Wapta 30

Sale price$280.00 USD

Torso Size: Medium
Hipbelt Size: M/L

The Wapta 30 is currently very low stock (medium) or sold out (large). We are building more that will be ready in early 2025. Sign up to notified when they are back:

The Wapta 30 is the premiere frameless backpack for the ultralight hiker. Built with cutting edge ALUULA Graflyte™ material, the Wapta combines innovative features with advanced construction and ergonomic shaping. The result is a pack that weighs as little as 12.8 oz (365 g) while being highly functional, durable, and comfortable. The Wapta 30 is the ideal overnight pack for the ultralight hiker and an excellent day hiking pack for everyone.

MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION

With the Wapta 30 we are proud to introduce the first ultralight pack built with ALUULA fabrics. ALUULA has a proprietary process that solves the longstanding problem of how to fuse a durable waterproof film to extremely tough UHMWPE fibers. The result is ALUULA Graflyte™ which is the first composite pack fabric with a 100% UHMWPE woven face to achieve lower weights while retaining excellent durability. The version used here weighs just 98 g/m² (2.9 oz/yd) while offering higher tear strength and abrasion than all comparable fabrics - making an ALUULA pack both lighter and stronger.

ALUULA's Graflyte™ also has many other advantages including more durable long term waterproofness because their proprietary fusion process avoids glue (which adds weight and can fatigue). ALUULA Graflyte™ is also stain proof, UV resistant, fully recyclable, low water absorption, edge stable, and heat bondable.

With the Wapta 30 we are taking advantage of these characteristics to build a lighter, simpler, and more functional pack. For example, we heat weld airmesh strips to the backpanel for ventilation and we take advantage of the edge stable nature of this fabric to laser cut drain holes in the pockets and laser cut tougher ALUULA Durlyte™ into daisy chains that are lighter than traditional webbing.

FEATURES

The Wapta's feature set is carefully designed to provide excellent on-the-go access to your gear while improving durability, versatility, and simplicity.

Most uniquely, the Wapta has a bottom pocket that provides quick access to larger items like mitts and hats while solving the common problem with previous bottom pockets: the use of low durability stretch mesh in this high wear area on the pack. Instead of stretch mesh, the Wapta uses pleats (folds) to create the first bottom pocket without the vulnerability of stretch mesh. A similar philosophy applies to the front pocket, which is a generous size and also built from ALUULA to be more durable yet lighter.

ALUULA Graflyte Fabric

Graflyte™ V-98 fabric from ALUULA is an advanced pack fabric with a 100% UHMWPE weave face fabric and tough interior film that is molecularly fused on. It has higher tear strength and abrasion resistance than even other UHMWPE based fabrics while being waterproof, recyclable, UV resistant, edge stable, and heat bondable.

Ergonomic Hipbelt

The Wapta's hipbelt uses an advanced design including a differential cut (so the hipbelt naturally wants to curve) and 3D shaping (to cup your hips) which improve comfort. The belt is removable for those who want to go even lighter.

Airmesh Ventilation

Airmesh strips are heat bonded to the backpanel to provide a more comfortable surface and add ventilation without compromising the waterproofness of the pack.

Durable Pockets

The front pocket, side pockets, bottom pockets, and hipbelt pockets are all made from ALUULA Graflyte which is far more durable than typical stretch mesh pockets. We also use "protected elastics" where the elastics are sewn inside the main fabric to guard them from damage.

Laser Cut Details

The "daisy chains" on the sides of the pack and shoulder straps are laser cut from ALUULA Durlyte™ to provide a highly versatile attachment system at a lower weight than webbing. This system accomodates a wide range of compression and attachment needs including ice axe and trekking pole attachment. We also use laser cutting to create simpler and lighter drain holes on the pockets.

Even though the Wapta is a superlight pack, it still has important features like hipbelt pockets and side water bottle pockets. The hipbelt pockets are large and designed for easy one handed operation, while the side pockets have adjustable tension and are shaped with a low cut front edge for easy access. There are also dual shoulder strap pockets that work great for phones, bear spray, and small water bottles.

The side compression and top strap contribute to making this pack simpler, lighter, and more functional. The side compression uses dual straps which open, close, and cinch at a single buckle. The laser cut ALUULA Durlyte™ daisy chains make this area highly customizable to enable a diverse range of storage and compression possibilities including ice axe and trekking pole attachments. The top strap is a V shape that better secures items on top, while using the same dual adjust buckle so it is quicker to use than traditional V top straps.

COMFORT

Despite being a frameless pack aimed at lighter loads, the Wapta places a major emphasis on comfort including our most advanced shaping yet.

That includes shoulder straps with an S-shape similar to our larger Kakwa packs. This shape has been very well received and fits almost everyone better than straighter straps. The shoulder straps also have a differential cut to naturally curve over your shoulders, and feature laser cut daisy chains that provide a wide range of up/down adjustment for the sternum strap.

Most packs in this niche lack a hipbelt or use a minimalist webbing belt, while the Wapta provides a robust padded hipbelt that is three dimensionally shaped to hug your hips and yet is removable for trips when you want to go even lighter.

Most notably, back ventilation is unprecedented in the 1-lbs pack niche and yet the Wapta has dual air mesh strips heat bonded onto the backpanel to provide padding, a nicer feel, and ventilation.

Overall, the Wapta 30 advances what is possible in an ultralight backpack. No other pack near the 1 lbs mark (450g) has this much functionality, durability, ease of use, and comfort. The Wapta is the ideal pack for adventures from a dayhike up Yosemite's Half Dome, to an FKT of the Colorado Trail, or a superlight thruhike of the Continental Divide Trail.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT

Complete Pack (ounces)

16.9 oz (M), 17.9 oz (L)

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Complete Pack (grams)

480 g (M), 505 g (L)

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Minimum Weight

12.8 / 365 g (M), 13.3 oz / 380 g (L)

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Removable Items

Sternum strap (0.5oz / 15 g) and hipbelt (3.7oz / 105 g (S/M) or 4.0oz / 115 g (M/L)) are included but removable.

Features

FEATURES

ALUULA Graflyte™

The only composite fabric with 100% UHMWPE fibers (known by the brand name Dyneema®) for the face fabric. This pack fabric gives greater durability for the weight than all others, while also having a tougher interior waterproof film and enabling advanced construction with heat bonding and laser cutting.

Waterproof

The Wapta is waterproof for hiking with waterproof ALUULA fabric along with seam taping and heat bonded for the main compartment seams.

Durable Bottom Pocket

The Wapta has the first bottom pocket that avoids low durability stretch mesh and instead uses much more durable ALUULA Graflyte™.

Compare

COMPARE

The Wapta 30 stands out by offering a fully featured and durable frameless pack for the lowest weight, greatest comfort, and highest build quality.

While you can find lighter packs, any such pack will be lacking worthwhile features (e.g. shoulder strap pockets, hipbelt pockets, padded hipbelt) and using less durable materials. Any pack with a comparable feature set will be heavier, more expensive, and still lacking the high end construction and materials of the Wapta along with comfort features like air mesh on the backpanel.

To demonstrate this, the table below compares the Wapta 30 to what is typically found in competing packs:

COMFORT

Wapta 30

Main Competitors

Backpanel

Dual air mesh strips provide venting and padding.

Fabric only. Lacks venting & padding.

Shoulder straps

Ergonomic S shape with differential cut

Relatively straight shape, no differential cut.

FAQ

FAQ

Browse the FAQ to learn more or get in touch if you have further questions.

Contact Support

Customer Reviews

Based on 65 reviews
86%
(56)
11%
(7)
2%
(1)
0%
(0)
2%
(1)
F
Filip W.
The perfect pack

I got mine today, and it exceeds all expectations! It is super comfortable and totally next level. It replaces my 40-liter backpack, and it easily swallows everything I need for six days, including fishing gear and a chair. It's also not as glossy as expected. It is beautiful!

Thanks Filip! Glad you like it :)
- Dan Durston

J
Jindřich Opršál
So close to perfection

I’m 171 cm/5'7", 68 kg/150 lbs, and a Medium with S/M hipbelt fits me perfectly. My base weight is 4kg /9 lbs and the heaviest weight I’ve carried with the pack is about 9 kg/ 20 lbs total. Coming from the Kumo 36 and Salomon XA 25.

The pack is super comfortable, even with higher loads. The hipbelt distributes weight evenly, unlike on other ultralight packs where it’s attached by a single webbing loop, and the mesh back strips do help with sweating. All pockets are big and easily accessible on the go. The s-shaped shoulder straps are comfortable, the adjustment buckles are really tight but the webbing doesn’t slide. I wish the sternum strap had some elasticity though, and the front pockets are missing a bungee cord to hold the top of soft flasks from flopping around as they change volume, but I've added some to the daisy chain.

I absolutely love the daisy chain, and I don’t understand why the pack doesn’t utilize it to its full potential. The Y strap on the top of the pack is sewn in, as is the compression buckle on the side. If instead all the bungee cords, buckles and straps were attachable to the daisy chain (and more were available as optional extras), the customization or weight-cutting options would be endless. Don’t want any side compression, no top Y strap, but fancy two buckles on the sides to attach the roll top? Easily configurable.

My biggest gripe is with the front pocket. Since it doesn’t stretch, it’s always floppy, especially when using the Wapta half-full as a daypack. And when water gets inside the pocket, it doesn’t drain and instead stays in the folds in the fabric. The drain holes don’t really help because they are in the corners and above the bottom seam. I often use the front pocket to store a damp tent fly, so the bottom of the pocket is always wet. Having a durable mesh all the way down to the seam (like on Kakwa 40) would most probably solve this.

Overall the Wapta is super comfortable, durable (so far), adjustable, accessible, fully featured, super light, and can carry more than it would seem at first glance. One star down for the front pocket and the configurability. Can’t wait for the next iteration, the pack is on the verge of perfection :)

Thanks for the kind words and thoughtful feedback. Glad you are finding the pack comfortable and well thoughtout.

For the suggestions, it would be great to make the side compression more versatile. It is hard to make the buckles moveable, but we could tie them on with cord instead of sewing them to webbing. You also may prefer to just remove the side cords and use LineLoc Hook tensioners instead. Those clip perfectly to the daisy chain holes. For the front pocket, I think it holds it shape pretty well when the pack is full, but yes if the pack is somewhat empty it can be floppy. I considered a cinch on this but wanted to keep it light. I will look at adding more drain holes, and maybe using the same knit mesh. We are going to make the top strap removable on the next batch.

Thanks for using our gear,
Dan Durston

C
Charlie Crim
Wapta 30 in the Tetons

Just purchased this new lightweight pack and it was perfect for a 3-day two-night backpacking trip in the Tetons. The waterproof feature proved valuable because of rains and kept everything dry.

T
Tim Reimer
Excellent Pack

I took the pack out for an overnighter and it worked great. Would love to have the same as a 40l

D
David J.
100 Miles In and Loving It

I hit the trails 4 times a month, and one of those times involves an overnight. This pack is exactly for those who go back and forth between day hikes and short overnights - with a strong dose of ultralight. Big beefy hip belt pockets and a generous pouch on the back (with a smaller one underneath) keep me out of the main compartment while on the trail.

The user centered design of this pack keeps amazing me, time and time again. Certainly, Dan knew who he was designing for ... and he nailed it.

Thanks David! It is pretty awesome little pack :) Glad you've been able to get outside with it.
- Dan