Backpack Reviews

Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) specializes in making rugged multi-sport backpacks and shelters with Dyneema Composite Fabrics. Their distinctive white and black backpacks are quite popular and easy to spot on National Scenic Trails and in the backcountry. One of the things that …

The Osprey Mutant 52 is a winter backpack suitable for four-season overnight hiking, climbing, or backcountry ski trips. It’s the big brother to the Osprey Mutant 38 which I reviewed at the beginning of the winter which has less volume and is …

The Waymark Gear Lite 50 is a lightweight internal frame backpack suitable for multi-day backpacking and thru-hiking trips. Weighing 34.8 oz, the Lite 50 has a standard UL rolltop design with a sewn-on hip belt, a front mesh pocket, and durable side …

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 NorthRim Backpack is an ultralight backpack made with an extremely durable outer fabric called Woven Dyneema that is significantly more abrasion resistant than the Dyneema Fiber/Polyester laminate used to make Hyperlite’s regular ultralight backpacks. While it’s priced …

The Granite Gear Blaze 60 is a multi-day backpack with an adjustable length torso and hip belt, so you can get a personalized fit. Weighing 3 lbs, the Blaze 60 is optimized for hauling heavy and bulky gear, including the ability to …

The Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 Ultralight Backpack is a multi-day backpack that’s optimized for lightweight backpacking and thru-hiking. It’s a great backpack for people who want to transition from carrying a much heavier back to a lighter weight one, without having to …

The Granite Gear Crown3 60L is an affordable ultralight backpack with a modular design that can be easily configured for ultralight backpacking, thru-hikes, and winter hiking. The things that set this roll-top backpack apart from other ultralight-style packs, besides its very reasonable …

The Osprey Packs Atmos AG 65 (new in 2022) is a multi-day backpack suitable for trips up to a week in length, with a suspended mesh frame and an adjustable length torso and hip belt so you can get a custom, personalized …

The Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L Backpack is an ultralight, ventilated, and adjustable-length backpack made with Ultra, a new woven fabric made from Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers that is ultralight, waterproof, and more durable than Dyneema DCF. Weighing 19.6 …

The ULA Ultra 24 Circuit (68L) is an ultralight-style roll-top backpack made using a new ultralight waterproof fabric called Ultra that’s significantly more abrasion resistant than Dyneema DCF or the Robic Nylon used in other lightweight backpacks. If you’ve already been evaluating …

The Osprey Mutant 38 is a versatile alpine backpack that’s equally at home on winter hiking trails, ski mountaineering tours, or ice-climbing routes. It’s an internal frame pack that is loaded with external attachment points that make it easy to haul bulky …

The Osprey Kestrel 38 Backpack is well-sized for gear-intensive hiking and is built with more durable fabrics and features that make it suitable for on-trail, off-trail, and winter hiking. It is an adjustable torso-length backpack with an external pocket for carrying a …

The Osprey Renn 50 is a women’s-specific multi-day backpack with an adjustable and ventilated frame. Weighing just 3.31 pounds (53 oz), it’s lightweight, comfortable, and easy-to-use with plenty of pockets to stay organized. Priced at $155, it’s also surprisingly affordable considering how …

The Atom Packs “The Mo” 50L is a beautifully crafted internal frame backpack made across the pond in England. Weighing 32.1 oz (910g) and made with waterproof Ecopak EPX200, it’s a roll-top backpack that’s loaded with features and pockets that will appeal …