Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul Review

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Introduction

The Superior Wilderness Designs (SWD) Rugged Long Haul is a 35 to 50 L internal frame pack weighing around two pounds and made with Ultra and EPX fabrics.

The pack can be ordered with a sewn hipbelt or with a floating one. The latter option is of particular interest to me as the father of a teenager. Not only because one can change hipbelts, but more importantly, SWD built four inches (10 cm) of torso adjustability into their floating hipbelts across all their pack lines (except the Movement models). Adjustable torso packs are appealing when shopping for backpacks for tweens and teens so the pack can continually adjusted while they grow. The Long Haul and Wolverine lines of packs by Superior Wilderness Designs achieve those four inches of torso adjustability while weighing about two pounds (907 g), making these packs a viable option for those trying to reduce the carry load for the young ones.

a man with a backpack is standing by the water — The SWD Rugged Long Haul with an overnight winter load.

Features & Specifications

Volume: 40 L or 50 L options (main packbag), pockets add about 10 L
Fabrics: Ultra 400X (main packbag), Venom Mesh (pad sleeve)
Weight: 30 to 33 oz (850 to 940 g)
MSRP: $300 to $355
Options: Ultra 400X or EPX200 accents available, torso size, hipbelt sizes, sewn or hanging hipbelt, hipbelt pockets (zippered or zipperless)
Hanging hipbelt option allows for 4 inches (10 cm) of torso adjustability
Forward pull hipbelt
Internal frame: two 7075 aluminum stays
Externally removable back pad that can be used as a seat pad
26 grosgrain loops to attach straps
Load lifters
Comfort rated to 40 pounds

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This topic has 20 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 3 weeks, 4 days ago by Charlie Brenneman.

Viewing 21 posts - 1 through 21 (of 21 total)

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Mar 4, 2024 at 9:00 am #3805147

Iago Vazquez
BPL Member

@iago
Locale: Boston & Galicia, Spain

Companion forum thread to: Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul Review

The Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul is a 35 to 50 L internal frame backppack weighing 2 pounds made from Ultra and EPX fabrics.

Mar 5, 2024 at 3:31 pm #3805209

Art
BPL Member

@verysimpleoutlook-com

Torso adjustability – is that 4 Inches in both directions? If I choose a full wrap/interchangeable hip belt with torso size 18-20 inches (can it go do to 14 and up to 24)? My torso is around 17-18 inches.

What size hip belt would you recommend for someone with 39inch hips? 30 or 34?

Mar 5, 2024 at 3:44 pm #3805211

Iago Vazquez
BPL Member

@iago
Locale: Boston & Galicia, Spain

Thank you for your question. If you notice on the picture for the pertinent section, the hipbelt has four attachment points one inch apart from each other.

Mar 5, 2024 at 5:24 pm #3805215

Philip Tschersich
BPL Member

@philip-ak
Locale: Kodiak Alaska

There is a 4″ adjustment range, total. Here is the hip belt (folded down to show the system) clipped to the daisy chain at the bottom of the pack in the 3rd lowest-riding position. (The belt then folds back up against the lower portion of the pack and is held in place by webbing straps that attach under the back panel foam pad, not well shown…).

I have a 34″ waist (i.e., pant size) and the 30″ belt is okay on me, though I could go a size larger I think. You would most likely want the 34″.

Mar 5, 2024 at 7:16 pm #3805218

baja bob
BPL Member

@bajabob
Locale: West

@Art – The 34″ hip belt has 34″ of padding. Sounds like you would want the 34″. I have about a 36″ waist and it is approximately 32″ from from one illiac crest to the other side. I have the 34″ hip belt.

@Iago, in the photos of your review the pack looks like it is riding fairly low and the straps wrapping around your shoulders quite a bit. I suspect that may be contributing to your shorter strap lengths. The load lifter straps look almost level. If you look on the SWD website at one of the Long Haul pages, Brandon is wearing the pack and the top of the frame is above his shoulders quite a bit such that the load lifter straps are at more of an angle.

I have a Wendigo (now Wolverine) large torso. My torso is about 21.5″ and I have a 46″ chest with plenty of strap length.

Mar 6, 2024 at 3:07 am #3805226

Art
BPL Member

@verysimpleoutlook-com

Did SWD switch to tubular stays in this model?

Mar 6, 2024 at 12:33 pm #3805241

baja bob
BPL Member

@bajabob
Locale: West

You would need to contact SWD. I had tubular stays made for another pack that happen to fit my Wendigo. The tubular stays are a bit stiffer than the flat bar aluminum and about 3-4 ounces lighter.

Mar 12, 2024 at 4:36 am #3805582

SWD Backpacks
BPL Member

@bmcintyre109
Locale: Northern Michigan

Hey Art,

We plan on switching over to tubular stays with all of our models within the next year or so. We’re still working through the last batch of flat bar stays at the moment though. The tubular stays will stiffen up the carry a bit and will reduce all of the pack weights by about 2oz or so.

Mar 12, 2024 at 4:42 am #3805583

SWD Backpacks
BPL Member

@bmcintyre109
Locale: Northern Michigan

Keen eyes Bob! Iago either has the torso length set too short, or he needs to go up a size on the torso length. He may need our XL shoulder straps as well which are 3″ longer than our standard shoulder straps.

The fact that the torso length is short on him is also the main contributing factor to the pack not being totally comfortable up at 38lbs. If he either set the torso length longer or sized up he’d almost certainly be able to take the pack up to 40lbs and beyond without experiencing any shoulder pain.

Mar 13, 2024 at 6:05 am #3805624

Thomas W
BPL Member

@offroute

Could you comment on the use of the long haul for extensive off trail hiking with scrambling and rock hopping in boulder fields? I have been using mountaineering packs but am now looking for a pack in the 2 lb range that might carry well in the rugged off trail conditions of the northern Rockies.

Mar 13, 2024 at 10:13 am #3805629

Alex Wallace
BPL Member

@feetfirst
Locale: Sierra Nevada North

@Thomas W, FWIW I used a SWD Rugged LH 50 for most of my trips in the Sierra last season, which included many miles of off trail scrambling across boulders, scree, and talus. Up and down many class 2-3 cross country passes. This pack was essentially made for conditions like this.

Mar 13, 2024 at 10:38 am #3805631

Art
BPL Member

@verysimpleoutlook-com

400D is VERY tough and durable indeed.

Apr 3, 2024 at 7:25 pm #3807968

Scott S
BPL Member

@seascout

@SWD, for the tubular stays, will I be able to (gently) bend them to better conform to my back, as I can with flat stays?

thanks

Apr 4, 2024 at 9:27 am #3807985

Philip Tschersich
BPL Member

@philip-ak
Locale: Kodiak Alaska

This pack does not seem sized or adjusted correctly. The load lifters are accomplishing nothing.

This is a good starting point for upper trapezius strain relief and effective weight transfer to the hip belt:

Everyone has a different tolerance for weight on their shoulders. I prefer as little as possible (effectively none).

Looks like a seriously nice pack.

Apr 4, 2024 at 12:05 pm #3807992

Alex Wallace
BPL Member

@feetfirst
Locale: Sierra Nevada North

I agree that a taller frame and thus, effective load lifters, makes a huge impact on carrying comfort. However, a pack too tall interferes when I tilt my head back, like when scrambling up a pass, and can throw off my balance. So, it’s a compromise and with my 19.25″ torso, a size medium torso Long Haul w/ 22″ frame stays, works pretty well. I debated going up to the 24″ frame, but I’m sticking with the 22″ for now.

Apr 4, 2024 at 12:56 pm #3807994

Charlie Brenneman
BPL Member

@cwbrenneman
Locale: Primarily Desolation Wilderness and Sonora Pass to SEKI

Good point about the pack height. I go back and forth between the 50L Rugged Long Haul or the 70L Wolverine. I can’t get a BV500 horizontally in either pack. It looks like a BV475 could fit that way in the Wolverine but not the Long Haul. I think a tall pack bumping my head when looking up on passes would more consistently annoy me more so than the way the canister fits so I’m leaning toward the LH.

I wish they had a shorter wider pack that could fit 70L for those of us who have a fairly light kit, but have to use canisters and like to carry them horizontally. It would be a mashup of their 3 packs – the Wild (width) Wolverine (capacity) Long Haul (material/frame height).

Apr 4, 2024 at 1:13 pm #3808001

Philip Tschersich
BPL Member

@philip-ak
Locale: Kodiak Alaska

It’s pretty easy to bend the tops of the frame stays away from your head a bit to increase noggin clearance and still offer good load lifter function. But yes, it’s hard to have it all.

Apr 4, 2024 at 2:35 pm #3808004

baja bob
BPL Member

@bajabob
Locale: West

Try strapping the can to the bottom of the pack like a Nunatak Bears Ears. With sufficient straps it will work. I tried it with my Bearikade Weekender on my 50l Wolverine. I haven’t tested it out on a trip but it could be strapped in the same way. Not sure how much weight the webbing loops can hold though.

Apr 4, 2024 at 3:29 pm #3808007

Charlie Brenneman
BPL Member

@cwbrenneman
Locale: Primarily Desolation Wilderness and Sonora Pass to SEKI

I like to do a lot of off-trail scrambling so I’m not comfortable with attaching too much gear on the outside of my pack. I tried to do that once on my kakwa with the y-strap and the canister fell off! I also don’t want it to get beat up on rocks,

Apr 5, 2024 at 11:11 am #3808045

nunatak
BPL Member

@roamer

Brenneman:

To fit a BV500 or Blazer horizontally the pack needs a circumference of 43″ (maybe 42″, however the Bearikade has sharp corners and could abrade the fabric). If the canister must go all the way to the bottom the pack cannot taper. A person of medium stature can use a 26″ tall pack and still get some load lifter action.

These measurements results in something like a 3800-4000 cu.in/62-65 liter volume.

So hard to make a smaller pack that will do a horizontal canister carry internally

Apr 5, 2024 at 11:40 am #3808048

Charlie Brenneman
BPL Member

@cwbrenneman
Locale: Primarily Desolation Wilderness and Sonora Pass to SEKI

Totally agree on that liter volume. Skurka’s Flex Capacitors were designed this way to fit the BV500 horizontally. The original 40-60L fits it, but it’s a tight squeeze due to the frame angle, and it puts some pressure on the fabric on the sides. Luckily BVs have curved, smooth edges. With the 60-75L Flex it easily goes in there. For me the ideal fit horizontally is on top of some light gear at the bottom, and the canister sitting in the middle against the arc of my back. So even if tapered at the bottom if there was that 42-43″ circumference about 6-10 inches up from the bottom it would be great.
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