The North Face Finally Adopts an Unparalleled Super Material for Its New Advanced Outdoor Bags

There’s no denying that The North Face is among the largest providers of outdoor and outdoor-inspired apparel and gear. While the last few years have seen the brand’s offerings infiltrating the city-going fashion world, the brand is, first and foremost, an outdoor adventure-focused outfit.

To that end, the brand has just released its “most sophisticated alpine climbing system yet.” Among the releases is a trio of bags, The North Face Summit Series AMK Backpacks, which see the brand adopt an emerging, unrivaled exterior material for the first time.

And that could have major implications for the rest of the outdoor gear world.

The North Face

Peak packing

Before we get to that exterior fabric, there are a number of things that make these bags special for The North Face. For the most part, they’re built identically to one another, apart from their capacities: 25, 40 and 55 liters.

Notably, one of the most interesting additions is their “fully modular feature set.” That means the bags’ additional components and other minutiae can be stripped off or reattached as needed. This makes these some of the most modular, customization-friendly bags the brand has ever offered.

The North Face

The bags are also waterproof and seam-taped, so they can take on any weather, even downpours. They also have a number of outdoor-friendly attachment points, webbing, ice tool carry systems, reflective details and so on.

To help users cope with their potentially large amount of gear, the straps are wide and stable, the back panel is minimalist but supportive and each pack has hip and sternum straps for additional security and stability.

Tip to tail, these bags are extremely capable. But it’s the exterior fabric that’s ultimately the most significant part of this release.

The North Face

Might as well be Mythril

These bags mark the first time The North Face has utilized Dyneema. A brand name for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE,) Dyneema is also known as “the world’s strongest fiber.” More specifically, these bags are made with Dyneema Composite Hybrid 3.2.

This fabric, by the way, is about 15 times stronger than steel by weight — yes, really. It’s incredibly tough, durable, abrasion-resistant, puncture-resistant and so on. Yet, for all its incredible formidability, it’s also extremely lightweight.

The North Face

For reference, when empty, these bags weigh between 1.81 to 2.56 pounds, total. That’s insanely lightweight by mountaineering standards. For reference, Osprey’s best-selling Daylite — a daypack designed for short jaunts (read: definitely not a mountaineering pack) — weighs 1.85 pounds itself (which is 0.05 pounds heavier than the smallest TNF Summit Series AMK pack).

It is also worth noting that Dyneema is actually naturally waterproof. That means there are no additional finishes or coatings necessary. That also means you don’t have to re-waterproof at any point. Essentially, these bags are designed to last as long as possible, retaining their exceptional toughness and durability throughout their lifespan.

The North Face

Available now

All three of The North Face’s Summit Series AMK backpacks — the 25-liter, 40-liter and 55-liter — are now available on the brand’s site. They’re priced at $350, $400 and $450, respectively.

The North Face

The North Face Summit Series AMK 40 Backpack

• $400 at The North Face

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