So far, so good. I've only been packing it around with weight to test it out, but it puts enough weight on the hips to be satisfied with it.

Beautifully designed and built. My measurements would indicate a medium pack size (18" from C7 to iliac), but the large seemed to sit a little better on my hips. I prefer 90+% of a packs weight to be on my hips. With the medium frame size, more weight was on my shoulders than I prefer. The exchange from the medium to the large was very quick and easy. Try the pack, if it doesn't fit well, exchange it for another size. HME makes it really easy to do that as long as the pack is clean and in new condition.

I only tried this once on a test hike. I packed 35 pounds and did a 5 mile hike with 2000 elevation gain. The pack was as comfortable a frameless pack can be. After the test hike, my shoulders were not hurting, which is a good sign. I like how light it is and so roomy! I can almost fit in the pack myself, LOL! This review is based on the one test drive I did. I hope it performs well on future expeditions, which will be canyoning+packrafting, backpacking, etc. I have high hopes.

Durable and well balanced pack. It's so comfortable to wear, even when carrying a heavy load. I have a duffel inside that I can take out to use as a carry-on when I fly and this will certainly always be able to use as a carry-on as well. This is my favorite piece of equipment. I'm so happy with my selection and the quality! Design is really practical and extremely intuitive. The first time trying to get into my pack while hiking, I was pleased to discover how useful that tab on the bottom was, and I especially like that none of the straps are left dangling. Nice touch Hyperlite!!!

I got a Hyperlite Northrim 4400 for a Denali expedition and absolutely love it! It's been great for mountaineering, summer backpacking, and winter hut trips. I got this pack for Denali because it was a lot more comfortable at 40-60lb of training weight for me & it's nearly waterproof & very light. It did great with pulling a sled & it was very helpful on wet snowy days because I didn't have to worry about my pack & puffy/insulated layers getting wet.I debated whether to go with the 5400 Porter pack for Denali, but the Northrim 4400 ended up being plenty big & the external pockets/straps also added extra capacity so it worked well for me. The Northrim 4400 has also been a good size for winter hut trips & general summer backpacking trips as well. Love: Super durable materials, waterproof (which was so nice for keeping stuff dry in the snow/elements), durable straps & extra buckles so you can add more straps & velcro ties, nice hip pockets for snacks/sunscreen/phone/etc, and large durable external pockets for avy shovel/ski skins/layers/gloves/water bottles/etc! Wish-list: Would love to have a built-in hydration pocket like on the Southwest. Would also love a thin strip of rubber instead of velcro on the pack opening so it doesn't hook on my sleeves (like on the Sea-to-Summit dry sacks).