Backpack Reviews

The Deuter Trail Pro 36 is a great mid-sized backpack that’s good for technical hikes where you need to carry extra gear, hut-to-hut trips, and even overnight backpacking. It has a lightweight spring steel frame capable of hauling 30-pound loads, a sewn-on …

Nashville Packs is a new cottage backpack manufacturer that’s fundamentally reinventing the way that vest-style backpacks are sized and made. I’ve been testing out their flagship product, the Cutaway Backpack, which is a frameless rolltop pack that’s hands-down the most comfortable, best-fitting, …

The Exped Lightning 60 Backpack is a four-season multi-sport backpack that’s equally at home on the long trail, hauling climbing gear to the local crag, or pulling a pulk in the backcountry. Featuring an adjustable torso, full-body compression, and numerous external attachment …

The Seek Outside Divide is a 4500 cubic inch (74L) lightweight external frame backpack capable of hauling 50, 60, and even 70-pound loads even though it only weighs 44 ounces. Best suited for backpacking, packrafting, hunting, fishing, and expedition-style trips, the Divide …

Granite Gear backpacks are popular packs for long-distance backpacking in the United States and are a common sight on the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. I really like Granite Gear’s packs because I think they strike an excellent balance between weight …

The Osprey Soelden 32 is a 2.5-lb pack designed for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. The Soelden, and its counterpart the women’s Osprey Sopris (20 or 30), feature options for carrying skis and boards, with reinforced areas to protect the packs from metal …

The Deuter Aircontact Lite 65+10 is an adjustable-length backpack that’s good for multi-day or extended backpacking trips when you need to carry more gear and supplies. Weighing just 4 lbs 6 oz, it’s surprisingly lightweight for a pack that can comfortably haul …

Superior Wilderness Designs is a Michigan-based ultralight gear manufacturer that has just introduced a backpack designed for thru-hiking called the 50L Long Haul. Weighing 29 ounces, it’s made with X-Pac, an ultralight waterproof laminate like cuben fiber, but less expensive and more …

The Granite Gear Virga 2 is a 54-liter ultralight backpack that is lightweight even by today’s standards. Weighing just 1 pound and 3 ounces (19 ounces) it is truly frameless, without even a foam back pad behind the shoulder straps. Despite its …

The Deuter Speed Lite 32 is a do-everything backpack that can be used for hiking, peakbagging, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, and even fast and light overnight trips. Weighing 32 ounces, it’s got a minimalist vibe with scaled back padding and a lightweight frame. …

The Deuter Trail 30 is a lightweight and durable backpack designed for day hiking, climbing, and skiing. The Trail 30 is a panel loader with a U-shaped front zipper that opens the main compartment for easy access, in addition to drawstring access …

Cold Cold World is a small cottage manufacturer in New Hampshire’s White Mountains that specializes in making climbing and mountaineering backpacks. They’re world-famous in climbing circles for making high-function, durable backpacks. The 66L Cold Cold World Chaos is a frameless alpine backpack, …

The Seek Outside Gila 3500 (57L) is a 2 pound 15-ounce external frame backpack capable of carrying heavy loads, up to 100 pounds. It’s made with a waterproof laminate fabric called XPac which is more durable than Dyneema Composite Fabric (formerly called …

The Klymit Motion 60 is a multi-day backpack that uses a removable inflatable pad to augment its frame providing increased comfort and support. A 60-liter alpine-style pack with a top lid and four tiers of side compression, the Motion 60 can haul …