I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand. I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days (14+ hours walk total) in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [New] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I love this pack. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is its practical downside I can see. In a way it is a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg). I'll tested this pack in a +1,500m vertical walk in the Japanese Alps on Sept 23-24 and it was perfect.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand. I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days (14+ hours walk total) in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [New] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I love this pack. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is its practical downside I can see. In a way it is a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg). I'll tested this pack in a +1,500m vertical walk in the Japanese Alps on Sept 23-24 and it was perfect.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I love this pack. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is its practical downside I can see. In a way it is a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg). I'll tested this pack in a +1,500m vertical walk in the Japanese Alps on Sept 23-24 and it was perfect.
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days (14+ hours walk total) in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is the only practical downside I can see. In a way it seems to be a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg). I'll be testing this pack in a +1,500m vertical walk in the Japanese Alps on Sept 23-24.
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days (14+ hours walk total) in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [Soon to arrive] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is the only practical downside I can see. In a way it seems to be a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg).
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days (14+ hours walk total) in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [Soon to arrive] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is the only practical downside I can see. In a way it seems to be a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks able to deal comfortably with higher loads (they quote 35 pound as the comfort limit, around 16kg).
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a painful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mismatch with my back shape, hard to say). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight for this super light design. Overall it is still a very nice concept. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no zipped pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [Soon to arrive] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right. No zipped external pocket outside the belt is the only practical downside I can see. In a way it seems to be a more comfortable, and slighly heavier and sturdier, version of the ZPacks.
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days in the Japanese Northern Alps around Hakuba with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable as I ended up with a paintful back on the 3 days (perhaps a mis). Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight. Overall it is a very nice design. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [Soon to arrive] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right.
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days in the Japanese Northern Alps with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable. Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight. Overall it is a very nice design. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light, comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
- [Soon to arrive] ULA Ultra Circuit SV. I have high hopes for this pack, it may the one I settle on for a long time if everything I hear about it proves right.
Speaking about the Yama to Michi One, I just did a 1,500+m vertical and 25km over 3 days in the Japanese Northern Alps with the GFX kit (GFX-100II, 20-35mm f4, 120mm f4, RRS pano head and RRS travel tripod) and the Yama to Michi this weekend. A few hours heavy rain and river like rocky trails. A bit on the rough side.
The pack was a bit heavier than I would like, around 15kg. And this was a bit too much for the Yama to Michi. Manageable but not very comfortable. Not unexpected as it is several kgs about the recommended weight. Overall it is a very nice design. It should be great for lighter trips without heavy camera equipment.
I am also a bit of a backpack freak... currently using mostly the following:
- Gregory Zulu 40: great for general use, light comfortable, the front opens for easy access, superb build quality
- ZPacks 55: super light (<600gr), water proof, pretty conformable but no pockets at all, a small tripod fits at the bottom which is great
- [New] Yama to Michi One (50): super light (<600 gr), one large zipped pocked, pretty comfortable but not water proof from an innovative Japanese brand
- various others from Osprey (Unlimited 60), Mammut, Gregory (75l), 3 from Aarn packs from New Zealand (most comfortable with chest bags)
I'll be doing +1,500m vertical with the GFX kit and the Yama to Michi this weekend, will report.
Cheers,
Bernard
Sep 04, 2025 at 03:42 AM
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