 This Product
Nashville Pack The Cutaway | |||||
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| Awards |  Best Pack for Expert Ultralighters |  Best Overall Ultralight Backpack |  Best Bang For Your Buck | Best for Long Distance Thru-Hikes | Best High-Capacity Pack |
| Price | $326 List | $315 List | $275 List | $369 List $369.00 at Hyperlite Mountain Gear | $275 List $275.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A perfect choice for wizard-level hikers looking to make the leap to a frameless pack to further shed weight, without losing out on great features or carrying capacity | As an all-around great pack, it can carry large and light loads with ease, has plenty of external storage options, and is super comfortable | One of our favorites that scores highly in all metrics, is comfortable and versatile, and has just enough features for a reasonable cost | An excellent lightweight pack with a multitude of external storage space options to complement its main pack compartment | This ultralight pack shines for carrying large loads, especially when comfort is paramount |
| Rating Categories | Nashville Pack The... | Gossamer Gear Marip... | Gossamer Gear Goril... | Hyperlite Mountain... | Six Moon Designs Sw... |
| Comfort (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Weight-to-Volume Ratio (20%) | |||||
| Adjustability (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Nashville Pack The... | Gossamer Gear Marip... | Gossamer Gear Goril... | Hyperlite Mountain... | Six Moon Designs Sw... |
| Measured weight | 21.0 oz | 32.6 oz | 31.1 oz | 34.6 oz | 38.0 oz |
| Weight per liter (full pack) | 0.53 oz/L | 0.54 oz/L | 0.62 oz/L | 0.87 oz/L | 0.76 0z/L |
| Advertised volume | 40 L | 60 L | 50 L | 40 L | 50 L |
| Stripped weight | 16.4 oz | 18.0 oz | 17.2 oz | 26.0 oz | 27.8 oz |
| Measured volume (main compartment) | 40 L | 42 L | 39 L | 35 L | 55 L |
| Organization compartments | Main compartment, center pocket, running vest-style pockets | Lid, side pockets, center pocket, dual zippered pockets on hip belt, main compartment | Lid, side pockets, center pocket, dual zippered pockets on hip belt, main compartment | Side pockets, center pocket, dual zippered pockets on hip belt, bottom stash pocket, main compartment | Main compartment, stretchy side pockets, stretchy center pocket, dual hip belt pockets, running vest pockets, internal water resevoir pocket |
| Hydration compatible? | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Single side pocket 700ml Smartwater capacity | Continuous wraparound pocket | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Single hip belt pocket capacity | N/A | 5 Clif Bars | 5 Clif Bars | 6 Clif Bars | 8 Clif Bars |
| Able to strip off frame and hip belt? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Whistle on sternum strap? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| BearVault BV500 compatibility | OK | Good | Ok | Ok | Good |
| Sizes available | Torso: 16', 18", 20" Hip Belt: S (28"-38"), M (32"-42"), L (26"-48") Should Straps: 16", 17.5", 19", 20.5" |
Torso: S, M, L Hip Belt: S/M curved (M/L curved and S, M, and L straight sold separately) |
Torso: S, M, L Hip Belt: S/M curved (M/L curved and S, M, and L straight sold separately) |
Torso: S, M, L, Tall Hip Belt: M (S & L sold separately) |
Torso: Adjustable, 4 lengths Hip Belt: S, M, L Shoulder Straps: Vest, Classic Shoulder, S-Curve Shoulder |
| Frame type | None | SitLight foam pad / removable stay | SitLight foam pad / removable stay | 1 removable aluminum stay, embedded, non-removable foam pad | Delrin hoop stay frame |
| Fabric | Main body: EPX70 RS (X-Pac) | 100D & 200D Robic nylon | 100D & 70D Robic nylon | 150D DCH fabric, Dyneema Stretch Mesh, Hardline with Dyneema | Main body: 100D Robic nylon, Pockets: Ultra Stretch |
What The Cutaway brings to the table may actually be what it leaves behind. This super lightweight pack cuts weight by going without a frame or back padding, and a hip belt is an optional accessory. The running vest-style shoulder straps are covered in pockets, and a large main compartment easily holds all of your ultralight essentials plus many days of food.
Comfort is somewhat of a mixed bag with The Cutaway. You can comfortably carry this pack just as long as you take the time to optimize your gear. Because of its frameless design, it works best with streamlined load-outs of less than 30 lbs. This shouldn't be a difficult number to hit for seasoned ultra-lighters – who already have a base weight down near 10 lbs – but it might be a tough mark for more novice backpackers.
We used the optional attachment system and a small bungee to add our own sit pad to the back panel, which did wonders for enhancing the overall comfort of this pack. We also must highlight the standout running vest-inspired shoulder straps. These not only do an excellent job of distributing the pack's weight, but you can order them at various lengths to suit the pack wearer perfectly.
The optional hip belt improved comfort to a lesser degree, though it did help transfer some weight off of our shoulders. However, carrying a heavier load will never be optimal with The Cutaway.
The exceptional ultralight performance of The Cutaway does come at a cost: this won't be the easiest pack for more casual backpackers to use to its fullest extent. The lack of an internal frame means that the pack lacks form, which makes it harder to fill up the main compartment. Not only will you have to be an expert packer to keep the overall weight low, but without the bring-your-own style back pad, you'll have to carefully consider what's resting against your back.
While they may feel like “gotchas,” all of these little compromises contribute to the flyweight of this rig, which is really why we love The Cutaway. Due to its minimalist nature, we encourage anyone looking at this pack to have some on-the-trail experience and the know-how to pack a bag like this. Or it should be someone who has an extremely high stoke level and is okay with learning from mistakes made along the way!
As a true expert-level pack, The Cutaway rivals many packs for how much gear it allows you to carry compared to how little it weighs on the scale. Even considering the budget-friendly X-Pac material it's sewn with, this pack weighs a remarkable 21 ounces.
Alongside the cavernous, 40-liter internal compartment, you'll find only one main external pocket instead of the more common center and two side pockets. This further reduces weight while also providing you with options on how to stow your gear. A nearly hidden bottom pocket is a nice compliment to stash additional gear, and the six smaller pockets on the running vest-style shoulder straps allow you to carry essentials within reach.
We measured a maximum internal volume of 40 liters, and the external pockets can hold approximatley 9 liters more. This works out to an approximate weight-to-volume ratio of 0.53 ounces per liter. Often, packs putting up these weight-to-volume numbers are made of more exotic materials and tend to cost a fair amount more than The Cutaway.
The ability to customize your own pack is a part of The Cutaway's DNA. You'll have the option to choose pack volume, torso length, and even shoulder strap length to really dial in the fit based on your body type. (Don't worry, well-produced videos from Nashville Packs help guide you through the process.) Additionally, you can pick out accessories like a hip belt and back-pad accessory cord – both of which we opted for and highly suggest – and an ice axe attachment kit.
Once your bespoke pack has been delivered, you'll discover an incredible amount of adjustability baked into The Cutaway. The custom-cut shoulder straps attach to the frame in multiple positions, which help people with wider or narrower shoulders easily adjust based on personal preference.
The roll-top extends out from the shoulders and features a few snaps across the top. These allow you to actually close the expanded roll-top, say when your pack is overloaded with extra starting rations. For shorter trips, the roll-top extension can be rolled all the way down to create a more compact pack, and if you find that the pack weight doesn't necessitate a hip belt, it is easily removable.
If you're already sold on the idea of a frameless ultralight pack, then The Cutaway is one of the best on the market. Even though it doesn't come with its own back padding, with a little experimentation, we were able to able to master the fit of this pack fairly easily. However, we feel like it's important to reiterate that this is the pack we would suggest to expert ultralighters – if you're new to the game of UL backpacking, then this custom pack is likely not worth your investment, at least initially.
