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Durston Gear Kakwa 40 vs Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

Durston Gear Kakwa 40 is the lighter option — 25 g lighter than the Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small (3% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Durston Gear Kakwa 40 Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small
Weight 795 g · 0.795 kg · 1.75 lb
size Regular (Medium), Ultra 200X, complete pack with frame and backpad
 820 g · 0.820 kg · 1.81 lb
size Small, UltraGrid
Brand Durston Gear Durston Gear
Category Backpack Backpack
Durston Gear Kakwa 40
795 g

Ultralight 40L internal-frame thru-hiking pack in Ultra 200X fabric, with a hollow aluminum U-frame and 15L of external storage.

See it in your base weight → Full details →
Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small
820 g

Updated ultralight pack size S, 28.9oz, with improved hipbelt and durability

See it in your base weight → Full details →

Building a pack? Add either one to your HikeLoad list, or drop its weight into the base weight calculator, and see what it does to your total weight.

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Durston Gear Kakwa 40 vs Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Durston Gear Kakwa 40 wins — at 795 g it is 25 g (3%) lighter than the Durston Gear Kakwa 55 UltraGrid Pack Small (820 g). That said, the heavier option may justify the extra grams with more capacity, durability or comfort, so weigh the trade-off against how you'll use it.

See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest backpack page, or browse the full gear weight database.

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