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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack vs Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L

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

Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L is the lighter option — 331 g lighter than the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack (39% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L
Weight 841 g · 0.841 kg · 1.85 lb 510 g · 0.510 kg · 1.12 lb
Brand Hyperlite Mountain Gear Zpacks
Category Backpack Backpack
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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Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L
510 g

Ultralight framed Dyneema pack. One of the lightest framed packs.

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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack vs Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L wins — at 510 g it is 331 g (39%) lighter than the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40L Backpack (841 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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