The Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 60 Backpack is a multi-day backpack made with a brand new ultralight materials referred to as ALUULA that’s waterproof, extraordinarily robust, and abrasion-resistant. Whereas the Alakazam 60 has clearly been designed to showcase this new materials and recommend cutting-edge efficiency, the pack’s design, options, and real-world efficiency fail to justify its premium worth ($595). It’s awkward to pack, noisy to hold, and loaded with options that prioritize novelty over sensible consolation, usability, and versatile use.
- Pockets: 8 + foremost
- Weight: 1 lb 15.8 oz (precise)
- Body: Aluminum
- Load lifters: Sure
- Closure: Roll high
- Hydration Pocket; Sure, however there’s not hydration port
- Gender: Unisex
- Shulder strap pockets: Sure
- Waterproof and Seam-taped: Sure
- Detachable Hipbelt: No
- Canister compatibility: Grubcan Wave 6.6L and BV475 match horizontally; Garcia and BV500 match horizontally in higher half of foremost compartment solely
- Sizing: M/L examined (out there in a number of torso ranges from 15-21″) Hip belt measurement is mounted to torso measurement an dnot interchangeable.
- Pack Dimensions Common: 29.1 in x 13 in x 12.2 in / 74 cm x 33 cm x 31 cm
- Supplies: Hipbelt and shoulder straps – 70D Nylon Ripstop 1000mm PU, WR C0 100% Nylon; Physique – ALUULA Graflyte Extremely-Excessive Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) 78 gsm; Base: Double layer of 78gsm ALUULA Graflyte
- Max beneficial load:40 lbs
Backpack Storage
The Alakazam 60 is a high-volume 60L rolltop backpack that may maintain a variety of tools, clothes, and provides. Apart from a hydration pocket to carry a bladder (there isn’t a hydration port), the primary compartment is cavernous in measurement and lacks any inside group. Cautious packing is required to fill its dimensions with a dense load that self-compresses, because the gossamer-thin ALUULA material has so little physique and the compression system on this pack (just a few aspect string) is so weak. This can be a case the place packing pods, packing cubes, or tightly compressed stuff sacks could possibly be used to stabilize the load somewhat than filling the pack with unfastened objects. I think that the smaller-volume Alakazam 45 shall be simpler to pack and extra steady as a result of it has much less inside quantity.
The rolltop opening has a stiffener to facilitate rolling, however the ends loosely buckle collectively somewhat than down the perimeters of the pack, the place they may present compression and cargo stabilization. A separate orange webbing strap is required to carry down the rolled-up material and stop it from catching on overhead vegetation or obstacles. That orange strap will not be lengthy sufficient to safe a bear canister to the highest of the pack when the pack is full. A high Y-strap, which is usually included on most ultralight backpacks for this objective, is notably absent.
The outside of the Alakazam 60 has two tall aspect pockets and one giant, tall entrance pocket. The peak of the pockets, notably the aspect pockets, makes them tough to make use of on the fly. Whereas helpful for storing trekking poles or tent poles, the pockets are usually not vast sufficient to retailer a folding foam pad. The aspect pockets have aspect cutouts so you’ll be able to pull out bottles whereas sporting the pack. Pockets with aspect openings like this are normally designed to be used with hard-sided 32 wide-mouth Nalgene bottles, not the tall skinny or tender bottles many backpackers use at this time with water filters screwed on high. I shrink back from packs with aspect openings like this as a result of objects can fall out unnoticed. That’s a lot much less of a problem with backpacks which have shorter aspect pockets that you simply slide issues into from above.
There are skinny compression cords contained in the aspect pockets, routed diagonally backwards and forwards. They’re tough to make use of for compression as a result of they’re so skinny and muddle the within of the pockets. With slightly ingenuity, you’ll be able to reroute the cords to the surface of the aspect pockets, although the result’s considerably much less purposeful and safe than a pair of devoted aspect compression straps made out of webbing.
The big entrance pocket is extra purposeful but additionally a bit odd as a result of the highest isn’t elasticated. Its high corners are anchored to daisy chains that run between it and the aspect pockets with elastic cords. Whereas it gives a big storage cavity (all three exterior pockets have drain holes on the base), it’s higher for storing a giant bag of potato chips after leaving city somewhat than moist clothes or something with important mass or bulk.
Shoulder strap and hip belt pockets
The shoulder straps characteristic 4 pockets organized in a modest vest-style configuration. There are two stretch-mesh pockets on every strap, an open high pocket, and a zippered pocket beneath it. Sadly, the highest pocket will not be vast sufficient to retailer my cellphone (iPhone 17 with an OtterBox case), though the underside pocket can maintain an inReach mini 2. Apart from a reflective hose keeper strap increased up, there aren’t some other attachment factors to hold your personal third-party pockets.
The pack comes with two sternum straps, that are loosely anchored alongside daisy chains. Whereas they’re simple to maneuver up and down, they’re not properly anchored to the daisy chains and are simple to lose.
Lastly, there are two zippered pockets on the hip belt. They’re too small for my cellphone, however ample for carrying snack bars.
Backpack Body and Suspension
The Alakazam 60 body has a V-shaped aluminium body with two stays. The bottoms of the stays are joined in a curved piece of metallic that matches right into a small pocket on the rear of the hipbelt. The curvature permits the hip belt to pivot fairly considerably as you stroll, purportedly, to make it simpler to handle the load above.
I discovered the other to be true. The Alakazam 60 runs top-heavy, and the pivot motion does little to manage load sway. I used to be thrown off stability greater than as soon as whereas testing the pack, falling to the bottom every time. You possibly can most likely mitigate this through the use of trekking poles when climbing with this pack and by packing heavier objects towards the underside of the primary compartment so the middle of gravity is decrease. Nonetheless, this doesn’t occur to me on backpacks with out this characteristic.
ALUULA Cloth: Spectacular on Paper…
ALUULA material is undeniably gentle and powerful for its weight, however within the context of the Alakazam 60-liter backpack, its advantages really feel overstated. The 78 gsm materials has a silk-like, crinkly really feel that makes the pack much less forgiving when totally loaded. As an alternative of including construction and serving to constrain and form the load, it allows poor weight balancing and cargo distribution to have an outsized impression. I think that is much less of a problem with lower-capacity packs made with ALUULA, which can be why different producers similar to Gossamer Gear (Murmur 2026) and Durston Gear (Wapta 30 Backpack) solely use it for smaller-volume backpacks.
Noise is one other draw back. The material on the Alakazm 60 produces a noticeable rustling sound when transferring, little doubt partially because of the shifting hip belt motion, which is kind of annoying when climbing on in any other case peaceable trails.
Comparable Backpacks
If sturdiness, waterproofing, and ultra-lightweight are key concerns, I recommend evaluating the Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 60 with the Hyperlite Mountain Gear NorthRim 55 ($480) and Southwest 55 Backpacks ($420), and the Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Lengthy Haul 50/60 ($379).
Ultimate Verdict
The most important challenge with the Mountain Hardwear Alakazam 60 is its price-to-performance ratio ($595). It carries a major premium largely because of the ALUULA materials, but the precise backpacking expertise doesn’t enhance in significant methods in comparison with extra conventional designs. At this worth level, customers might select packs that provide higher suspension programs, extra comfy carry, and smarter group. The Alakazam 60 feels extra like an idea product or expertise demo than a refined software for constant backcountry use. Whereas it could enchantment to gear fans taken with new material applied sciences, most backpackers will discover higher efficiency, consolation, and worth elsewhere.
Disclosure: Mountain Hardwear donated a backpack for evaluate.
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