Repair response

Review

For my first ultralight backpack, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider. I’d seen so many hikers in YouTube videos wearing them on their thru-hikes and trying out a pack made of Dyneema Composite Fabric was exciting and new. In so many ways the 2400 Windrider is an outstanding pack, but after just 300 miles it didn’t come without its issues.

Wear and tear

I wore the 2400 Windrider on my first ever thru-hike of the South Downs Way. After just 60 miles on the 100-mile trail, I tightened the Y strap over my Zpacks Solplex tent and one of the bar tacks above the front pocket unravelled. It didn’t cause any structural issues and I was still able to use the Y strap without repair, but this was the first trip I’d taken it on, so would’ve expected it to last a lot longer. After multiple overnight trips, I then took it travelling with me in South East Asia, hiking up volcanoes and through the jungles of Indonesia. It rode with me on the back of motorbikes through forests and took a real beating. The face fabric is incredibly durable and protected the DCF very well against bumps and scrapes.

The Himalayas was the next destination, facing temperatures of -23°C on my Everest Base Camp trek I found it very interesting how the DCF started to freeze and become very brittle. After these trips, some significant delamination occurred, and while DCF is the strongest fibre known to man it was slightly off-putting.

What are the best bits?

The roll-top enclosure made it completely different from any pack I’d tested before. It gave me the ability to change the capacity of the pack to what was inside and had to be my favourite feature. The huge front mesh pocket completely changed the way I packed for a thru-hike. Traditional packs in the UK don’t often have this feature and when they do, you can’t fit much in them. The overall design gave it a really cool look. Above all, the face fabric on the DCF was highly durable.

An outstanding pack in so many ways

The design of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider was a game-changer for me. It opened up a world of high-tech laminate fabrics, of packs designed specifically for long-distance hiking, the simplicity in design, stripped back features and much lighter weight. It taught me how to pack for a thru-hike and was the only pack I used while travelling the world on just hand luggage. I adored the huge front mesh pocket, Y strap and roll-top enclosure. In the UK, these features and specs are hard to find and there are few manufacturers in the EU who supply backpacks of this class.

How does it carry?

I found the 2400 Windrider to be quite forgiving while I was still dialling in my gear. The aluminium stays and foam back panel made it quite comfy when under heavier loads. On a hot day, the DCF would gather a significant amount of sweat on the back and also under the modestly padded shoulder straps.

Value for money

At £262, this is an expensive pack in its class and size, that added with the postage and customs charges, we over the pond are expecting to pay over £350 for a pack which for me, sadly had some manufacturing defects. Others have probably had a better experience.

My verdict

You can and so many people have hiked thousands of miles with HMG backpacks, so gram for gram, you’re getting some serious miles, but for the money and with the issues I had after just 300 miles it wasn’t long before I started looking at other packs in different materials. I’ve since tested the Atom Packs Atom+ and ULA Circuit packs, both completely different materials, weights, specs and prices, and while the HMG 2400 is an incredible pack I’d think carefully about why and what I’ll be purchasing a DCF pack for in the future. Dyneema Composite Fabrics are very light and incredibly strong, but it’s also very expensive and not very durable. That said, this won’t be the last Hyperlite Mountain Gear item I buy. Their selection of shelters is mind-blowing!

Hero and thumbnail image credit: Hyperlite Mountain Gear

Gallery