Looking beyond how much space your gear takes up in a pack, it’s also important to ballpark the total weight. That said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better deal among lightweight packs, making the Flash a wonderful option for weight- and budget-conscious backpackers. The pack features a plethora of customizable features, including a variety of removable straps, top lid that doubles as a chest or fanny pack, and roll-top closure for securing loads of varying sizes. A close-fitting style that is designed to hug the body and provide a streamlined appearance, which can enhance movement and performance during physical activity.

Top, side, and bottom access to the main compartment make it easy to locate items inside, and a front zippered pocket with a mesh divider is a great place for odds and ends. Many packs we tested feature a way to move the shoulder straps up and down to adjust the torso length. While at 60 liters and more, you have enough space to take on a few additional items—great for parents with kids in tow.

Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). And if you’re not carrying a full pack, the compression straps on the sides, base and under the front flap can be used to reduce the volume. And with a spring 2022 update, the most recent Exos tacks on a convenient torso-length adjustment and reintroduces hipbelt pockets to the design (surprisingly, these had been removed in the previous version).

They also usually come with chest straps and hip belts to make carrying a heavy load more comfortable. v=1685989831","width":1024},{"alt":null,"id":34192418177329,"position":6,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1. A number of ultralight packs are designed for thru-hikers and minimalists, but our top pick is the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55.

However, two useful items missing on the Glacier are hipbelt pockets and a large mesh shove-it pocket on the back. All of our testers agreed that the Granite Gear Blaze 60 has a robust suspension, while the pack is super light (3.