Speed hiking. Quickly covering the trail, usually a mountain trail with a backpack, sometimes weighing a dozen or so kilograms. Good companies occasionally produce backpacks of this type. Every few years in a small batch. It fits the back fantastically but has an overly complicated suspension system and is rather delicate. I have one, and it's really amazing. Like any highly specialized backpack, its use is limited.
This year, on a hardcore spring expedition in the mountains (rains had turned the trails into muddy, slippery messes—sometimes puddles were knee-deep), I fell on a slope. With my expedition, armor-like Mystery Ranch, it ended with a damaged plastic buckle.
A speed hiking backpack would probably not have survived such a fall. That would have ended the trip right there.
Among other reasons, that’s why they're not popular. Good for short, quick trips. Close to civilization.
On the other hand, tourists hiking long-distance routes like the CDT or PCT (I recommend googling what these are) have developed an extremely simple, practical, and reliable type of backpack.
One compartment, roll-top closure, side pockets, a large mesh pocket at the front. Durable materials, low weight.
This is the prototype for the Summit. Helikon slightly changed the front pocket. They added a pocket near the neck, pockets on the hip belt, and made front access available.
For reasons unclear to me, even outdoor companies advertise it as military. But it’s a typical backpack from the ultralight (UL) category.
Summit owners are usually satisfied or very satisfied.
When I bought my first Summit, I quickly regretted not buying the blue one. No matter what I'm wearing, the backpack looks a bit military and attracts attention. From other tourists, foresters, border guards, smugglers, or soldiers training in the mountains. Everyone sees what they're afraid of. Smugglers see law enforcement, special forces operators see checkpoint controllers, border guards see saboteurs or smugglers, foresters see potential campers who'll make bonfires and build shelters. This leads to a lot of misunderstandings. You stand out among other tourists on the trail. And that’s not what I want. Especially since I often camp wild. Including where it’s not allowed, and sometimes especially where it’s really forbidden.
So when I saw the blue one on sale...
With a rain cover or, in bad weather, a poncho, the bright color can be masked when needed.
In use, it's a tank of a backpack. I've carried 21-22 kg. Still comfortable.
Usually, I carry up to 15-17 kg inside. Sometimes I train in the mountains carrying a 35 kg backpack over a 200-250 km trail over a week (not the Summit, of course). So with 16 kg on my back, I sometimes forget I'm carrying anything. Like almost all Helikon/DA backpacks, it stays on your back fantastically. You can really move dynamically over obstacles. Sometimes people take me for a mountain runner the way I move, and the Summit doesn’t get in the way. You can get lost in it.
I’ll add that I have a classic UL backpack with identical dimensions (since those are typical dimensions for this class) and weight as the Summit, but made of slightly lower quality materials (nylon 420HD, not Cordura) and designed for loads up to 14 kg. The manufacturer recommends not exceeding that. Here you can see the Summit is better made. It’s also more comfortable.
I only use the front access when camping. I like to keep the backpack in the tent. After taking out the tent, sleeping kit, cooking kit, and food, less than half the load is left inside. I lay it on its back and use it like a travel bag. Super convenient and speeds up packing up camp quickly—since, as you know, these are usually illegal camps—often packing up right before dawn. And in the dark, it’s easy to leave something behind. Here, I have everything inside and at hand.
As for capacity, the maximum is about 45 liters + pockets.
The minimum capacity, when fully compressed, is about 15 liters + pockets.
The most comfortable, i.e., without extending the backpack upwards (which, as you know, makes overcoming obstacles harder), is about 35 liters.
That’s how I’d rate it. A class 35+10 liter backpack. That’s when it works best.
As with every backpack of UL origin, it will show all its strengths when you use such gear—small and light.
Then it’s enough for several months' expeditions.
The capacity makes it perfect for all-day mountain trips, even in winter, for the typical tourist.
And for hut-to-hut hikes—again, for the typical tourist.
If you have classic camping gear, which is heavy and bulky, it won’t work well. It’ll usually turn out too small. That type of gear is used by the survival/bushcraft community—unless you’re true minimalists, but there aren’t many of those in those circles.
You can nitpick about the hip belt pockets. These days, if you add them, they should definitely be bigger.
Double bottoms or at least much thicker fabric are also standard now.
And that's all.
