Hyperlite Mountain Gear Summit Pack Review

What are the main characteristics you look for in a backpack?

If you want a bag that’s durable, lightweight and minimal, don’t miss the Summit Pack by Hyperlite Mountain Gear. Made from Dyneema (specifically Dyneema® Composite Fabric hybrid materials per the specs sheet), the backpack weighs just 0.89 lbs (14.2 oz).

Dyneema and its herculean properties don’t come cheap. Let me illustrate:

The Hyperlite Summit Pack is essentially a stuff sack with straps. It is barebones to say the least, yet it comes at a retail price of $175 for the white version and $185 for the black. And get this: the $175 Summit Pack uses only the Dyneema composite material. Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) also sells a $280 Dyneema Summit Pack which uses Woven Dyneema Fabric backed with Dyneema Composite Fabric.

Now back to waxing lyrical about this bag.

Pros

• Made from Dyneema
• Durable
• Lightweight
• Water resistant
• Made in the USA
• Sharp, tactical and technical aesthetic
• Can fit a 15 inch laptop

When this backpack’s package arrived, I was surprised to find it packed in a small grey plastic bag. I was expecting a mid-sized cardboard box, but instead the backpack was tightly rolled up into a bag, like one you’d ship a t-shirt in. It was a testament to how packable this backpack is.

The bag uses a roll top closure and is water resistant. You can’t go diving with this backpack, but it will keep your gear dry if you’re caught out in the rain for a short period of time. Dyneema is very water resistant, but water may seep through the seams if you’re out in the rain for a long time (an hour or more), or if the bag is submerged. The water resistance is more than sufficient for my personal needs.

As I mentioned above, this backpack is like one large stuff sack with straps. The shoulder straps have minimal padding, but I’ve found them to be comfortable. The backpack also has a thin waist belt (for stabilization, not weight transfer) and a sternum strap with a whistle.

I’m not sure of the exact volume of this bag, but by eyeballing it, I’d estimate that the volume is somewhere around 28ish liters. It’s a good daypack size, and you could travel for a couple of days with it if you pack light. The nice thing about a roll top is that if you don’t have much gear inside the bag, you can simply roll the top down a few more times, and if you have a lot of gear, roll it less.

Cons

• This is not a con, but a feature (which some may love and others may hate): The Summit Pack is made for specifically for people who want an ultra-minimalist and tough backpack. It does it’s intended job very well. If you want a bag with lots of organization, this bag isn’t for you.
• The bag is very crinkly – can’t be used for hunting or in environments where you need to be very quiet
• No back ventilation – it can get sweaty

One more minor point: The straps are long, and when I fully cinch it up, there is a lot of excess strap material dangling around. That might not be a problem for you, but I found it a bit annoying. I’ve been using this bag a lot lately for commuting via New York City subway, so when I would put the bag by my feet on the floor of the subway car, people would step on the straps. To solve the issue, I also used a few thick rubber bands to wrap up the excess strap material. I also removed the sternum strap on my bag.

Who is this bag for?

The HMG Summit Pack is a summit pack, which can be defined as a “very light packable daypack that can be carried in a backpack on the approach to a summer alpine peak and used for the summit dash (or day hiking adventures as well).” I wish I had it when I went mountain climbing in Ecuador.

I will admit, I am not a particularly hardcore adventurer (I live in New York City) and don’t get to climb mountains often. Lately while testing, I’ve been mainly using this bag to go to work, holding a laptop and some notebooks, a water bottle and some assorted small items (such as hand sanitizer, pens, my lunch, a flashlight, etc.) in a packing cube. Since there are no interior pockets, using a packing cube or some sort of organizer is essential for keeping your small items.

While it’s not a travel specific bag, I’ve found that it is amazing for use as a secondary travel bag. By that I mean, it’s a great bag to use as a daypack, packed within your main, larger travel bag.

The Verdict

I’m a big fan of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Summit Pack. It was designed with a specific purpose, and it does the job very well. It looks great, is lightweight and extremely durable.

The bag comes in both black and white. The black version costs $185, and the white version costs $175. The price difference is due to the difficulty of coloring Dyneema.

Where To Get It

• Get the backpack at hyperlitemountaingear.com
• Or at Backcountry.com

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Summit Pack was provided for this review. As always, this Hyperlite Mountain Gear review contains only my honest views and opinions. 🙂 Find out more about me and this site here.