ryggsekk pulk og bæresystemer KS Ultralight Gear, KS 40

[LightDan]

I will write this post in English, as there is extremely few reviews of the products from this manufactor per today, so this may interest not only the people in Norway.

 

I have recently recieved my KS 40 backpack from KS Ultralight Gear.

This is a Japan based company run by a French guy and it is specialised in ultralight pack, mainly backpacks, but also bikepacks, running pack, and waistpacks, and they also sell some odd accesories for hiking.

There is a multitude of possible choises when ordering a backpack from here, and I was mailing with the owner of the company several times to have some advise before I settled for the final order, the answers were more than acceptable rapid and there was no problem to communicate in English.

 

My pack is a KS 40 in TX07 fabric with front- and sidepockets in red VX07. For my left side pocket i opted for an extra high pocket. I also chose to have the aluminium stays/frame and the 13 mm load lifters. The front pocket is the extra large, called Cargo pocket.

My extras/accesories is two hip belt pockets and a chest pocket in TX07, a shoulder strap pocket in red VX07 and a shoulder strap water bottle pocket in mesh.

The total weight for all described above is 574 grams, including the elastic straps for a closed cell pad back plate and another elastic strap for strapping for example a sleeping pad outside the front pocket or under the backpack.

Without any of the removable pockets, the total weight is 433 grams, and it's possible (and easy) to remove the frame and end up with a frameless pack of 386 grams.

It's even possible to get rid of 15-20 g by remove the elastic straps and to save another 50ish grams by choosing TX07 or mesh pockets instead of VX07.

 

The backpack is comfortable and the handicraft is high quality, and it's the lightest framed backpack I've ever seen. The price is ok, but for US citizens the custom and mailing cost from abroad will make it an expensive option compared to their domestic market of ultralight backpacks. The frame is remarkably effective despite it's simplicity 

The drawbacks is a need to have a closed cell pad as a back plate, otherwise the metal stays will dig into the shoulder blades. This tend to get the back a bit clammy.

 

I have just tested this pack for a day but I can already say it's a big chance my Zpacks Arc Blast will be for sale soon.