So how tough is the Wolverine, really?
- jeffwohl1
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
4 years of putting the Wolverine to the test.
Pack stats:
4 guiding seasons and personal trips (3.5 years)
40+ trips
Over 2,400 miles, mostly off-trail (conservative estimate)
Heaviest load 74 pounds, Average starting weight 38 pounds
Activities and locations:
Winter camping and backcountry skiing, Wyoming and Idaho over 30 days
Canyon backpacking, Utah 30 days
Expedition-style technical canyoneering, Utah 60 days
Backpacking, Northern Alaska 60 days
Mountaineering and off-trail backpacking, Wyoming 35 days
Off-trail backpacking, Sierras 21 days.
Elk hunting, Wyoming 30 days
Alpine ski coaching, Wyoming 120 days
Previous packs used for similar activities:
HMG Southwest 70 L (second favourite)
Golite Jam 60 L (Ok)
Kelty all SPECTRA White Cloud 50 L CDT 2011 (ahead of its time)
ULA Circuit 50L assorted personal trips (ok)
In the spring of 2022 I had a phone call with Brandon at Superior Wilderness Designs to discuss specific options for my new pack. For nearly a quarter century most of my work has involved some type of pack on my back. My previous pack, which worked really well for several years, was starting to wear out and I was unable to get repairs done. I was looking for my next pack, but I knew I would be asking a lot out of it making my living as a professional, lightweight mountain guide. I lead extended expeditions for NOLS and Andrew Skurka adventures.
In any given year I may find myself dragging my pack through Utah slot canyons leading expedition-style canyoneering, and hiking hundreds of miles through the Brooks Range in Alaska, and winter camping and ski expeditions in Wyoming. I also spend time lightweight mountaineering and packing elk meat out of the mountains on fall hunting trips So yeah, my packs get put through the ringer! I was excited, but also somewhat skeptical, that the Wolverine were discussing would be up to the challenge.
When my new, sleek, black with blue trim SWD Wolverine arrived in May, I was really excited, but also curious how it would hold up. I think it’s all well and good to read reviews on people‘s first impressions of products, but I wanted to share how this pack has done after four guiding seasons, thousands of miles, and many personal trips of what I would call “very hard use.”
Now it’d be a lie to say that this pack shows no wear, but I have been very impressed with how the Ultra 400 fabric has held up to significant abrasion and abuse.
This pack is as functional today as it was the day I unboxed it. It is still the most comfortable pack I’ve carried in my work. It has features that add flexibility, allowing me to customize configurations such as different hip or shoulder pockets depending on the activity I’m doing. And while I don’t love doingit, I have carried 75 pounds in this Wolverine and it handled the load well (even if I don’t).
Features I love about this pack:
The amazing balance of comfort, light weight, and durability.
Customizable torso length for fine-tuning fit.
Side pockets that are easy to access while the pack is on but are very secure so I don't lose things out of them.
Handles heavy loads well while not weighing much over two pounds.
Removable hip belt, hip belt pockets, and shoulder pockets.
Great for so many uses and multi-sport expeditions.
Custom options when ordering.
Primary wear spots:
1: Inside the roll top the Ultra 400 fabric is starting to show some delamination. I imagine this compromises the waterproofing of the pack somewhat. However, I never trust any pack to be fully waterproof so I always use a pack liner, so for me this does not impact performance in a meaningful way. It is my understanding that the newer generations of Ultra 400 are less prone to delamination, just as the Ultra 400 itself was better than first generation DCF packs.
2. Wear is starting to show on the frame stay pockets behind the hip belt attachment, and where the support straps fold around the bottom of the stays. After I first wrote this I learned from SWD that they have started using a more robust webbing for the stay pockets on all packs, also would think most people won’t ever use this pack hard enough to wear though these spots, but it is nice to know this wear point has been addressed.
3. Minor pin holes and abrasion wear is visible in both hip belt pockets and side pockets. Most of this happened in my first season guiding expedition-style canyoneering for Andrew Skurka adventures. Canyoneering is particularly hard on packs. Imagine walking miles dragging your pack along sandpaper; any hard object you have in the side of your pack is prone to wear holes through the material. Even so, considering the use, this damage should almost be expected. I learned to remove my hip belt pockets when technical canyoneering.
4. After the first season using this pack, I had to replace the hip belt when some of the stitching pulled out. One of the features I love about this pack is that the hip belt is removable, allowing for different options to customize the torso fit for additional comfort and load carrying capacity. My current hip belt is still in great shape, three seasons later, and the buckle design is better than the original.
5. The shoulder strap webbing shows some abrasion from the buckles. At this point it still has plenty of strength left, and I’m not concerned about failing. However it is a sign of the miles on this pack.
6. One of the features I really like on this pack is the pocket in the roll top. It is a great place to stash blister kits, car keys, or other things that you might want accessible. Like anything with a zipper, the zipper is eventually prone to failure, and the zipper on mine is no exception. Fortunately, zipper repair is usually a simple operation. To fix most zippers, you cut the fabric at the end of the teeth, remove the old slide and put a new slide on, then use a crimp where you cut the teeth and your zipper works great again. This task is on my list for the fall.
7. The spandex on the back panel which holds the foam pad has stretched because I often used a full-length, 1/8 inch foam as my back panel, rather than the smaller foam option. This makes it a little loose when I put the original 12 x 12 square back in it. I was able to do a minor repair by sewing a little tuck into the spandex so it would hold the smaller foam pad firmly again. My understanding is that SWD became aware of this and has changed to a different material for the spandex. However, since I primarily carry a full-length foam pad as my back panel, it has not become a major issue yet.
Spandex back, ( tuck stitches visible in bottom left and right corners
Over my seasons of guiding, I get to see how many different packs perform. To date, I have yet to see another pack that has held up as well as this Wolverine for the amount of hard use I have put on it. If you are looking for comfort, durability, and load-hauling in a well-built, lightweight package, the Wolverine is a fantastic choice.
Jeff Wohl grew up in Wyoming and has been backpacking since he was 5. He has taught for NOLS since the late 90s leading trips with teenagers to astronauts. He also guides for Andrew Skurka Adventures. He loves getting out on personal trips with Nikki, his partner and their many rescue dogs.
More photos of this pack in use...
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