Arc Zip Ultra 62 opens along a full-length front zip, so it loads like a suitcase, and you can pull a bear canister out without unloading everything stacked above it. The Arc Pro 60 is a roll-top on the same curved carbon Arc Frame, slightly lighter, in a newer PFAS-free mix of Ultra 100X on the back and bottom and Ultra TenX on the front.
The trade is plain. A full-length zip is the most failure-prone part of any pack and the least waterproof path through an otherwise seam-taped bag. Treat it like a tent zipper, keep it clean and never force it over an overstuffed load, and it gives access no top-loader can match. The Arc Pro avoids that risk, comes in 50, 60 and 70 L where the Arc Zip comes in one size, and carries the same 40 lb rating, 30-35 lb comfortable. Its downsides are a TenX front that's less abrasion-proof than 100X and no long-term durability record yet.
Both hold a bear canister: Zpacks says the Arc Pro takes one standing on end in its upper half, and the Arc Zip's 62 L fits a canister plus a long food carry. On both, hipbelt pockets are an add-on. The arc frame also needs tensioning practice, so sort it out on a shakedown hike rather than day one of a thru-hike.
If you dig into your pack constantly during the day, the Arc Zip's access is worth babying a zipper.
Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62
For thru-hikers who want suitcase-style access to the whole bag, and who will care for a long zip.
Zpacks Arc Pro 60
Right for hikers who'd rather avoid a long zip and want a choice of 50, 60 or 70 L with PFAS-free fabrics.
| Spec | Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62 | Zpacks Arc Pro 60 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $449 | $449 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Ultralight Pack | Ultralight Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 62 L | 60 L |
| Weight | 1.54 lbs | 1.4 lbs |
| Max Load | 40 lbs max (30-35 lbs comfortable) | 40 lbs (30-35 lbs comfortable) |
| Torso Fit | Short 16-19 in , Medium 19-23 in , Tall 23-26 in | Adjustable, Short 16-19 in / Medium 19-23 in / Tall 23-26 in |
| Material | Ultra 100X 3.3 oz/sqyd, taped seams | Ultra 100X back and bottom, Ultra TenX front, Venom Stretch Mesh pockets |
| Back Panel | Tensioned carbon fibre arc frame | Curved carbon-fibre Arc Frame with airflow gap |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | Yes | Yes |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | No | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Zpacks two-year limited warranty against defects in materials or workmanship | Zpacks two-year limited warranty |
Pros & cons
Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62
- ✓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.
- ✓24.7 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.
- ✗$449 puts it among the most expensive ultralight packs on this site, level with the BD Beta Light 45 and the Arc Pro 60.
- ✗A full-length zip is the most likely component to fail on any pack.
- ✗The arc frame requires correct tensioning to work, which takes some learning.
- ✗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.
Zpacks Arc Pro 60
- ✓The Arc Frame's curve holds the pack off the back for airflow, rare at this weight.
- ✓Torso height adjusts within each of the three frame sizes.
- ✓Going from 50 L to 70 L adds only 1.2 oz, so the larger sizes cost almost nothing in weight.
- ✓A 40 lb ceiling is high for a pack around 22 oz.
- ✓Taped seams and PFAS-free fabrics throughout.
- ✓A bear canister fits standing on end in the upper half.
- ✗$449 is $50 over the Arc Haul Ultra, and vest straps add another $50.
- ✗Hipbelt pockets are an add-on, not included.
- ✗No hydration sleeve; the tube routes through the roll-top.
- ✗Ultra TenX on the front is lighter and less abrasion-proof than the 100X back.
- ✗A new line with no long-term durability record yet.
Zpacks Arc Zip Ultra 62 vs Zpacks Arc Pro 60: common questions
Is the Arc Zip Ultra 62's zipper a reliability risk compared with the Arc Pro's roll-top?▾
There is some risk: a full-length zip is the most failure-prone part of any pack and the least waterproof path through the bag. Kept clean and never forced over an overstuffed load, it delivers access that a roll-top like the Arc Pro can't.
Which Zpacks pack is easier with a bear canister?▾
Both fit one. The Arc Zip's front zip lets you pull the canister out without unloading everything above it. Zpacks says the Arc Pro takes a canister standing on end in its upper half, reached through the roll-top.
How long does it take to get used to the Arc Frame?▾
The learning curve is real but short: the frame must be tensioned so the pack bows away from your back, and getting it wrong loses both airflow and load transfer. Set it up on a shakedown hike before a long trip.