Hyperlite Mountain Gear Summit Pack

I wanted a small light daypack and this one had the benefit of being watertight (until it ripped).

I've been using this small day backpack about once a week for 1.5 to 2 years, mostly lightly packed with a few items for work etc.

I purchased this pack because of the cuben fiber material which is a lightweight material with the added benefit of being watertight. This pack is made of cuben fiber laminated with a thin layer of woven nylon fabric which makes it as heavy as many of the daypacks on the market (16 oz).

The design of the pack: It has some bungee cords on the front for strapping/attaching clothing etc. I have not been using these straps as much as I thought I would, mostly because whatever you attach has a good chance of getting loose or in worst case being dropped. I have other packs which are using thin elastic mesh, this will secure anything, big or small. I think this would have been a great solution for this pack.

In regards to the fabric, after I purchased this bag I realized that it's not as light as wished. Hyperlite has the same pack, but made out of cuben fiber only, without the sandwiched nylon fabric. This might have been a better option, but the quality of the cuben fiber fabric is even thinner.

My pack has torn where the closing straps are attached on the sides of the pack. This is even through I've rarely been using the side attached straps (the first week or so) and instead just used the rolling top and click the two top locks.

I have a tarp from Hyperlite as well that I've been very happy with, it's super light, but I don't think cuben fiber is good for backpacks simply because of lack of durability even when sandwiched with thin nylon which at the same time makes it heavier.

The below picture is of the bottom where some natural wear has happened. This will happen to any backpack, but it's just to illustrate that this fabric does not have any extra durable benefits when compared to normal nylon and I'd even say the my REI Flash daypack has lasted some extreme condition on the trail and as a day-to-day daypack and it looks much better at a fraction of the price.