Durston Kakwa 55 Review
An exceptionally comfortable and well-featured ultralight pack with best-in-class weight transfer
The Durston Kakwa 55 is an incredibly well-designed, comfortable, ultralight backpack decked out with user-friendly features and constructed with best-in-class, waterproof, hyper-durable Challenge Ultra 200 fabric.
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- Weight: 29.8 oz
- Price: $260
- Materials: Challenge Ultra 200x
- Frame: Inverted U frame of hollow aluminum
- Load Capacity: 45 lbs
- Internal Volume: 46L
- External Volume : 15L
- Marketplace Comps: ULA Ultra Circuit, Zpacks Arc Haul, Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound, Outdoor Vitals CS40 Ultra, Gossamer Gear Mariposa
- Pros: Ultralight. Best-in-class materials. Comfy. Durable. Waterproof fabric. Great value. Best-in-class weight transfer. Good value. Great pockets all around.
- Cons: Usually sold out. Built-in front shoulder strap pockets could be larger. Non aerated back panel.
Construction & Features
This pack is constructed with Challenge Ultra 200 fabric. A waterproof material, 15x stronger than steel, and statistically superior to Dyneema and ripstop nylon in virtually every way. Note that while the fabric is waterproof, the pack has folded seams, rather than seam-taping/bonding, and dry bags or liners are still recommended.
Kakwa 55 has a famously excellent load carry for an ultralight pack thanks to its inverted hollow aluminum tubing frame and load lifters. It is comfortable with loads up to 45 pounds. The S shaped shoulder straps are ergonomic and comfy. The reverse pull hip belt straps are choice and easy to use. The whole setup is just so dang comfortable and user-friendly. Alan has used this pack very successfully with at least a week’s worth of food.
We also love the suite of pockets. It has a large static mesh front pocket which creates room via pleated slack, rather than more commonly used stretch mesh, which is delicate and can be prone to ripping. Two large top entry side pockets carry water bottles, but one has a bonus zippered pocket for storing a hat or gloves that can be accessed while worn. The suite is polished off with two large hip belt pockets, and a pair of complimentary, built-in shoulder strap pockets. These can fit bear spray, a phone, or small-to-mid-size bottle.
Durston also deserves accolades for listening to community feedback and constantly tweaking the design. Over the course of its lifespan, we’ve seen the Durston Kakwa 55 get larger and larger pockets, including front mesh, shoulder strap, and hip belt.
Arguably the biggest downside to Kakwa 55 is that it’s nearly always sold out, making access to shoppers gearing up for a near-future trip difficult. There is a slightly heavier, less durable, and less expensive version available in UltraGrid (which is like Challenge’s version of Robic Nylon), but as it’s only $60 less expensive, we generally would recommend bumping up to the Ultra 200X version, because the fabric is so much better.
It’s possible to nitpick just about any pack, and we would have preferred a few tweaks. We prefer downward side compression on the roll-top closure buckles when we can get it. Seam taping is of course preferable, though in practice, it’s water resistance has been admirable. Perhaps the biggest missing piece is that it does not have an aerated external back panel surface, and the .5 oz backpad is not particularly exciting.
Verdict
Durston Kakwa 55 is easily in consideration for the best ultralight backpack on the market thanks to top of-the-line Ultra 200X fabric, a sub-two pound weight, an intelligently designed external storage suite, and best-in-class weight transfer, all for an incredible value. There’s a reason it’s almost always sold out.
Compare to more great options in our guide to the best backpacking packs.
