Backpack Perfection: The Seekoutside Unaweep

 After years of trying I think I have finally found the perfect backpack. It was a long journey with several duds along the way. When I first started backpacking and had no idea what I was doing, like many people I got a heavy and giant 80+ liter osprey backpack. That Aether backpack served me well for a time but eventually I realized that I could most certainly find something lighter and smaller since 85 liters is a lot of space and did not compress well. I tried quite a few packs after that, an Aether 70 with an xl torso, a ULA catalyst, and a Granite Gear crown. None of them really did it for me; they were either too heavy (Aether), just plain uncomfortable (ULA Catalyst), or the frame was not rigid enough for my tastes (GG Crown).

I am not and never will be an ultralight backpacker. I like to bring things like a 2 person tent and camp shoes for example, things that would make ultralighters cringe. I carry 13 to 15 pounds in the summer, hideous weights I know. I also hate having weight on my shoulders and I like a pack with functional load lifters. Of course to actually have functional load lifters the frame must terminate above your shoulders which rules out most ultralight backpacks and many packs in general since I am quite tall.

One day I was reading a review of a new backpack on BackpackingLight.com (BPL review) the Seekoutside Evolution. What was interesting was that it was a 4000+ cubic inch pack that weighted less than 4 pounds and had no functional limitation on how much weight it could carry. It was originally developed for hunters and heavy loads but it is lighter than many mainstream internal frame packs. More over it had an interesting suspension and belt as it was an external frame. But one thing stuck out when the reviewer said it would be a good pack for people who don't like traditional, internal frame, lumber pad packs. By this I mean a pack where the stays or structural elements terminate in the lumbar area so that the small of your back carries the burden of the weight. I never really found these packs comfortable as even with moderate loads they irritated my back after a while. I was even more intrigued when I saw you could adjust the frame height so you could get real load lifter action, something hard when you are my height.

Side view of the Unaweep pack

Shortly after this I saw Seekoutside was coming out with a new pack called the Unaweep. It had the same suspension as the Evolution but was lighter since the packback does not detach from the frame. The Evolution has a detachable packbag and the frame can be used by itself to haul pretty much anything. The integrated packbag on the Unaweep saves about 8 ounces and results in a pack that only weights a little over 3 pounds. After a painful 5 day trip this last spring with my Aether 70 I decided to try something new and ordered the Unaweep backpack in the 4800 cubic inch size. http://store.seekoutside.com/

The Unaweep is an external frame backpack but this is not your fathers external frame. Unlike the classic Kelty external frames this is as body hugging and stable as any internal frame pack. The frame consists of a U-shaped frame that is narrower at the top than the bottom. It is curved much like the stays of an internal frame pack. The height of the frame can be adjusted by adding or removing frame extenders. It ships with 2 inch extenders but I use it with the 4 inch ones because of my longer torso. The unique feature of the frame is that it is actually two pieces that join at the bottom and the frame can articulate so it doesn't feel like a stiff external frame pack of old.

The packbag (which comes in a 3900 or 4800 cubic inch size) is a simply affair which a roll top closure and two water bottle pockets. It hangs from the top of the frame and has attachment points around the frame to connect it. There is no framesheet so a little bit of care must be taken when packing so things don't poke you in the back. The whole pack in general is spartan and simple, nothing is wasted and there are no frivolous features to add weight. Every piece has an important function.

 The secret that makes the Unaweep work so well is the hipbelt and the compression system. The full wrap hipbelt is simple, just a thick but cushy foam. There are no stiffeners or any fancy things you find in hipbelts in traditional load hauling packs.The result is that the hipbelt can really mold to your anatomy. As you can see in the picture below the frame literally hangs from the hipbelt. The result is that weight is much better distributed throughout the belt, rather than all concentrated at the small of your back. I can't really describe how it feels other than that it is far, far, far more comfortable to me than any traditional internal frame pack I have tried. Since the packs were originally designed for hunter to carry animals out after a hunt the hipbelt and frame can carry over 100 pounds (not that I ever could dream of carrying that much weight).

Notice how the frame literally hangs from the hipbelt

Back of the Unaweep

 The other secret is the unique compression system. The Unaweep makes use of what Seekoutside calls a talon. It is an eternal pocket that attaches to the frame via 9 straps, 3 on each side, two on the bottom and 1 on the top. Each strap attaches to the frame and whole system literally hugs the packbag resulting in absolutely outstanding compression ability. Since the straps attach to the frame when you pull them they really do pull the bag closer to your back. On ultralight packs without a framesheet side compression straps don't work as well since when you tighten them there is nothing to ensure that pulling them does't pull the sides of the pack away from your back. The result of all this excellent compression is that even when the pack is only half full it works just fine. In addition the front of the talon as 2 zippered pockets that run lengthwise and are usable even when the pack is full or the compression straps are tightened. These provide ample external storage.

From of the Unawep, the orange is the talon compression panel

One of the pockets on the talon

Another unique thing is that both the harness height and the frame height can be adjusted. Many packs have adjustable harness heights to get the right torso fit. To me this only solves half the problem since you might still have a frame that is too short for the load lifters behave properly. Having the right torso length seems silly if the frame is still terminating at your shoulders!

Frame extenders these cam be used to adjust the frame height beyond the base frame. Seekoutside sells 2 and 4 inch extenders although they can be cut if you wanted 3 inch ones for example.

The harness height can be adjust simply by sliding it up or down by loosening or tightening the buckle

I need to say a word about the material the pack bag is made out of. Seekoutside uses the VX fabrics from Dimension Polyant. These are not your traditional polyurethane coated fabrics but rather a 2 or 3 layer laminate. They consist of an outer fabric face, a PET film layer for waterproofing, and an optional inter polyester layer to protect the waterproof layer. After using this fabric I am surprised more companies do not use it. It is 100% waterproof for the life of the fabric since there is no polyurethane layer to delaminate. It is somewhat stiffer than regular fabric I like since the roll top will stay open when you are packing. Seekoutside uses a couple different types of VX fabrics that have different outers layers for more or less durability. My pack is VX-21 which has a 200D out fabric face. After using it in an all day rain on a trip I can attest that the fabric is 100% waterproof and the fabric absorbs less water than conventional fabrics and dries faster.

I've used the Unaweep now on the following trips in the last 6 months with pack weights from about 20 pounds to the upper 30s:
70 miles in Glacier National Park
25 miles on the Mid State Trail in Pennsylvania
An easy backpack trip in the Grayson Highlands. This trip saw all day rain as we hiked to the place we would be camping for 2 nights. Everything inside the pack stayed dry. I had no pack cover and this experience showed that it is not necessary with this pack. I also used it as a daypack on this trip and it worked great for that thanks to the compression
A 23 miles hike in the Massunuttens of Virginia
A 35 miles hike on the AT in Northern Virginia
A 15 miles hike on the Standing Stone Trail in Pennsylvania
A 11 mile hike on the Tuscarora Trail in the Sleepy Creek area of WV

I've gotten a pretty good sample size of use with the pack and for me this is ultimate pack. It can be adjusted to fit perfectly. It is big enough for winter but compresses small enough to use for summer. The VX material is outstanding in the rain. Finally I'll say it again. This is the most comfortable pack I have ever used, by leaps and bounds. I don't foresee using another pack for a long time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A word on ordering from seekoutside. They offer the packbags in several sizes and materials, as well as several styles of the Talon. I would take some time to understand the options before ordering.
http://store.seekoutside.com/