It’s always fun to go hiking or take a quick weekend trip but not when you are weighed down by heavy and cumbersome backpacks, that can be a total put off.
However, with the best ultralight backpacks, it becomes easier to get up and set off on an adventurous trip. After all, what fun is there in a life that cannot be explored?
Table of Contents
10 Best Ultralight Backpacks
To ensure you make the best choice possible, we took our time to research on the best products available on the market. Let’s take a look at these products and what makes them so unique.
Osprey Packs Farpoint 40 Men’s Travel Backpack – Best For One Bag Travel
With its hideaway zip panel situated at the rear of the backpack, the shoulder strap and hip belt are kept out of view. The shoulder straps can also be adjusted to suit your needs; while the hip belt and the sternum strap ensure the load doesn’t overwhelm you. It also has a zip mesh pocket in the main compartment of the backpack.
If you like to carry a water can along on your journey or other little items, there are two front mesh pockets where you can place your items; it also has two grab handles to enable easy lifting.
You can store many items and secure your bag more as it has compression straps on the front of the backpack. It also helps you stay organized as it has a padded compartment for your laptop and tablet. Much smaller items like pens, keys and so on can be kept in the small zip pocket.
Pros and Cons
Granite Gear Crown VC 60 Backpack – Most Spacious Backpack
It is simple in design as it consists of a molded foam pad and also a plastic sheet that is easy to remove. If having too much space in the backpack was a sin, then the Granite Gear Crown VC 60 Backpack is as guilty as charged. The beauty, however, is that it compresses when not loaded to full capacity.
One of the unique qualities of this product is that it was designed with the Vapor Current Suspension Technology. There is ease of access to its various compartments while its simple lidless design can be made better with optional LineLoc Lid.
Pros and Cons
Osprey Packs Atmos AG 65 Men’s Backpacking Backpack – Most Comfortable Backpack
With its AntiGravity suspension innovation, you don’t get to feel the weight of the bag you are carrying even when it’s filled to the brim.
It effortlessly wraps around your body, thereby ensuring that every mile is made more enjoyable than ever before.
Pros and Cons
Gregory Optic 48 Large Hiking Backpack – Most Weatherproof Backpack
It is made of an aluminum frame and also an anti-barreling cross stay. The frame is made in such a way that the weight is transferred and evenly spread on the padded lumbar zone.
This same quality padding is also found on the hip belt and the shoulder harness as well. The padding is composed of dual-density foam which is placed strategically on pressure points.
The hip belt comes with two side cinch straps which can be drawn forward or backwards depending on the need to stabilize the load you are carrying. Its back panel is also ultra-ventilated, and this is due to the suspended mesh found in that location, it separates the pack from your body.
Pros and Cons
Out There AS-3 Backpack – Best Organizational Backpack
It has an ergonomic shoulder strap with its air meshed and perforated foam which wraps seamlessly around the neck, prevents chafing and increases comfort.
When the weight seems too much on your shoulder, hip, or chest or you feel like adjusting it a bit to relieve the pressure, you can easily do that as it comes with an adjustable chest strap and an adjustable hip belt which give you an easy access to adjust the length of the webbing strap as you deem fit. It also has an adjustable shoulder strap for relieving pressure around your neck and shoulders.
Pros and Cons
Gregory Mountain Products Jade 38L Women’s Multi-Day Hiking Backpack – Best For Women
On the other hand, it has a harness yoke which directly transfers the load to the frame and gets stiffer as the pack gets more cumbersome. With this system, air easily flows around the user as it increases its ventilation during hot weather and also improves the breathability of the pack in cold as well as wet conditions.
It has a front U-zip main compartment that is easy to access and a top lid which has a security pocket and a key clip. It also features a dual-density hip and shoulder strap for improved heavyweight stability. It comes with two external water bottle compartments, a dual waist belt pockets that can be accessed quickly, an out-of-scene trekking pole for maneuvring through steep terrain and an integrated raincoat.
Pros and Cons
TETON Sports Explorer 4000 Internal Frame Backpack – Most Affordable Product
One of its qualities is that it has a rugged look and 4,000 cubic inch capacity to enable you to take as much as you can on your trip. Its internal frame has dual aluminum stay which aligns to the contour of your back.
It has a full-length torso and shoulder straps which can be adjusted to enhance comfort. The shoulder straps are padded, so also are the waist belt and even the lumbar area, all of which provides maximum comfort. It has an airflow system that reduces heat and also a separate sleeping bag compartment.
Pros and Cons
Marmot Women’s Graviton 36 Lightweight Hiking Backpack – Best Quality Design
Made from 100% ripstop nylon, it is really lightweight. It has a shoulder, hip belt and torso length harness all geared towards your comfort.
It also has a side strap that can be adjusted easily as well as a bottom compression strap and a back panel, which not only provides support and comfort but also has a sternum strap that keeps the backpack together.
It has an airflow suspension that carries your gear with efficiency and a padded waist belt along with a double mesh zippered pocket which provides extra storage and comfort. Its zippered lid compartment has a clip and also a mesh pocket for easy access to items that are frequently needed.
Pros and Cons
High Sierra Women’s Explorer 50 Internal Frame Pack – Most Sturdy Backpack
Its internal frame is made of an outlined aluminum frame bars which can be adjusted to fit your back perfectly. Its back panel is foam padded while the airflow channel allows for natural dissipation of heat. Its waist-belt is adjustable while its shoulder harness is also foam padded to give maximum comfort and an ergonomic fit.
To ensure stability, the frame pack comes with an adjustable sternum strap which allows the straps to remain centred on the shoulder, while the side and bottom compression straps secure your gear and also provide backup.
Since it has a capacity of 50L, it is expected to have multiple compartments, and it did not fail in this regard. It has a top main compartment with a front-load sleeping bag compartment which has a divider. To keep you hydrated, there’s a hydration sleeve with dual exit ports and mesh pockets to hold water bottles.
Pros and Cons
Osprey Packs Eja 48 Women’s Backpacking Backpack – Best for Adventure
One of its most significant features is the tensioned-mesh frame which aligns to the back perfectly; this mesh frame also increases the ventilation of the trail and provides more comfort.
However, it doesn’t come with hip belt pockets, and this poses a sort of problem as it makes it difficult to reach for quick access items such as mobile phone, cameras, sunshade snacks and so on. Without a hip belt pocket, you will need to take off your backpack anytime you need an item which can be very frustrating.
In spite of this slight disadvantage, it’s still worth every dollar spent. It comes with water pockets which are set high and ensure your bottles don’t fall off while on the move, although it’s a bit more difficult to reach the water bottle as compared with other backpacks.
Pros and Cons
Best Ultralight Backpacks – Buyer’s Guide
Backpacks are everywhere; hence, there is a need to pay keen attention to details before making a buying decision. Knowing how difficult this can be, we have made it easy by highlighting the features to look out for. They include:
Weight
This is an important factor to consider before buying a backpack. Purchase a pack which is lightweight yet comfortable, and durable as well as it won’t do to have a backpack that keeps dragging you down and slowing down your pace.
Frame
Since you are looking for a lightweight backpack, it’s best to go for one with a less bulky frame but instead featuring modern materials and having a good design as well. Most regular backpacks have a simple structure and yet can carry loads up to 35lb.
On the other hand, if you plan on carrying heavy loads, then it’s best to purchase one with a sturdier frame. Backpacks with more sturdy frame feature extra padding and are mostly constructed with strong materials to counterbalance the weight and stress of the load.
Materials
Most often, two materials are used in the construction of a backpack, and these are the cuben fiber, which although lighter is more expensive and then the ripstop nylon, which is cheaper but more cumbersome. Either of these will do just fine since both materials are functional and durable.
Price
Your backpack can last for many years if it’s well taken care of. With that being said, it’s essential to invest in a top-quality backpack; this, however, does not mean you need to break a bank while at it. There are many great products, all of which have been reviewed in this article which are affordable and yet made of the best material you can get.
Design
The reason you are looking to purchase a backpack in the first case is that it’s comfortable and will not cause damage to your body. If you wish to buy a bag with a lot of compartments, zippers, clips and straps, then that’s fine. But if it can be avoided try and do so, the simpler, the better.
Conclusion
We often need a few days or weeks off to have fun in the wild and commune with nature or just travel. But then you think of all you will need on your trip and how you can’t seem to find the perfect backpack to accommodate all you need, and then you forget all about that wonderful trip you have been planning for a long time.
Not anymore, with the products reviewed in this article, I’m sure you have been able to select one of the best ultralight backpacks to help make your trip a memorable one. So, go ahead and make a choice; you will be glad you did.
Hi, my name is Daniel Smith. I love traveling and hiking. I created 10Luggage to help people choose the best backpack, hiking, or travel bag.
Gregory Optic 48 seems to be the best one as it goes with a rain cover and it’s really handy. Recommend this backpack to everyone who’s still thinking what to buy.
Jade 38L is very good. And it is really waterproof. Once we walked in the valley of waterfalls, and we had to cross the river many times. I fell into the water, but the backpack was only covered with drops, nothing was wet inside. great thing!
My husband and I love to travel together, and so we bought two identical Granite Gear Crown VC 60 Backpacks. Satisfied with the purchase, the bags are comfortable, lightweight and spacious
I like to travel alone, it makes it possible to be alone with myself, with nature. And traveling light helps to get maximum pleasure. In my Osprey Packs Farpoint 40 Men’s Travel the Backpack is just the bare minimum. And the camera
There are straps inside the Osprey bag to hold your clothing/items down so they don’t move while in transit. It’s important
If you’re thinking of what size to buy, if you contact Osprey you can have a PDF file which tells you the ideal height for the sizes instead of using the dedicated app they have.
Gregory Optic 48 is a really comfortable backpack. Took it in a 3 day trip and it held up great. Not too many pockets or bells and whistles but just what I needed. Hopefully continues to withstand the elements.
I used many kinds of backpacks before Gregory Mountain Products. Just that really – I used to get a lot of back pain but having the weight transferred to my pelvis has completely eliminated this.
Marmot is as good as a northface or columbia and it costs only a fraction of the price. This is a very high-quality backpack, I bought this 28 liters because I need space for my camera and lenses, tripod, raincoat, fleese and food, I bought it for hiking porposes, most of hiking I do in cloud forest and rainforest, which I haven’t had any problems so far.
Marmot bag was great for me going camping with my sons Cub Scout troop. I’m 5’5” and it hit me in all the right places. It was also extremely light to carry and had lots of places to stash items.
I agree with the previous comment. Not only convenient, but also super reliable. Excellent locks!
I bought High Sierra backpack for my girlfriend after I checked a lot more. I really liked the price/performance ratio and the excellent feedback from other users.
Osprey – Hands down the best backpack for UL camping. It hangs off you so well when set up with the suspension system. I usually pack 16-20lbs in it but you could carry more.
TETON is really ultralight. Don’t know the others, but I have TETON for 2 years and it saves my back all this time
Now back from the Pennine Way and I can really recommend Osprey Packs Atmos backpack. I had to spend a little time getting the perfect fit for my back, it is a matter of adjusting and readjusting, but when I found it, I could tell immediately.
When you want your bag to really weigh down your load, I choose Gregory. They use really lightweight fabric so you don’t have to worry about carrying anything other than what’s in your luggage