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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 vs ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit

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

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 is the lighter option — 277 g lighter than the ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit (29% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit
Weight 680 g · 0.680 kg · 1.50 lb 957 g · 0.957 kg · 2.11 lb
Brand Hyperlite Mountain Gear ULA Equipment
Category Backpack Backpack
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55
680 g

Ultralight Dyneema 55L pack for serious gram-counters.

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ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit
957 g

Popular 68L ultralight backpack with Ultra fabric. Lightweight option for long-distance trails.

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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 vs ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 wins — at 680 g it is 277 g (29%) lighter than the ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit (957 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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