Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27L

Description

The Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27L is ultralight and ultra minimalist, without sacrificing water resistance, durability, or external storage. Weight : 9.8 oz Price : $155 Materials : Challenge UltraGrid Eco Back Panel : None Main Compartment Volume : 25 External Volume : 5L* Pros : Minimalist. Ultralight. Durable. Large wrap-around external pocket. Sustainable. Highly water-resistant. Cons : No back panel. Difficult to access bottom of main roll-top compartment mid-hike. Floppy no structure. Construction & Features For starters, we’re very enthusiastic about Hell’s ultralight 12 oz weight. That’s super light, even for a minimalist day hiking backpack of this size, and makes it a near auto-include on our guide to the best ultralight daypack. And it’s all thanks to a combination of minimalism, and Challenge UltraGrid Eco fabric, which combines 80% recycled nylon with 20% double rip stop 200d UHMWPE grid – stronger than Dyneema or Spectra. We’ve got to call out the unique rear external pockets, made of a durable nylon Lycra blend. Rather than separating out two side pockets plus a center rear pocket, there is just one continuous stretch mesh panel across the entire lower half of the pack. It’s great for holding tall water bottles, rain gear, and small accessories. However, as big as this pocket looks, it doesn’t have much slack, all of the volume comes from stretching it. This secures everything very well, but explains why such a large pocket offers only 2L of listed external storage. We’ve also noticed that with continuous wrap-around pockets, water bottles tend to drift backwards and away from the side where they are most ideally positioned The 2.5” EVA foam shoulder straps are comfy, and there is also a nylon webbing hip belt to keep the pack secured in place. There is no back panel padding or frame whatsoever, so expect to add your own and/or deal with some floppiness. As such, we recommend buying a foam sit pad and carrying it on the inside to prevent lumps. Or just load the pack such that your fleece, puffy, and rain gear situate along the inside to provide pseudo back cushioning. Verdict The Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27 offers incredible stats and materials performance to those willing to choose the most minimalist, super ultralight option. It’s spendy, but not the most expensive.