"ACROSS THE MARKET, NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO DYNEEMA^®"

Published on: July 23, 2025

Mike St. Pierre, Co-Founder and CEO of Hyperlite Mountain Gear, is a longtime fan of Dyneema^®. And with good reason. His company is widely recognized as the leading brand for design-forward, Dyneema^®-powered ultralight gear. From the first product prototypes to today's full line of backpacks, tents, and accessories, Hyperlite and Dyneema^® have been collaborated for more than 15 years. No other outdoor gear brand integrates Dyneema^® as extensively into its product line as Hyperlite.s. And then he discovered Dyneema.

Rewind to 2007. Mike already had a strong vision for simplified, light-weight outdoor gear that could overcome the issues he’d encountered while hiking in upstate New York, but the fabrics available at the time weren’t up to the job. These backcountry adventures, enjoyed between shifts at city restaurants, inspired him to start studying materials technology, design and production processes. And then he discovered Dyneema^®.

One day, flicking through a magazine, he read about a material that was being credited with powering victories in the America’s Cup sailing competition. Mike thought “If this fabric is good enough for these boats and in those harsh conditions, then it should definitely be able to hold up really well for the outdoors.” That material was Dyneema^®, the world’s strongest fiber™.

Mike remembers thinking “you know, maybe I'll just call them.” And that was the catalyst for founding Hyperlite, he explains. “I thought I’d have to buy at least 5,000 meters – totally unrealistic at that time! But they offered to send 9 meters. That first sample was the basis for the gear we’re still using to this day.”

Mike set about building some prototypes with the sample Dyneema^® material - a small tent and backpack – and started using them. “We even built a couple of extras and we handed them out to people who were going to go do these really long thru hikes and asked if they’d try them out. These products were significantly lighter than what they were traditionally carrying, so they were able to move much faster in the mountains and backcountry.” The prototype testing continued for a full year to ensure the fabrics could withstand real-world use. “And we did that before we even launched Hyperlite. I needed to know that these fabrics would hold up in this environment before actually committing to the building of the brand.”

On the back of the phenomenal user feedback Mike received, his team developed a range of sacks, tents, and organizational accessories – all with Dyneema^® composites as a key ingredient. At every stage, the Hyperlite philosophy was marked by an agile, iterative approach to R&D. “Fail fast, fail cheap, fail forward – that’s our motto.”

But despite the early and ongoing success Mike felt that they could still do better. “Our first packs used Dyneema^® composites made with polyester face fabrics,” Mike explains. “These held up really well, but I was always curious if (Dyneema^®) could weave the Dyneema^® fiber itself into a cloth, then laminate that material back onto the composite laminates.”

Dyneema^®’s own R&D team took on the challenge. The resulting breakthrough from Dyneema^® was the most significant since its composites first launched: Dyneema^® Woven Composites. The big innovation - a new, light-weight composite fabric, made of 100% woven Dyneema^®, bonded to a Dyneema^® core. This means, for the first time, that the world’s strongest fiber™ is present on a composite material’s internal and external layers – with performance to match.

The journey continues

Mike leapt at the chance to innovate with this new composite, just as he had nearly 20 years ago when he first embraced the design possibilities of Dyneema^® composites. “This 200-denier fiber is woven into a cloth,” he explains, “then laminated back to produce the most durable face fabric imaginable.” Using the new, groundbreaking Dyneema^® Woven Composite material Hyperlite has upgraded its Windrider, Southwest, and Junction backpacks – the range’s first major refresh since its landmark 2010 launch. 

So how does the new fabric compare to the Dyneema^® found in previous Hyperlite packs? “It’s lighter, of course,” says Mike, “and there’s a major step-up in durability.” Beyond that, there are welcome improvements in aesthetics and user experience. “It’s got a much softer hand-feel,” he adds. “Over time, it feels like a really nice broken-in leather. It’s not as crinkly and loud either, especially in cold temperatures. Overall, I’d describe it as a more luxurious, better-performing fabric that builds on all the strengths that have defined our brand for 15 years.”

Into the wild

In January 2025, Hyperlite took the new range on a six-night, all-employee expedition to the Grand Canyon: climbing, camping, canyoneering, and more. The adventure served to strengthen bonds between Hyperlite’s marketing and R&D teams – but most importantly, it offered a rare chance to test the new packs in one of the world's toughest, most abrasive terrains.

“We took one backpack made from our traditional fabric. Everyone else was wearing the new ones to see what they could do.” How hard was the trip? “Harder than we thought!” laughs Mike. “We were in very tight canyons, scraping the bag as we went, grinding it into the rock. The Grand Canyon is notorious for destroying equipment: in one day, a pack takes as much abrasion as it would do in weeks on most trails.”

Nevertheless, the new packs acquitted themselves with distinction: visibly, undeniably superior to earlier editions. A few final tweaks were made, based on lessons learned and feedback from Hyperlite's team of elite testers. But the team returned energized and ready for the final push. “People were really pumped,” says Mike. “We look forward to hitting the trails together again soon.”

Designing with Dyneema^®

Updating the core packs has been a long and arduous journey – but the Dyneema^®-Hyperlite partnership is just getting started. “We’re in this for the long haul,” says Mike. “Across the market, nothing comes close to Dyneema^®. I look forward to deepening our collaboration and finding ways to incorporate the new composites across the Hyperlite product catalog. But right now, my focus is ensuring a successful launch for the new packs. One step at a time, you know…”