Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > MontBell Nupuri 45 Backpack > Owner Review by Tim Streeb

Mont Bell Nupuri 45 Backpack

Review Date: 5-30-2006

Tester
Name: Tim Streeb
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 1” (1.85 m)
Weight: 190 lbs (86 kg)
Email address: sole_bgt at yahoo dot com
City, State, Country: Denver, CO, USA

Backpacking Background:
A native of Colorado, I've grown up hiking, backpacking, climbing, trail running and skiing all over the state. I get outside every weekend averaging 100 (161 km) miles of hiking per season. A majority of my hiking is done at high elevation in Colorado, although I have been known to do a few extravagant trips now and then. I also enjoy climbing peaks, winter hiking, rock climbing and ski-touring. My base weight is typically 15 lbs, (6.80 kg) but that's usually because I carry all the group gear.

Product information:
a. Manufacturer: Mont Bell
b. Year of manufacture: 2005
c. URL: www.montbell.com
d. Listed weight 3 lbs 1.6 oz (1.41 kg)
e. Weight as delivered. 2 lbs 15.5 oz (1.35 kg)
f. Price: (US) $159

Product description.
The Mont Bell Nupuri 45 is a 2750 cubic inch (45 liter) ultralight backpack intended for multi-day backpacking and climbing trips. The name “Nupuri” means “mountain” in Ainu, the language of the native people living in the Japanese archipelago and the Kuril Islands. The Nupuri 45 (referred to simply as “Nupuri” for this report) is the largest of three packs in Mont Bell’s Nupuri product line, as the company also offers very similar 25 liter and 35 liter packs.

A majority of the Nupuri is constructed out of Dyneema® ripstop nylon, a lightweight checkered fabric that is highly resistant to tears and lightweight. The pack comes in one basic color – dark blue – and I was informed by a Mont Bell sales associate that this was the only color Dyneema fabric is made in (I have my doubts regarding the accuracy of this claim, but I digress). Dyneema is the same material used in many rock climbing products (slings, lightweight harnesses, etc.) as it’s incredibly strong. From the Mont Bell web site:

“Dyneema is a super-strong polyethylene fiber produced using a patented gel spinning process. This remarkable fiber is up to 15 times stronger than steel and, weight-for-weight, is 40% stronger than competing aramid fibers. It has high energy absorption and low elongation. Dyneema floats on water, and is extremely resistant to abrasion, moisture, UV rays and chemicals. As a result, it has an almost unlimited range of applications, providing maximum strength and security for minimum weight.”

While a majority of the pack is constructed with Dyneema, Mont Bell does use some heavy weight Cordura in areas highly susceptible to abrasion, such as the bottom of the main pack body, side water bottle pockets and top of the lid.


The pack’s suspension is very basic. Rigidity is provided by a 22 in (56 cm) by 10 in (25.40 cm) by .25 in (0.64 cm) thick, removable foam frame sheet that’s relatively flexible, and Mont Bell notes that this frame sheet can be used as an emergency bivy pad. The Nupuri features a padded hip belt and back panel, and anatomically curved, padded shoulder straps with chest strap. One important suspension item to note is that the Nupuri does not have any load lifter straps.

As for bells and whistles, the Nupuri offers users a surprising amount of useful features for such a lightweight pack. In total, the Nupuri features 10 pockets – two on the hip belt, the main compartment, two Cordura water bottle pockets attached on each side of the main compartment, two smaller pockets attached to the front of the main pack body and a top lid comprised of 3 zippered pockets. The Mont Bell web site advertises the Nupuri as having “elasticized pockets and compression straps for skis or trekking poles”, although my pack does not have elasticized pockets suitable for carrying skis. This is most likely a typo on Mont Bell’s site. One big drawback is the pack does not have a hydration bladder sleeve.

Four side compression straps are used to secure loads, in addition to two trekking pole or ice ax loops with corresponding attachment points. There’s an additional compression strap under the pack’s lid, which I believe is intended to secure climbing ropes. There are also two additional compression straps running vertically on the top of the pack lid, offering additional attachment points for other gear or clothing.

The Nupuri’s main compartment is top loading, and features a relatively large extension collar with two toggled draw cords. On each side of the main compartment, in-between the side compression straps, the Nupuri has zippered openings intended to allow the user additional access to the pack’s contents. The pack lid is sewn directly onto the main compartment and is not adjustable.

Field information
I used the Nupuri for a majority of my 2005 summer backpacking season. For the purposes of this report, I will reference the pack’s performance during an 18 mile (29 km) overnight trip in Alaska on the Resurrection Trail in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The Resurrection Trail is a relatively easy hike, as there’s not a lot of elevation gain, the trail is maintained well and not very rocky. There were several water crossings along the trail, although they were very small streams with little potential for hazard. The weather over the course of our two day hike was overcast and foggy, with spells of light rain. The thick, overgrown temperate rain forest of the Kenai offered plenty of opportunities to attack and snag the pack, and also did an efficient job of transporting any moisture on leaves to the pack and my clothing.

I thought the Nupuri did a superb job during this trip. With 10 lbs (4.5 kg) of food and water, the Nupuri carried my 25 lbs (11.3 kg) load easily and comfortably. The hip belt, while not as beefy as other similar sized packs, did not seem overwhelmed with this load and was very balanced and supportive. The shoulder straps were comfortable as well, although the pack did tend to “pull” a bit due to the lack of load lifter straps. The Dyneema material performed very well, resisting snags of any kind (unlike my clothing) and repelled the light moisture we received easily – I didn’t use any type of pack cover or liner during the hike, and none of my gear got wet during the two days. I appreciated the various pockets on the pack, and utilized the large front half-zip pocket to store my odor-proof food bag. The smaller front pocket held my maps well, while the hip belt pockets comfortable carried my GPS and digital camera.

After the trip, I was surprised to find how easily the pack cleaned up. The continual light moisture we received created a very muddy environment to hike and camp in, and during the course of our time on the trail, the pack became considerably dirty. A simple wiping with a warm wash cloth was all it took to remove a majority of the dirt.

Summary:
Dislikes:
As a total gear junkie, I constantly strive to find perfect equipment for every application. While I’ve been incredibly pleased with the Nupuri’s performance, I do think there are several areas that could be improved on:

• I have some slight criticism in Mont Bell’s use of the heavier Cordura in areas such as the lid and side pockets. As the Nupuri is intended to be a lightweight pack and already uses the very strong Dyneema fabric for a majority of the pack, I do not see a need for this level of reinforcement (and thus weight) in these areas.



• My second issue with the Nupuri is the lack of load-lifter straps. Overall the suspension on the pack is great, but the lack of load-lifters can make the pack “pull” backwards a bit while hiking with moderately heavy loads.



• Lastly, I’d like to see a hydration bladder sleeve and port incorporated into the pack. I tend to believe that hydration systems are ubiquitous these days, and do not see why such features are not built into the Nupuri.

Likes:

• To me, the biggest selling point of the Nupuri is the incredible strength-to-weight ration. The Dyneema fabric has impressed me during every test I’ve put it through, from thick bushwhacking to rock climbing. After an entire summer of backpacking I have yet to rip or cut the material, and there is still absolutely no sign of abrasion – something I’ve never seen before after a season of use, especially from ultralight gear. I suspect this pack will hold up to years of abuse from rock climbing and bushwhacking.



• Also, I really appreciate the Nupuri’s intuitive, functional design as I always look for the simplest piece of gear to take care of a specific task. The pack’s not over-built with heavy, useless features, and everything included on the Nupuri has a beautiful, simple functionality. Mont Bell prides itself on the “function is beauty” philosophy, and the Nupuri is a clear illustration of this concept.

In a nutshell:
Mont Bell’s Nupuri 45 backpack is a nearly ideal piece of gear for those looking for a durable and lightweight mid-sized pack.

Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > MontBell Nupuri 45 Backpack > Owner Review by Tim Streeb