Hyperlite Southwest vs Gossamer Gear Mariposa: Two Framed Packs, Two Priorities
Both of these packs are framed, and both carry a load-bearing hipbelt. The difference is in what each brand spends its weight on. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 puts it into fabric: a woven Dyneema body, solid pockets and a higher load rating. The Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 puts it into organization and fit: seven exterior pockets, a pivoting frame and a choice of belts. The right answer depends on load, weather and terrain.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40
The Southwest 40 replaced the Southwest 2400. HMG now labels its volumes in liters, and in July 2025 it relaunched the pack with a new fabric and an updated design. The main body is Dyneema Woven Composite 3.9, a fully woven 200-denier Dyneema fabric. HMG says it keeps the light weight of Dyneema Composite Hybrid 3.8 while beating the heavier Dyneema Composite Hybrid 5.9 on abrasion resistance. That is a manufacturer claim. HMG also calls the fabric 100% waterproof, and all vertical seams are taped.
The carry system is two removable, shaped aluminum stays over a 6 mm foam back panel. The 2025 update added redesigned shoulder straps and a sewn-through back panel. The hipbelt is dual-density closed-cell foam with spacer mesh and carries two zippered pockets in Dyneema Hardline. HMG rates the 40 L for loads up to 40 lb (18 kg). A size Medium averages 841.7 g (29.7 oz).
Volume is 40 L in the main body plus 11.5 L of external volume by HMG’s figure, 51.5 L in all. HMG does not say which pockets that figure covers. Outside, there are three solid-fabric pockets plus the two zippered hipbelt pockets. The outside pockets were made deeper in the redesign, with lower back edges for easier bottle access. The closure is a roll-top with vertical compression straps. There is no top lid, which keeps weight down but limits quick-access storage. The 40 L comes in five torso sizes, from Extra Small to Tall.
For more volume, the same pack comes as the Southwest 55 ($420). Its main body alone is 19 L larger than the Mariposa’s. A 70 L version ($450) sits above both.
Key limitation: At $395, it costs $80 more than the Mariposa. HMG lists 11.5 L of external volume; Gossamer Gear lists 24 L across the Mariposa’s seven pockets. Hikers who live out of their outside pockets should weigh that gap.
Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60
The current Mariposa 60 dates from Gossamer Gear’s 2024 update, which introduced the PVT Frame+Belt system. A closed-shape aluminum frame slots into a hipbelt that pivots as the hips move. A removable SitLight foam pad backs the frame. Gossamer Gear rates the pack at 30 lb for comfort and 35 lb maximum.
Fit is the Mariposa’s strong suit. It comes in three torso sizes (16 to 22 in), and the PVT belt comes in five versions: small, medium and large straight, plus two curved fits. Small packs ship with the S/M Curved belt; Medium and Large ship with the M Straight belt. A Medium with that belt weighs 968 g (34.2 oz). Remove the belt and the stay must come out too; the body and pad alone weigh 590 g in Medium.
The fabric is 100D and 210D recycled Robic nylon, PFAS-free. Gossamer Gear says it resists cuts and tears. It is not a waterproof laminate, so a pack liner or cover is advisable in sustained rain.
Capacity is 60 L in total: 36 L in the main body to the extension-collar seam, and 24 L across seven exterior pockets, including a large stretch-mesh front pocket and hipbelt pockets. A top flap closes over the extension collar. Organization is a relative strength.
Reviewers rate it highly. OutdoorGearLab gave it an Editors’ Choice as the best overall ultralight backpack (July 2025), and Treeline Review lists it as best overall in its lightweight backpack guide (updated September 2026). Switchback Travel (October 2025) found it comfortable to about 30 lb and noted that the pivot can add sway on heavier carries.
Key limitation: The 30 lb comfort rating and the nylon body set its limits. Above that load, or in long stretches of wet weather, the Southwest is the safer choice.
Head-to-Head: Where the Decision Lives
Fabric: The Southwest’s woven Dyneema body is, by HMG’s account, waterproof and more abrasion-resistant than the heavier Dyneema Composite Hybrid 5.9. The Mariposa’s Robic nylon is tough but needs a liner in wet weather. HMG itself suggests pairing the Southwest with stuff sacks for a “nearly waterproof kit”, and a roll-top is not a dry bag, so a liner or stuff sacks still make sense for river crossings.
Load transfer: Both packs move weight to the hips through an aluminum frame. The Southwest is rated higher, to 40 lb against the Mariposa’s 35 lb maximum and 30 lb comfort figure. The Mariposa’s pivoting belt and curved options give more ways to tune fit.
Volume: The Mariposa has more total volume, 60 L against 51.5 L. The Southwest has the larger main body, 40 L against 36 L. The Mariposa’s advantage is in its pockets. Buyers who want Southwest construction with Mariposa-level volume should look at the Southwest 55.
Weight: The Southwest 40 is about 126 g lighter in size Medium, 841.7 g against 968 g. An earlier version of this page described the Mariposa as a 454 g frameless pack. That was wrong. The Mariposa has long used an aluminum frame (the previous version had a U-shaped frame, per Treeline Review), and the current pack is the heavier of the two.
Price: As of October 2026, the Mariposa is $315 and the Southwest 40 is $395, a gap of $80. Against the Southwest 55 at $420, the gap is $105.
Where the category is moving: HMG is moving its packs to woven Dyneema. It relaunched the thru-hiking Unbound 40 and 55 in August 2026 in the same Dyneema Woven Composite 3.9, at the same $395 and $420 prices, with a dual-entry front pocket and side bottle pockets. It is worth a look for anyone drawn to the Mariposa’s pocket layout. Gossamer Gear’s own premium option, the Mirage 40, uses ALUULA Graflyte V52 and is listed at 18.6 oz and $450; it is out of stock as of October 2026.
Verdict: The Southwest 40 is the more capable pack across a wider range of weather, terrain and carry weights, and it is the lighter of the two. The Mariposa 60 is the better value for on-trail hikers who carry under 30 lb and want more pockets, more belt options and $80 back.