The Ultrahike has a more traditional look than many of the packs tested due to the standard style lid, the lack of a front pocket and the material, which doesn’t have the grid look of Dyneema. It’s still very much a lightweight pack though. Lightwave says it’s suitable for loads of 12-15kg, with 20kg as a maximum. I’ve found it handles a little over 20kg quite well in fact. I used it on my Scottish Watershed walk when I sometimes carried over a week’s supplies and it was always comfortable. The stiffened hipbelt is wide and quite thick. The curved frame is rigid vertically but allows sideways twisting, making for good stability.
The Watershed walk showed that the pack is tough with little wear visible at the finish. As parts of that walk were very wet I found the sealed seams very useful. Very little rain ever got in the pack even though the seams between the body and the back panel aren’t sealed. With just small mesh side pockets and a lid pocket the design is fairly minimalist with most of your gear going in the roomy main compartment. The volume was more than adequate for the summer Watershed walk and I can fit everything inside for a two-night winter trip. As 60 litre packs go this is one of the bigger ones!
