BushwalkBushwalk
Sitting half out of your tent, you watch the morning sun rise while slipping on your favourite pair of boots. Your body is stiff and although eager to get back on trail, the kilometres ahead loom over you. Your feet settle into the boots and the familiar comfort reassures you that you can achieve anything. But with camp now packed up, you look forlornly at the pack you are about to hoist onto your shoulders. “I hate you”, you think before begrudgingly throwing it on your back. What if putting your pack on each morning could be the same experience as putting on those favourite boots?
Zach and his Superior Frameless, Razorback Ridge, Larapinta TrailZach Lawler
Superior Wilderness Design
Pack Review
Zach Lawler
46 | BWA October 2018
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What if your pack was completely customised by you, to suit your needs? Because only you know what features work best for you.
Superior Wilderness Designs are a cottage pack manufacturer in Michigan, USA who are doing exactly that - made to order, customisable packs for ultralight and lightweight hikers. Three base models of packs are on offer which can then be customised to suit your needs:
Superior Frameless with removable 25 mm web hip belt,
Superior Frameless with padded hip belt and
Long Haul - Full Suspension.
Choose the model that will work best for you and then pick your desired volume, material, colours and any or all of the accessories. You can also choose torso size and hip belt circumference to further perfect the fit.
The packs are constructed out of a very durable and completely waterproof X-Pac material which is a laminated ripstop fabric. It comes in black, white, red, blue, teal and purple so you can express your own style by picking the colour of each individual panel and pocket.
Pack model
Volume [litres]
Weight [grams]
Comfortable carry capacity [kilograms]
Price
Superior Frameless with removable hip belt
30, 35, 40
355-411
9
From US$190A$260
Superior Frameless with padded hip belt
35, 40
468-496
11
From US$225A$310
Long Haul - Full Suspension
35, 40, 50
638-496
16
From US$255 A$350
Zach's 35 litre Cuben Superior Frameless next to his brother's 25 litre Superior FramelessWill Lawler
“... made to order, customisable packs for ultralight and lightweight hikers.
BWA October 2018 | 47
35 litre Frameless CubenZach Lawler
If weight is an important factor for you, as it is for me, then super-lightweight, waterproof and yet still surprisingly durable Cuben Fibre is also available in black, white and army green. This option is not on their website so you need to enquire, but it was only US$30 extra for my frameless pack. This is amazing value for Cuben.
If their listed customisation options don’t meet the needs of your dream design, then send SWD an email and they will eagerly assist you with your design. For my Larapinta Trail thru hike I wanted a frameless pack with no hip belt that was as light as possible. I wanted easy access to snacks on my shoulders so I didn’t have to stop every time I got hungry. And I wanted it in all black, because that looks awesome.
I sent SWD an email and was soon talking to co-founder, design specialist and responder of emails, Brandon McIntyre. With his expertise and my vision, we designed the perfect pack for when I’m carrying an ultralight base weight. With a minimalist
design and made from Cuben Fibre, my 35 litre frameless pack weighs a mere 365 grams yet has smoothly carried over 15 kilograms in a pinch.
Every morning on the Larapinta I effortlessly threw my pack on my shoulders and had that favourite pair of boots experience. It was not only comfortable, but had everything I needed exactly where I wanted it. In fact, I love that pack so much that after returning from the Larapinta I ordered a Long Haul for some upcoming hikes that will involve some heavier … long hauls.
The two removable aluminium stays of the Long Haul direct the load into the padded hip belt which distributes the weight evenly across the hips. Fully loaded, I have crushed 40 kilometres in a day on the Great North Walk and woke up with shoulders and hips ready for more.
Customer service is where SWD really shine and played a big part in making me a return customer. As an owner of two of their packs I have had multiple interactions with Brandon, and he went above and beyond to help me design both of my packs. I originally feared that since each pack is unique and made
“... my 35 litre frameless pack weighs a mere 365 grams ...
48 | BWA October 2018
to order, the build quality would suffer as a result. However, both of my packs (and also my brother’s) are constructed to a consistent high quality. Structurally they can support loads far exceeding the listed capacity, which is more a guide of load distribution comfort.
When customising my 35 litre Superior Frameless pack, I chose to have: Black Cuben Fibre, roll top side compression, dual Lycra mesh shoulder pouches, no hip belt, no hydration port, and the bottom reinforced with durable VX21 X-Pac. As this design worked so well, I had the same options for my Long Haul. My brother designed his 25 litre Superior Frameless as a hiking pack that could double as a carry on for business travel. It is made from white VX07 X-Pac and has multiple internal pockets for his laptop and other electronics. Customisation is possible for nearly all design requirements.
The one downside of a made to order pack is that well … it is made to order. Your pack will not ship once you place an order, and the lead time is on average around eight weeks. Add another week for shipping to Australia and the process can be a real test of your patience. Fortunately, the pay-off is worth it.
It is said that your most important piece of gear is that which connects you to the
ground. No expense should be spared, and no comfort should be compromised when choosing boots. Otherwise every step and every blister will make you long for your couch back home. We wear our boots all day while hiking and so demand perfection. Well we carry our packs all day and so should demand the same perfection. We shouldn’t eye our packs with resentment. With a Superior Wilderness Designs pack, you can have that favourite boot experience.
For further details, design ideas and retro colour combinations, check out the Superior Wilderness Design's website, Facebook and Instagram.
I am not affiliated with Superior Wilderness Designs in any way, and I paid for both of my packs. I am just a satisfied customer who wants others to have the same great experience.
Zach is an ultralight hiker and writer who is currently tackling some of Australia’s long distance trails. A Quality Engineer by day, he applies his industry experience when choosing his ideal outdoor gear and technologies. When not in the office, Zach is an avid hiker and traveller who feels most alive Amongst the Trees.
40 litre Long Haul CubenZach Lawler
BWA October 2018 | 49