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The KS-Ultralight Gear KS-50 is an ultralight backpack that’s good for thru-hiking and multi-day backpacking journeys with a max advisable (comfy) load of 20 lbs (9kg). When ordering a KS-50 you will have the choice to customise it in many alternative methods with a purpose to tailor it to your wants and preferences. I study the materials and options I selected on my customized KS-50 beneath, however KS-Ultralight Gear has a near-infinite vary of choices out there, so you possibly can customise the KS-50 to your actual wants.
Specs at a Look
- Quantity: 48L
- Â Weight
- Backpack together with hip belt and aluminum stays- 18 oz
- Further 2.2 oz for non-obligatory 1L hip belt pockets
- Further 2.3 oz for Gossamer Gear Thinlight 1/8″ closed cell foam pad.
- Supplies:
- 200D Nylon/Spectra
- 330D Cordura
- 3D mesh on shoulder straps and cell foam pad pockets.
- Sizing:
- Torso size: 53 cm (suits 18″-21″)
- Hip belt size: 95 cm (suits 32-38″)
Cloth Selections
KS-Ultralight Gear provides backpacks in Nylon 200D Spectra, Dyneema DCF, VX07, X21RC, EPX200, and Ecopak Ultragrid 200. They use 330D Cordura by default for shoulder straps, aspect pockets, and hip belts. Though KS-Ultralight Gear provides their packs in waterproof materials like X-pac and Ecopak, none of their packs are seam-sealed. A pack liner is advisable.
In my case, I ordered a KS-50 backpack primarily fabricated from Nylon 200D Spectra, together with the principle physique, aspect pockets, and hip belt. The underside of my pack is constructed of 330D Cordura. Outfitted with KS-Ultralight Gear’s non-obligatory hip belt pockets and a 1/8″ Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad, my KS-50 weighs 22.5 oz and supplies sufficient flexibility to fulfill the calls for of my weekend backpacking journeys.
Backpack Body and Suspension
I ordered my KS-50 with the exterior body possibility, which is comprised of two aluminum stays secured by small pockets and loops alongside the edges of the pack. These aluminum stays assist to higher switch hundreds to the hips and assist hold the load extra inflexible. The stays might be eliminated however the weight penalty for the additional assist is only some ounces.
I included line-loc load lifters on my KS-50, though KS-Ultralight Gear additionally provides them utilizing webbing. Whereas they do convey the pack’s load nearer to my again, they’re oddly shallow in angle compared to the load lifters on different packs I’ve worn.
The hip belt is sewn to the bottom of the pack and solely frivolously padded. KS-Ultralight Gear claims that their packs’ consolation restrict is 20 lbs (9kg), and I’ve discovered that I can comfortably put on my KS-50 all day with none discomfort at that weight or much less. Carrying extra is quite a bit much less comfy.
Including a Thermarest Z-pad or different closed-cell foam pad like Gossamer Gear’s Thinlight 1/8″ pad to the again of the KS-50 will increase the pack’s rigidity and assist for carrying hundreds. I might say that utilizing one is sort of an absolute necessity for consolation’s sake, as a closed-cell foam pad additionally prevents objects in your pack, like a small bear canister, from poking you within the again. Even then, you shouldn’t anticipate the kind of luxurious consolation you’ll get from a extra conventional ventilated backpack from Osprey or Gregory. After a number of miles of climbing with the KS-50, I typically discover that my again is drenched.
Backpack Storage and Group
Closed Storage
The KS-50 is definitely a 48-liter pack. There are 36 liters of area in the principle compartment, which incorporates the extension collar, 8 liters within the entrance pocket, and a pair of liters in both sides pocket. The primary compartment is a single, giant cylinder. Prospects can order their backpacks with a draw twine or a roll-top closure.
KS-Ultralight claims that the KS-50 and KS-60 can carry a BV 500 bear canister vertically inside the principle compartment. Whereas I can match my equally sized Bearikade Blazer into the KS-50 on this method, there’s not sufficient room for all of my different gear except I safe it to the skin of the pack. I’d get extra quantity if that’s a state of affairs you’re prone to expertise.
KS-Ultralight Gear additionally provides one-liter hip belt pockets for his or her packs, that are connected by elastic straps and hooks. I initially determined to order my KS-50 with out hip belt pockets solely to understand how a lot I missed having them. They’re simply so darn handy and nicely definitely worth the few further ounces they add to my backpack’s general weight.
Open Storage
The KS-50 has an open 8-liter entrance pocket, which I had made with low-stretch Nylon 420D on my KS-50. It supplies sufficient room for my toiletries, snacks, sunscreen package, a two-liter Vecto bladder, and a Platypus Quickdraw filter.
The KS-50 additionally provides aspect pockets with ample room for 2 1 liter bottles every, or one 2 liter bottle. However retrieving water bottles from these aspect pockets whereas sporting the backpack is frustratingly unattainable. Nonetheless, KS-Ultralight Gear just lately enlarged the aspect pockets which can assist alleviate this downside.
I ordered a pad pocket to carry a Gossamer Gear Thinlight as a sit pad, but when I needed to do it over once more, I might have ordered my KS-50 with easy bungee cords to the pad in place. I discover placing the froth pad again into its 3D mesh pockets is unnecessarily time-consuming and inefficient.
Exterior Attachments and Compression
When you can order a V or Y strap for carrying a bear canister on prime of your pack, I opted for the KS-Ultralight Gear’s customary 13 mm strap which is secured by a hook and D-ring. Whereas I discover the D-ring and hook a bit fiddly at occasions, it’s a easy, gentle design that works nicely general.
Aspect compression is offered by paracord strung alongside the edges of the pack and is an easy technique to safe objects like water bottles, tent poles, trekking poles, and the like.
My KS-50 has daisy chain webbing sewn alongside the shoulder straps, permitting for accent pockets or electronics to be hung from them.
Suggestion
The KS-50 Backpack is nicely made and can meet the wants of solo backpackers who can hold their complete pack weight below 20 lbs (9kg). If you happen to can hold your complete pack weight together with consumables) that low and also you desire a backpack tailor-made to your specs, then the KS-50 or KS-Ultralight Gear’s different backpacks are nicely value contemplating. As well as, see Philip’s evaluation of the KS Ultralight Gear Alpisack Backpack from a number of years in the past, which is a 56L alpine backpack appropriate for winter use.
Concerning the writer
Vincent Palmieri has been backpacking since 2009. He accomplished his New Hampshire 48 in the summertime of 2022 on Mt. Isolation and has backpacked extensively within the White Mountains in all 4 seasons. For the previous 13 years, he and his spouse, Deborah, have hiked and backpacked throughout North America, together with sections of the Colorado Path, the John Muir Path, the PCT, the Wind River Vary, the Cascades, and the Canadian Rockies. They accomplished the Tour du Mount Blanc in 2017 and the Hundred Mile Wilderness in 2022, and so they have plans to finish the AT in Maine within the close to future. Vincent enjoys spending his free time researching gear.
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