Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 4400 Review

Let’s do a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 4400 review! There are tons of reviews of the Windrider 2400 and 3400, but almost none of the Windrider 4400. Since that’s the pack I use for my backpacking adventures, I figured it deserved a review.

HMG Windrider 4400 Review

The HMG Windrider 4400 pack provides you with 70L roll top Dyneema backpack that comes in at a mere 2.43 pounds (39.02 oz. or 1,106 grams). The external mesh pockets provide ample room (about 10L) for the equipment you’ll want access to without having to open your pack and dig, and they’re great for drying out wet clothing as you go. The pack holds up to 60 pounds of gear, which is a TON for a lightweight, virtually frameless backpack.

Here are some quick specs on the Windrider 4400:

• Top Circumference: 45” | 114.3cm
• Bottom Circumference: 37.5” | 95.3cm
• Height (fully unrolled): 38.5” | 97.8cm
• Back Width: 10.5” | 26.7cm
• Internal: 4400 cu. in. (70L)
• External: 600 cu. in. (9.8L)
• Center Pocket: 300 cu. in.
• Side Pockets: 150 cu. in.

Now that we have the nitty-gritty details out of the way, what do I think of the pack?

I absolutely love the pack. While it’s enormous (it nearly reaches my belly button when fully unrolled – I’m nearly 6′ tall), it weighs next to nothing. Less than half my old pack weight (Osprey Atmos 65). In spite of the fact that it doesn’t have load lifters, it rides extremely comfortably. I have grown to really like the single tube arrangement of the pack that allows me to just chuck everything into the pack. However, I’ve also found that you need to pack intentionally based on what you need from the pack immediately after arriving at camp. You don’t want to be digging to the bottom to get to your shelter in the rain (speaking from personal experience, here).

Speaking of rain, I did find that in a heavy downpour, the pack is not quite as waterproof as HMG claims. I did get what might be called “condensation” level wetness on some gear after hiking with it in the rain and no rain cover. For future trips, I plan to use a pack liner to protect my gear from any unintended wetness. I still don’t feel the need for a rain cover, which was one of the reasons I wanted a Dyneema pack.

The Windrider 4400 does have a small internal mesh pocket that’s theoretically used for a water bladder. It also has a velcro-closure opening at the top of the pack (near the nylon handle) for your bladder tube. I don’t use a water bladder (Smart Water bottles, FTW!), so I use the bladder pouch for small items that I want easy access to in my pack.

Why the Windrider 4400?

There’s two reasons I went with the 4400 over the 3400 (most popular size) or the 2400.

1. Because I backpack with the Boy Scouts a fair bit, I find that I carry a lot more gear than when I backpack on my own. I wanted to be sure to have the load capacity necessary for any backpacking trip I might take. Most lightweight, Dyneema packs just don’t have the load capacity I might need.
2. The weight difference (about .4 pounds or 7 oz.) between the 3400 and the 4400 wasn’t enough of an issue for me to sacrifice the volume and load capacity by going with the 3400. I was willing to carry the extra 7 oz. to know I had the extra space, if I needed it.

The roll top really helped make this decision, as well. If I only need 2400 c.i., I just roll the top down to my gear and I have a 2400, instead of a 4400. Granted, I’m still carrying the additional pack weight of a 4400, but the pack is just as small as a 2400 on my back.

I feel like I get the best of both worlds. I get a very lightweight pack with the ability to carry the load of a traditional internal frame pack that weighs twice as much.

Windrider 4400 Review Conclusions

Pros

• Super lightweight for a 70L pack
• Very comfortable
• Tough, durable Dyneema fabric
• Virtually waterproof
• 60lb load capacity
• Compression roll top

Cons

• Hip belt not detachable
• No load lifters (I don’t see this as a con, because I haven’t found the need for them, but may be a deal breaker for some)