Hyperlite Southwest 55 Backpack Review

Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) has become one of the preeminent makers of ultralight hiking gear, and its packs are some of the most sought-after and identifiable on the market. The Southwest 55 is one of their mainstay packs, and among the most versatile in their lineup. Now made with Dyneema Woven Composite 3.9, the pack is hard-wearing, durable, and comfortable, and the 55-liter internal volume is a versatile size that will appeal to weekend warriors, thru-hikers, and aspiring ultralight hikers alike. Hyperlight Mountain Gear rarely disappoints, and I came away impressed with the versatility of the Southwest 55. While the Southwest 55 is starting to show its age in some areas that new pack makers are innovating on, it is still a well-rounded design that will suit many types of hikers. To see how it stacks up to the competition, check out our article on the best ultralight backpacks.

Editor's note: We tested the previous version of the Southwest 55. It has since been updated and now has a lighter but more durable fabric, redesigned shoulder straps and a sewn-through back panel to provide more comfort and security, and revamped outer pockets that are deeper but with a lower back edge to make grabbing things like a water bottle easier. Additionally, while the white and black versions of this pack used to have different fabric compositions and weights (and thus prices), they now use the same fabric throughout and are thus the same weight and price. The review that follows is based on our experience with the outgoing version, but we've referenced these changes wherever appropriate and are currently testing the updated version. 
 

Table of Contents

• Weight
• Carrying Comfort
• Organization and Pockets
• Build Quality and Durability
• Fit and Sizing
• What We Like/What We Don't
• Comparison Table
• The Competition

Performance

Weight

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) Southwest 55 tips the scales at an impressive 1 pound 14.8 ounces, putting it squarely in the category of ultralight hiking packs. Despite being one of Hyperlite’s key models for many years, the design remains competitive amongst other packs while still hovering around the benchmark of 2 pounds. Most competing backpacks are still around the same weight or heavier, such as the ULA Circuit (2 lb. 5.3 oz.), Gossamer Gear Mariposa (2 lb. 2.2 oz.), or the Osprey Exos 58L (2 lb 13.4 oz). However, thanks to new fabrics and construction techniques, there are now even lighter options, such as the Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L (1 lb. 5.4 oz.) or Hyperlite's own Unbound 55L (1 lb. 14.2 oz.). 
 

While weight is an important metric for ultralight backpacks, it is not the only one, and the Southwest 55 provides a very appealing combination of materials and features. The headliner here is the combination of durability and weight, thanks to the new Dyneema Woven Composite 3.9 material—a premium fabric that provides higher durability at a lower weight than the outgoing DCH material. It's also less crinkly with a nicer handfeel. I had very few complaints about the Dyneema Composite and DCH fabrics that HMG used previously, and I applaud them for making the new Southwest 55 even more durable while retaining its ultralight status. 
 

Carrying Comfort

The Hyperlite Southwest 55 is rated to carry up to 40 pounds comfortably, and I found the pack to carry extremely well, whether on a short overnight trip or bogged down with many days of food and water. The two aluminum stays did an excellent job of transferring the load to the hips, and the thin ¼ inch foam back panel added a little more structure and prevented the inner contents from poking into my back. The aluminum stays can be removed to save a bit of weight (4.4 ounces), but I rarely felt this was necessary and thought the pack would buckle without the frame stays adding rigidity and structure. If you load the pack strategically with a sub-10 or 7 baseweight, though, you could feasibly get by without the stays.
 

The waistbelt isn’t the most padded, but is ergonomically shaped and it contoured to my hips well. I never developed any hotspots or pressure points while using the Southwest over long days on trail. The hip belt is also sewn directly to the pack, which I consider a benefit in transferring weight more effectively. Some other ultralight packs now have removable hip belts that offer modularity for shaving weight or swapping sizes, but I find removable hip belts to lack a bit of the support and security that a fixed belt can offer. This boils down to personal preference, and overall, I was impressed with the Southwest 55's performance with loads under 40 pounds.
 

Organization and Pockets

Although the Southwest 55 is a decidedly minimalist pack in terms of organization, its layout is extremely functional while keeping weight to a minimum. To start, the main compartment boasts a cavernous 55 liters of space, which is closed off by a velcro-lined roll-top closure. I love roll-tops for their ability to expand or contract depending on the load size, and this one is well implemented, with good lashing points on the side to stabilize and compress the load. It’s also worth mentioning that the Southwest 40 that we tested previously and the Southwest 55 here are nearly identical, with the latter gaining 5-6 inches more in the extension collar while being only 1.1 ounces heavier. I think this gives the 55 much more versatility for longer or more gear-intensive trips.
 

On the outside of the pack are a large front shove-it pocket and two side pockets, made with a durable fabric called Hardline with Dyneema (more on this below), which adds an additional 9.8 liters of space. The shove-it pocket is massive, easily fitting a tent fly, camp shoes, water filter, cook kit, or rain jacket with ease, and I appreciate that the elastic closure keeps the contents securely contained. The side pockets can fit large water bottles, trekking poles, or tents packed in narrow cylinders, but I did find them slightly difficult to reach while wearing the pack. That said, on the newest version, these pockets have been redesigned specifically to make water bottle access easier, though we haven't tested this out yet. 
 

Finally, there are two generously sized pockets on each side of the hip belt—each large enough to carry a handful of snacks, or small items like a GPS device, headlamp, or gloves. For my style of hiking, these hip belt pockets are so useful to keep small items close at hand, and I do wish there were even more options for external storage. Hyperlite does sell add-on accessories like shoulder-strap pockets, but it comes at an additional cost when many competing packs offer these features as standard now. 
 

Build Quality and Durability

After a summer of heavy use, the Southwest 55 shows very few signs of undue wear and tear. I tested the previous version of this pack, which had 50-denier (D) fabric on the pack body and 150D fabric on the bottom (for the white version—the black pack had 150D fabric throughout and was slightly heavier) and it shrugged off everything I put it through, including some bushwhacks and scraping against granite slabs while scrambling off-trail. The bag even stood up to being used as a crag hauler while climbing, which is notorious for shredding fabrics quickly. Since my testing period, the Southwest has been updated and now uses a fully woven composite Dyneema 200D fabric throughout for both colors. Even in the older version, the Southwest 55 was more than durable enough for any reasonable situation, and the newest version is even more burly despite being 6.1 ounces lighter (size large, in white). Impressive.
 

To increase durability, the rear and side pockets are made of Hardline with Dyneema, a nylon-Dyneema blend that is more durable for scrapes and punctures, showing the Southwest 55’s intentions to be used in more rugged environments and for off-trail hikes. This sets the Southwest 55 apart from other ultralight packs that often have tightly woven mesh in place of a rear pocket, but the downside is that anything in these pockets won’t dry out like it would in a mesh pocket. I’m happy to make that tradeoff, and the Southwest 55 instills confidence that it can stand up to much more abuse than is reasonably expected of an ultralight pack.
 

Fit and Sizing

The Southwest 55 is offered in extra small, small, medium, large, and tall torso sizes, and the simple but functional frame and suspension design will work well for most people. With a 19-inch torso, I opted for the large size, heeding Hyperlite's advice to size up if you are in between sizes. The sizing fit me well, with the hip belt sitting snugly over my iliac crest and the shoulder straps contouring to my body. That said, Hyperlite packs, including the Southwest 55, omit load lifters, a key feature to help reduce shoulder strain after long days of hiking. Without load lifters, it's important to get the size right so that the shoulder straps sit appropriately high and do not strain the shoulder muscles when carrying heavier loads.
 

Furthermore, while the fit worked well for me, Hyperlite only offers unisex torso sizing, whereas other companies have a plethora of options to allow for a more personalized fit. For instance, Gregory and Osprey offer packs in both men's and women's sizing; Gossamer Gear lets you pick both the torso and hip belt size, and ULA Equipment allows you to mix and match torso size, hip belt size, and shoulder strap style. 
 

What We Like

• An incredible balance of weight, comfort, and durability.
• The roll-top closure makes the pack highly versatile, expanding for monstrous loads or compressing for shorter trips.
• The simple frame and suspension design are very comfortable for carrying loads up to 40 pounds.
• Although the organization is kept at a minimum, the rear pocket and hip-belt pockets are well-sized to store on-the-go essentials.
   

What We Don’t

• Limited fit options may not work for all bodies.
• Lack of organization and missing some features that are now standard on other packs.
• Expensive.
   

Comparison Table

The Competition

The Southwest 55 is one of the most common ultralight packs that one might see on any of the major trails around the world, but that's not to say the competition isn't fierce. Every year, new, noteworthy featherlight options hit the market that promise to dethrone Hyperlight's reign. One of our favorites at Switchback Travel is a relatively new addition to the community: the Evolved Supply Co. Ranger. Dipping in well under 2 pounds, it has a similar design to the Southwest at a significantly lighter weight (albeit in a smaller volume), and we feel it carries better than the HMG alternative. Another popular model is Gossamer Gear's Mariposa 60, which hovers around 2 pounds and is robustly padded and supportive considering its minimal weight.
 

For those searching for a bit more comfort, a bump up in weight will give you a suspended mesh backpanel and better load transfer in the famous Osprey Exos 58. This popular design from ta well-trusted and vetted brand is a standard bearer of ultralight comfort on every long trail, and a cherished addition to our featherweight arsenal. Finally, if speed and minimalism aren't your primary concerns, the plush Osprey Atmos AG 65 delivers superb comfort and peerless load transfer, with a beefy weight penalty of nearly 5 pounds. In the end, it boils down to personal preference and what your priorities are in the backcountry.
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