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Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack vs Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack

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

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack is the lighter option — 489 g lighter than the Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack (37% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack
Weight 1,330 g · 1.330 kg · 2.93 lb 841 g · 0.841 kg · 1.85 lb
Brand Gregory Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Category Backpack Backpack
Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack
1,330 g

Day hiking pack, 46.9oz, ventilated suspension system for comfort

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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack
841 g

Fully waterproof Dyneema Composite Hybrid pack with aluminum stays and foam back panel. Built for off-trail use in harsh conditions. 29.7 oz.

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Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack vs Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack wins — at 841 g it is 489 g (37%) lighter than the Gregory Zulu 35 Backpack (1,330 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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