I hiked up to emerald lake in the Trinity Alps, CA over 4 days. Great views and saw some really awesome wildlife. The Kakwa is my first real 'Ultralight' pack and it weighed in at ~20lbs fully packed with food and water. I felt like it carried great, and was super comfortable for the whole trip. I have a few gripes with the pack though: the front pocket could be longer, and stretchier IMO, the right water bottle pocket didn't securely hold my nalgene, and the pack isn't seam sealed at all. It seems like a bummer to have a pack made out of waterproof material and have no seam sealing at all. I used a pack liner and all my down gear stayed dry through the rain but water definitely came through the seams. I'm thinking of trying to seam seal the pack myself but I'm not sure how to go about it. Does anyone have tips on products and application?
Like I said, this is my first real ultralight pack. I've used an ancient 80's Gregory that must have been like 70L, and an Osprey Aether 65 more recently. My partner recently ordered the GG Mariposa and the zpacks Arc Haul but returned both, so I only have cursory experience with those.
Which pack is your partner going to get then? GG Mariposa is on my list (so is the Kakwa 55, but delivery times are probably too late for this year).
Well the kakwa is originally hers but after taking it out for a spin I am claiming it 😅 realistically we can share it this year but I'll probably buy another one if she decides she likes the kakwa and wants one.