Light Weight Backpacks

Recently I have spent entirely too much time sifting through ultralight backpack ideas. There is a ton of information out there from the backpacking community but I didn't find much in the way geared towards runners doing the fast packing thing.

Some things to note about my criteria.

Capacity

I was looking for something that fit the 30-40 litre range which is a sweet spot for 2-4 day fast packing adventures given the rest of my setup. Some of the packs have tight shapes which would dictate different packing methods and gear. Importantly, the capacity often includes the external pouches and mesh and not just the pack interior. The weight capacity of the pack itself should also be taken into consideration. Some manufacturers supplied a number but anything over 18-20 pounds on a frameless pack can get dicey.

Belts and Weight

I <3 waist belts so I didn't seriously consider any packs without them. Some of the weights below don't count the belts, or in the case of the custom ones don't count extra pockets. There is a lot of back and forth over fabric types, but the reviews and manufacturers are good about letting you know when a fabric is too light to be considered durable (Murmur 36 is a good example).

In the end I ordered the MLD Burn 38L because it seemed the most versatile and light with a touch of durability. The runner up was the Gossamer Gear Kumo which was a little heavier (I think they use a thicker fabric). I'll see how my choice pans out...