Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35 Review
An exemplary frameless ultralight minimalist fastpack, great for short trips and summer gear
We tested the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35 on a four-day desert trip and found it to be an exemplary frameless super ultralight pack, HMG’s lightest to date. While not exactly innovative, it is a pristine example of the frameless archetype, combining nearly all of the most desirable features into a very dialed-in design. Shop now.
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- Weight: 16.2 oz
- Price: $329
- Materials: Dyneema, 50, 100, 150, Dyneema Gridstop
- Frame: None
- Load Capacity: 25 lbs
- Internal Volume: 35L
- External Volume : 6.5L
- Peer Group Competitors: HMG Waypoint 35. Zpacks Nero Ultra. Durston Wapta 30. ULA Ultra Photon. MLD Burn 38.
- Potential Add-ons: Hip Belt Pockets. Dry Bags.
- Pros: Super Ultralight. Best-in-class materials. Durable and nearly waterproof. Great front and side pockets. Wide shoulder straps. Bottom pocket.
- Cons: Framelessness means more pressure on shoulders. Built-in should strap pockets are too small. Low volume makes for more niche use cases
Compare this to the Waypoint 35, basically the exact same backpack on with a minimalist frame and hip belt. Or compare to similar options on the open market in our guide to the best fastpacks.
Construction & Features
The Contour 35 is HMG’s lightest pack to date, which is due in large part to (1) no frame, (2) no hip belt, and (3) low volume. Like their other packs, it’s made mostly with mixed thickness Dyneema Composite Fabrics (DCF) which is waterproof, durable, and ultralight. It’s accented with Dyneema Stretch Mesh on the front and bottom pocket, and Dyneema Grid Stop on the side pockets.
Its namesake “Contour” refers to the way in which the frameless back panel conforms to the shape of your back, rather than sitting flat with a stiff frame. Though all frameless packs do this, we can verify that Contour 35 does it well. We also note HMG’s default “D-shaped” underside, which allows the pack to sit upright while loading.
Starting with the pack body, you get 35L of storage capacity, which is large enough for storing a fully dialed in kit with 2-4 days of food. Most people will be required to play gear Tetris to fit everything in, which is why we normally prefer slightly larger packs in most cases. It’s also why we recommend it for summer weather, because lots of puffy down gear eats up limited pack volume.
Next, the shoulder straps, which are wide, comfy, and do good work when it comes to dispersing up to 25lbs of max load capacity. The hip belt is a 1″ nylon webbing that secure the pack to prevent bounce and sway as you walk, but does little to help with load transfer.
A few other notable features include the side compression straps, which can very cleverly be unbuckled to wrap around taller items without having to insert them from above. A top strap connects to the front with a G-hook; fine but we would have preferred a buckle. We appreciate the use of a collar stiffener, and the ability to cinch down the roll top closure on the side, rather than connect it over the center top. And of course, you get an ice axe loop on one side.
External Storage Pockets
A big win for Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35 is the suite of external storage pockets. This includes the following: two large gusseted side pockets; one large front Dyneema Stretch mesh pocket; one bottom pocket; and two 500ml shoulder strap pockets.
The side pockets are perfect, gusseted, and wide enough to store a pair of smart waters. They can be left fully open, or cinched down for a more secure hold. The front mesh pocket is made with Dyneema Stretch Mesh, much more durable, albeit less breathable than traditional mesh. You can store lots of gear in here, including a fleece, a mug, toilet kit, and a ditty bag of miscellany.
Contour’s bottom pocket is also made with Dyneema Stretch Mesh, and we’ve had great success using it to store items like sandals, and/or a hat and gloves. It offers a very secure hold thanks to a combination of friction and the elastic closure. This textile feels very durable and we have yet to tear it, but we’ll see how it holds up long term in such a high abrasion zone.
Lastly, the dual shoulder strap pockets. They fit 500 ml Smartwater Bottles very well, but it would have been great if they were slightly deeper, wider, and with a larger diameter opening to accommodate a .6L Katadyn BeFree soft bottle filter.
When To Choose Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35L
This backpack is not your daily driver. It is appropriate for experienced ultralight backpackers with a dialed-in kit for fair weather and shorter trips. It is a great add on to your quiver if you already have a 1.5-2.0 lb ultralight 55L pack.
- You want maximum weight saving
- You already have a dialed-in ultralight kit
- You’re going on a 2-4 day long trip
- You’re expecting warmer weather and wont need extra puffy clothes
- Your quilt is less bulky than a 20F Long/Wide
- Your shoulders can comfortably tolerate up to 25 lbs
- No long water carries
- You’re going on a long, cold-weather day hike and will carry extra layers/gear than a typical daypack can accommodate
- You already have a ~55L ultralight pack to use as your go-to for a majority of non fast-and-light trips
What Could Improve This Backpack
While we genuinely think this is a good fastpack, there are a few potential tweaks we would make to improve it:
- 25% size increase to shoulder strap pockets. As-is, it’s difficult to fit anything more than a 500ml Smartwater.
- Switch single top strap to Y-strap. Y-straps offer a better hold on whatever you’re carrying and are categorically superior
- Would have preferred a buckle to the G-hook that connects top strap to anchor.
- Taller front stretch mesh pocket for even greater volume
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Contour 35 Review Verdict
The HMG Contour 35 is an optimal version of the frameless fastpack archetype, perfect for carrying a warm-weather ultralight kit on 2-4 day trips. It has overall great external storage, durability, and weather resistance. We love the wide shoulder straps. Its biggest drawbacks are the slightly-too-small shoulder strap pockets, and the fact that low-volume frameless packs are fairly niche.
