Superior Wilderness Designs Long Haul 40

The Long Haul 40 is a 40-litre ultralight pack made from EPLX200 Ecopak laminated polyester, built around an internal frame rather than the slide-in stays used elsewhere in the SWD lineup. This frame type spreads load more evenly across the back panel and tends to feel softer and more adaptive than thin aluminum rods, at the cost of a bit more weight for the same volume. A padded hip belt with pockets keeps small items within reach without taking the pack off, and load lifters help pull heavier loads closer to the back. At 40 litres it weighs 879 g, or 22 g per litre — higher than the aluminum-stay models in the range, reflecting the trade-off between internal-frame comfort and raw weight. Two side pockets round out quick access for a bottle or trekking poles. It's built for multi-day trekking and thru-hiking where comfortably carrying a mid-weight load matters more than chasing the lowest possible gram count.