Superior Wilderness Designs (SWD) Big Wild Backpack Review
- Apr 10
- 10 min read
After 34 miles traversing an icefield, 60+ days hiking in the Cascades, and 45+ lb loads, I can confidently say this is the best pack I've ever used. It is the “unicorn” pack that I didn’t know existed but always wanted; ultralight yet able to comfortably carry heavy loads.
The Backstory
For the last four years I’ve been experimenting with different packs. After using a super heavy Gregory Deva for over a decade, I wanted something lighter. The problem was that nothing I tried could carry the occasional heavy loads I have on longer 8-9 day trips, thanks to the 5-6 lbs of video and art gear I carry. I tried a ULA Catalyst for two summers which I liked for loads of sub-33. Lighter Gregory and Osprey and Granite Gear packs were tried and returned, unable to carry heavier loads. Then, I stumbled on the Superior Wilderness Designs (SWD) Big Wild/ Wolverine.
Back in February of 2025 I was looking at gear received an invitation from Juneau Icefield Research program to join the group in Alaska for two weeks of teaching, skiing on an icefield, and hiking on glaciers. The only problem? None of my packs could carry skis and heavy loads comfortably.
Ignoring the rest of my work, I switched into my favorite procrastination method – gear research. I googled “ultralight backpack that can carry skis and heavy loads” and didn’t expect much. The first few pages of results were the usual Hyperlite packs, which I have never found comfortable due to the narrow yoke and minimal frame/ suspension/no load lifters. And then, buried in a packraft forum, I stumbled on Superior Wilderness Designs (SWD).
The writer was an early tester of the SWD Big Wild backpack, and absolutely raved about it. 50+ lbs loads comfortable in a pack that weighed 2-3 pounds? Really? Hopping onto the SWD Packs website, I read about the design, and within ten minutes was emailing the company with questions. The next day, I heard back from Brandon, and over the next few weeks he generously shared a ton of information about the pack, helped me choose the right size, and eventually I placed an order. A few months later, the pack arrived in an impossibly light box!
The Specs
Pack weight – without any extras the pack will clock in at 33oz for a Medium frame.
Capacity- 70 L internal capacity, more with the side pockets and pouch added
Strap options – MANY! This pack has a ton of attachment points, so you can do bottom straps, side straps, a Y or single strap on the top, and roll top side straps, compression straps. And more if needed
The accessories I got: Front pouch, three side compression straps/ ski straps, and two pockets for the hip belt
Main fabric- super durable Ultra400X (400D UHMWPE face fabric)
The Bild Wild and it's cousin the Wolverine are basically the same pack except for the modularity. Wolverine has a big pouch on the front, and the Big Wild is optimized for options, with lines of webbing attachment points on the front instead of a pouch. The frame and suspension are the same.
Load Carrying Ability
I wanted to start here with my review, because this is where the backpack absolutely outshines anything else I’ve used. My prior pack, the ULA Catalyst, marketed itself as a load hauler comfortable to 40+ lbs. And, it worked ok but with substantial shoulder pain with anything over about 33 lbs.
I am an aspirationally ultralight hiker. I pay a lot of attention to base weight and cut it where I can, but I’ll never get it down as low as some cam. I will always have 5-6 lbs of video and art equipment required to create my Adventure Art Academy lessons, plus a few extra layers to stay warm while sitting still for 1-3 hours painting in all weather. So, on most trips I end up in the 30-35 range, with 45-48 on longer 9 day trips with no food resupplies.
And the SWD description of this pack is spot on. It carries those heavy loads no problem, effectively balances weight, hugs my body and feels super stable, and with lighter loads feels like a daypack. I am so happy with it that I’ve stopped looking at packs, and expect to use this for decades.
I’ve used this pack for every trip the last two summer – over 60 days of backpacking, from one nighters to 8.5 day trips, and it met every single challenge. I’m a smaller person, 5’7 128 lbs, so to be able to carry 47 lbs with a degree of comfort is huge!
Why Does it Carry So Well?
The load hauling prowess of this pack is due to the frame, smart padding, and suspension system that connect you to the pack. Compared to many backpacks out there, the SWD Big Wild has a TALL frame, and this is a key to it’s success. For my 21 inch torso (more on that later), the pack frame is 26 inches, which is TWO inches taller than any of my other backpacks. My daypacks and the Catalyst are all 24 inches, which meant that the load lifters angle from the top of my shoulder to the pack frame at a nearly flat angle. As Brandon explained to me, this flat angle means that the lifters are unable to move weight off my shoulders.
With a properly sized pack, my load lifters need to be at a much more noticeable angle, connecting upward at a 30-45 degree angle from shoulder to frame. This means that when I tighten these straps, I feel immediate relief on my shoulders! The taller frame is a core part of Brandon’s designs, and it is incredibly effective.
The frame itself is also awesome. Robust but light, and it feels super stable, with padding in the right places. The pack has one pad in the shoulder area (and you can slip this from it’s holder for a sit pad, too!) and then padding in the hip belt at the bottom. There isn’t any padding along the middle of the back because it isn’t needed in that area as long as you don’t put a bear can or something super firm in that zone. The design of the frame and shape of the pack keeps it tight to my body, so in off-trail terrain it moves with me. I’ve never liked the “ventilation air gaps” in backpacks because all this does is move the load farther from your center of gravity.
And the hip belt is the best I’ve seen on an ultralight pack. Thick but not bulky, wide, and the two adjustment points on each side allow me to dial in precisely the tension I want for the upper and lower edge, which is key for super heavy loads. Many other packs dig into my sides or bruise my skin above the iliac crests terribly. This pack have never hurt me like this, and I can’t express what a difference it makes.
The whole suspension and frame just work so well together. I can adjust the ratio of weight on hips vs shoulders on the fly, too! I cannot say enough good things about the way this pack carries. It has been a game changer for me.
Modularity
The SWD Big Wild is designed to be supremely modular (for a slightly less modular version, look at the 70L Wolverine, which comes with the font pouch permanently attached).
In the Big wild, the main body of the pack is a big tubular-ish compartment that is narrower / smaller at the bottom and flares out slightly as you go up. A large bear can will fit sideways (horizontally) starting about halfway up (I find positioning it about 2/3 is ideal, as there’s then enough space to put a little bit of clothing behind the can to pad it). I will never go back to a pack that doesn’t allow a horizontal bear bin, it is SO much easier to deal with!
This main compartment just eats up gear, and the roll top allows you to easily expand or shrink the space as needed. I never carry an extra day-trip bag. Once camp is set up, I just cinch down all the compression straps, roll it down, and voila! I have a super comfortable day pack!
The outside of the Big Wild pack is where the pack becomes a choose-your-own adventure blank canvas. On the sides of the pack; there are many webbing attachment points above the two spacious and lovely water bottle pockets (I can fit a 1L regular Nalgene and a 1L platypus in the same pocket). You can do three compression straps on the side or a zig-zagged shock cord, anything! I’ve also used these straps to carry my skis in the a-frame style which was super stable and secure. And, there are multiple options for side tie-down straps if you like to roll the top down and attach to the sides.
Then on the front of the pack the fun continues: there are attachment points on the bottom edge for a sleeping pad etc. And then moving up the front of the pack there is this ingenious double daisy chain row that allows you to really refine where things go or attach pretty much anything you’d want. I chose to get the removeable front pouch and keep it on there all the time, because I like the quick access area.
Looking back and the prior two years of use, I probably could have gotten the Wolverine with its built in front pouch. But, there have been times when I slide gear behind the front pocket, and I just like knowing I have the most versatile option in the big wild.
Sizing and Comfort
As noted above, I reached out to the wonderful folks at SWD for advice on sizing, and they were so amazing to chat with! Incredibly helpful, and also did more than just tell me why I should do something- Brandon took the time to help me understand the mechanics of the pack (especially the taller frame).
Sizing is based primarily on torso height, and then there are different width hip belts too. Pack fitting is always interesting for me because I am 5’7” but have a 21 inch torso, which is apparently quite long for someone of my height and overall smaller stature. When I sent my specs to Brandon, he asked to see a tape measure on my back to make absolutely sure that 21 inches was actually correct. I really appreciated this, because I’ve had other pack brands assume I was wrong and recommend the wrong size frame. Hip belt is based on the measurement around the hip area.
I ordered the following – size large frame, and 30" Belt.
And, as I wrote about above, this pack is the most comfortable I own. Obviously no backpack can mitigate all shoulder pain when you start getting to heavier loads, which for me is 40+. But, compared to the severe pain I had at times from both the ULA and my old Gregory Deva, the discomfort from heavy loads with the SWD pack is now just that- discomfort. I no longer roll into camp absolutely desperate to drop the pack, massaging my shoulders and carrying arnica gel to apply to the bruises on my shoulders of collarbones. Yeah my shoulders get sore from the heavy loads, but not in the same way I used to. It feels like a little backpacking miracle.
And, at lower loads, I forget about the pack altogether, which is I think the best testament I can give.
Durability & Waterproofness
This pack is a total durable bad-ass. Bushwhacking, ski carries, and miles of travel later and it still looks brand new. Now, I don't throw my pack on the ground, but I don't baby it either, and it has held of great to 60+ days of backpacking. Slight scuffing on the bottom, and that's it!
Another testament to how burly that fabric is that when I attached my skis to it, they shifted a bit throughout the day, and an edge ended up being in contact with the fabric. These were brand new skis with super sharp edges, and the fabric was ever so slightly scuffed/ the surface raised a tiny bit, and that's it. I was amazed, as I'd seen other folks packs with nicks and slices from skis on that trip.
I opted to skip seam sealing, as the chemical compounds in the sealant can degrade over time, and I didn't need it. The packs are made with waterproof fabric, and the flat-felled seams would be easy to seal if I wanted to, but I prefer to just put my sleeping bag and clothing inside a big garbage bag/pack liner when needed. I've had the pack in really heavy rain for a day, and didn't notice any leaking inside.
Accessories
SWD also has a collection of really excellent accessories. Here’s my thoughts on the ones I’ve added to my pack!
Straps: Bottom/ sleeping pad straps make carrying a zlite pad super easy and keep it out of the way. I also got the side tie-down straps to allow the roll-top to attach to the sides (so nice!!!) and a few extra side of the pack straps for when I needed to attach the skis.
Hip belt pockets- these add so little extra weight, and I love them! I started with the fold-top pocket, and it is the ideal place to store gloves and other small items. The next year I added the zippered pocket, which is slightly smaller, but more secure, so in that pocket I put things that I rarely get into but want kept safe, like wallet and keys. Since the pack does not have an interior pocket on the inside, this zippered add-on provides that super secure area.
Front Pouch- easy to clip on, and works great! Stretches out to hold a lot, although I do wish it was just a few inches taller, to allow me to stuff even more quick-access things in there especially on bad weather days where layers go on and off a lot. The beauty of this pocket is that you can slide things BEHIND it, and then tighten it down if attached as intended to the side compression straps. I skipped the side compression attachment option and just tied it directly onto the pack, since I never remove it.
Shock cord- the ice axe loop works well and is easy to use! And, the shock cord on the front over the pouch is also excellent for holding random things like my sleeve of watercolor paper.
Next trip I'll get some better photos of the accessories!! Let me know what other questions you have in the comments, and I'll reply and add to the review!
For additional reviews, see this one from Ben Kilbourne, one of the early testers, and this by a packrafter.
Comments