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Summit Gear Canyon EX 55
The Canyon EX 55 is the outcome of years of experience in manufacturing specialty outdoor packs for hiking and canyoning. We tasked ourselves with the goal of taking our legendary Canyon pack that has stood the test of time and is loved by professional guides, emergency services and recreational canyoners alike and make it lighter, stronger and better! With the Canyon EX we have achieved this goal!
Weight Savings:
The Canyon EX 55 weighs in at just 1.2kg including a full frame sheet and is 725g lighter than Summit Gear’s previous Canyon Pack! But it gets even better than that – the body of the Canyon EX pack is made from EPLX400 – a waterproof laminated fabric that is made from 100% recycled polyester and is 97% UV resistant. EPLX400 has a similar abrasion resistance as 1000D Cordura (what we use on our original Canyon Pack) yet is 33% lighter. Due to the nature of material, EPLX400 absorbs far less water than 1000D Cordura so when the pack is completely wet, it is 900g lighter than our previous pack.
The base of the pack is made from Ultra 800 a UHMWPE fabric which is the most abrasion resistant we can source (abrasion: ATSM 3884 16,000+ cycles) and at just 288gsm, is lighter than the material we previously used on the base of our Canyon packs.
The Canyon EX has an innovative roll top that provides great usability without the extra weight of a full hood. Included in the roll top is an easy access pocket that you can use to store items that you want to get to easily.
We have cored out the frame sheet and the closed cell foam strategically to reduce weight whilst still providing an extremely comfortable, load carrying pack.
Durability and Strength:
We have spent many months testing the new Canyon EX 55L pack. In fact, we gave some to our Blue Mountains Canyon Guides doing a 3-week advanced canyoning course and got them to put it through the paces. We used our testing to identify all the high wear areas and then reinforced them with Ultra 800 to ensure the dual benefit of a lighter pack without sacrificing durability.
EPLX400 fabric is based on 35 years of weaving, coating and laminating experience. It lasts longer, absorbs 80% less moisture, and has better UV resistance and colour retention than traditional laminated nylon. It has been tested around the world and performs in the harshest conditions.
The roll top is secured with a reinforced 25mm webbing strap that can be used to secure a rope externally to the pack if required but also doubles as a haul loop so you can lower a fully weighted pack easily without worrying about it tearing.
We have strategically placed highly durable drainage mesh on the pack to maximise drainage performance whilst minimising weight.
Superior Performance:
To round out our mantra of “Lighter, Stronger, Better” we tasked ourselves with ensuring the pack has superior performance in all areas. With the Canyon Ex 55 we have delivered just that. The pack is 38% lighter than our previous canyon pack and most importantly drains twice as fast! It has a stylish chevron drainage mesh pattern that allows it to reach lower on the pack and also has 6 x SP4 eyelets on the base that dump water out as fast as you can stand up.
The Canyon EX 55 has 3 internal gear loops for easy access to equipment as well as accessory loops on the front that enable you to easily clip on the Summit Gear Ultralight Helmet net to create more room for other gear if required.
Environmentally Sustainable:
The Canyon EX 55 is made locally in Australia and is built for our testing canyoning conditions. The Summit Gear factory is powered by 54 solar panels that provide clean energy used in the manufacturing of the pack. Additionally, the EPLX material is made from 100% recycled polyester fibre and film. Each Summit Gear Canyon EX pack upcycles approximately 25 plastic water bottles and there are no fluorocarbons used in the material. To top it off, all used fabric and offcuts are recycled locally to form part of the circular community.
