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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 vs Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack

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

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 is the lighter option — 22 g lighter than the Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack (3% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack
Weight 797 g · 0.797 kg · 1.76 lb 819 g · 0.819 kg · 1.81 lb
Brand Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mountain Hardwear
Category Backpack Backpack
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40
797 g

Bombproof DCF frameless backpack built for off-trail travel. 40L capacity with roll-top closure and durable Dyneema fabric for all-weather adventures.

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Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack
819 g

ALUULA pack with articulated hip belt and running vest harness for technical hiking.

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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 vs Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 wins — at 797 g it is 22 g (3%) lighter than the Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 45 Backpack (819 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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