This is a question that we often get, and the answer depends on a few variables such as, how many days of food will you typically carry, do you plan on doing long trips at some point, how much water will you need to carry, and how gear intensive are your trips? The Movement is a great pack for loads of 30lbs or less. I have taken it up to 40lbs quite a bit using the load lifters on the pack to extend the torso length, but I would consider that to be in the upper limits of the Movement’s carrying capacity. The Long Haul on the other hand can handle 40lbs with ease and can be pushed to 50lbs fo ..read more

Whether you're planning a thru-hike of the PCT, a weekend trip in your local mountains, or a weeklong ski/packraft adventure through the Bob, Superior Wilderness Designs has a pack for you. Different trips necessitate different types and amounts of gear and thus result in different loads — 20 lbs or less for a thru-hike and often over 50 lbs for packrafting. This guide is intended to help you choose a pack based on the amount of weight you anticipate carrying. We will answer the question "Which pack is right for me?" by looking specifically at the load-carrying abilities of the different Super ..read more

The trip started at the top of the Honaker trail near Goosenecks State Park, the part of the San Juan river that twists back and forth like a snake, or I suppose the neck of a cartoonish goose. The group consisted of myself, my girlfriend Hallie, my long-time friend and trip partner Porter, and the SWD team: Brandon and Ashley. We’d met them in person only the day before when I picked them up from the Salt Lake City airport, and now there we were about to embark on a six-day packrafting adventure together. I set my phone on the rear bumper of someone's 4Runner, engaged the 10-second timer, and ..read more

Even the Toughest Fabrics can be Damaged EPL Ultra is a very durable material, but like any fabric, it has its limits. I found the limits of the EPL200 on my Ultralight Long Haul 50 when I clipped it to a rope and dragged it about 40 feet up the Redwall Limestone in Grand Canyon National Park. If you're unfamiliar with the Redwall, all you need to know is that it is smooth in places, jagged in places, and sharp as a knife in places. This climb was jagged. After two of us made the climb, we hoisted the packs one at a time. First a Big Wild and then my Long Haul. Both took damage. By the time we ..read more

It was nearly 2 pm when Porter and I set foot on the wet, red, sandy trail that drew us south towards the mouth of Deer Creek Canyon in Grand Staircase National Monument in southern Utah. The monsoons had let up—at least for the time being—and when the sun landed on the dripping rabbitbrush, cottonwoods, and willows, they released an intoxicating scent that smelled to me like home, abundance, and health. Porter had done most of the planning for this trip, dropping pins where he expected to find safe ingress and egress points along the route. I tromped along behind him, fully trusting the maps ..read more

Is the Long Haul 50 small enough and light enough for general three-season backpacking while also being large enough for packrafting? I have used the Long Haul 50 to carry packrafts on two occasions. In the High Uintas Wilderness of northern Utah, I hauled a boat to an alpine lake for a leisurely float. In the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming, I carried a boat up past Squaretop Mountain and floated the Green River back to the trailhead. For these short trips, the Long Haul performed exceptionally well. All my gear fit in or on the pack, and the load was comfortable enough. These experiences tel ..read more

Fabrics Old and New DCF (Dyneema composite fabric) hybrids and X-Pac fabrics have become ubiquitous in the ultralight backpacking world, and for good reason. DCF hybrids are light, waterproof, can be seam-taped, and have good tear strength. X-Pac is pretty durable, waterproof, comes in many thicknesses, and every color imaginable. For these reasons, Superior Wilderness Designs has built packs with both DCF and X-Pac and still regards both as great fabrics. But there was room for improvement. SWD is now building packs with several new fabrics from the ECOPAK line by Challenge Sailcloth: EPX200 ..read more

When my sister and I first talked about doing a family trip, we were feeling fairly ambitious. We imagined that we could plan a shortened and relaxed version of one of our typical trips. “Sibling Trip Lite,” perhaps. Maybe instead of 15 miles per day, we’d do 10 per day at a much-reduced pace. But when I FaceTimed my folks to discuss options it became immediately clear that family backpacking would require not just more concessions, but an entirely different approach to planning than I was used to. I should first clarify that my parents are in pretty good shape for their age. My mom is 69 and ..read more

Aspiring thru-hikers frequently ask for our feedback on which type of pack they should purchase for their upcoming thru-hike (size, structure, and modifications). While much of the decision lies within one’s own personal preference and experience, we do have some suggestions (or at least a handful of factors to consider) depending on which trail you are attempting to complete. For the sake of this article, our suggestions will only be for those attempting the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, or Continental Divide Trail.  The Appalachian Trail’s 2,181 miles rank it as the longest c ..read more

Picking the appropriately sized pack is an important step when planning an upcoming hike. While there are lots of variables to consider, the most important factors are: ·The length of the trip ·The weight/compactability of your gear ·Your own personal preference In this article, we’ll walk you through several different ranges of pack sizes, and outline the utility of each. Keep in mind that your pack should always be one of the last (if not the last) pieces of gear you purchase. Saving your pack until the end will ensure that the amount of stuff you hope to bring will actually fit! 25 - 35L 2 ..read more