ZPacks Exo and MLD Exodus FS

I just received my zpacks Exo pack and I took it round the block, first with 20lbs of gear and then with 30 lbs of gear. For an 11 oz pack it handles the weight admirably, putting the weight on my hips where I want it. The hip belt is very comfortable, not cushy comfort but it felt good. I ordered mine with a hydration sleeve and it's nice to have that cool on my back. The pack will carry a bear canister vertically but not horizontally however my smaller bare boxer contender fit horizontally. The only complaint I have with the pack is I would like longer shoulder straps but others may not have that problem. I'll post a review once I get it out in the brush cross country. I like the narrow width of the pack, it should keep the load closer to my back.

I've owned an osprey Atmos 50, a Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone, an Osprey EXOS 34 a ULA Circuit, a GG Gorilla and several zpacks blasts and out of all them I think this is going to be my goto pack!

Just to show the pack width, here is photo with the Exo and a Nimbus Ozone side by side.

Anthony,

Thank you! This is what I was looking for. Did you notice any issues with the straight stays comfort wise? I'm planning on adding the option of using my thinlight pad as a cushion against my back but I was wondering how it felt without that. In was also wondering if the pack while loaded felt like it was pulling away from your back.

I came into this thread thinking you had a Zpacks Exo and a MLD Exodus for sale. FS = For Sale. :)

That would be a good problem for me to have :)

No the stays cause no discomfort for me and handle the load. I've owned the osprey EXOS 34 and 58 and the zpacks exo does as good as if not better job of putting the weight on your hips. It took me quite a while to get used to a frameless pack because you stuff them and then they get rounded and I like it to stay flat. However I've found if I stuff my sleeping bag in the bottom it rides well against my back and is almost flat and without the pad. The pack does not pull away from my back; it's the one complaint I have. I wish the shoulder straps were longer. If you purchase one ask for longer shoulder straps, you can alway cut shorter later. For 11 oz a very comfortable pack. It really handled the 30 lbs well, part of it is the shape of the pack, it's a lean wide pack. It's a smaller volume than the large blast. I'm very happy with it.

This pack sounds even more promising now. I was concerned with the frame being straight carbon rods instead of being curved like the frame in the Osprey Exos. Sounds like that doesn't matter. I'm interested in your full review after you use it on a trip!

..

Joe Valesko has put up a YouTube video of his Exo Pack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuskqsfW7Tg

Great look at the stays, too.

Just wanted to bump this one up for further discussion. I am leaning towards the ULA Circuit or MLD Exodus FS at the moment. I like the MLD offering due to the lower weight and volume reduction capabilities. Anyone received their Exodus FS that can weigh in?

Heath, I'm curious why you decided against the zpacks? I need a new pack too and was leaning towards the Zpacks with the new hybrid cuben fabric.

I think the main reason is due to the volume reduction on the Exodus and Exodus FS. With the Exo being smaller it is more like the Ohm and Ohm 2.0 in my mind. I guess that I am trying to find a single pack that will work for the majority of my trips instead of buying 2. I had thought about buying both the Ohm 2.0 and the Circuit since both together would only be about $100 more than the Exodus FS with options. After thinking about it though, maybe it makes more sense for me to go with just the Exodus FS and have a single pack for both summer and 3 season trips.

I am still considering my options though. This could change tomorrow :)

Hi Anthony

thanks for taking the time to post comments on this pack. How do you think it would go with more than 30lbs in it? What would the upper limit of comfort be for you…and what do you think it could handle without breaking? Is there much scope to beef up the stays…would they be a strength issue with big loads?

Cheers,

Adam

I'm very interested in seeing people's comments on the MLD Exodus FS, as well as the ZPacks model. I recall a BPL article on packs by Will R. where he said having stays added to most of the frameless packs does NOT yield a true framed pack because they didn't really get the weight on the hips. I'd like to see if these 2 new designs actually achieve it.

+1 – I am looking forward to additional reports/shared experiences of zPacks Exo in particular. I often have to carry a lot of water, so am interested in upper end load bearing. (I have a Circuit I am currently happy with for pack weights of 30-40lbs, but am intrigued by the Exo. I might just break down and take the plunge anyway…)

Just wanted to update that I received my Exodus FS. Typical MLD quality! I loaded it up with my gear with everything except for water and food and I like the fit and feel of the pack. Obviously not a good test since I wasn't fully loaded. However, the inflatable back pad and carbon rod feels sturdier to me than my old SMD Traveler pack with aluminum stays and z-lite. Looking forward to trying it out on the trail soon.

Would love to hear actual feedback from those that have carried either pack on a few trips. Thanks

Just wanted to update on my usage of my Exodus FS. I love this pack! Definitely fits my gear and packing style better than my SMD Traveler. I've been out with it for the past 3 weekends for day hikes of between 3 to 5 miles each. I loaded the pack with between 20 and 24 pounds each time. The inflatable back pad and small carbon rod seems to work very well. It definitely feels stiffer than my old pack while using a z-lite and stays. Maybe it's because it seems to fit closer to my back. I won't be out on another multi day trip until March but from my day hikes i can tell that this pack is going to be comfortable. If I had to change anything it would be to add an additional piece of mesh to the top of the backpanel since i did notice my back getting hot. This would be the same with any pack that uses mostly fabric instead of mesh for the backpanel though.

The pack is a standard Exodus besides the carbon rods and Klymit pad. I seem to be able to find a place to attach anything that I need to and the compression system for smaller loads is remarkable.

I definitely recommend this pack.

I commented already two weeks ago in another thread the following. In the meantime we went on a 20 mile weekend trip. I carried 27 lbs with relatively full bear canister which worked fine in the Exo. But in my setup with a Z-Lite (10 panels) in the sleeve I felt like the distance between my back and the bear canister is a little too big. So for the next weekend I exchanged that for a 4-panel Z-Lite (and a NeoAir for a sleeping pad) and took it on a 5 mile hike with the same 27 lbs. That setup felt more comfortable. Both setups work for me, but I think I will take the two oz penalty of having the Neoair and the Z-lite seat pad instead of just a Z-lite sleeping pad — the Exo carries heavier loads better for me in that setup.

Manfred

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I received my Zpacks Exo last month. I intend to replace my Osprey Exos 58 with it and take it on a three week trip on the JMT. The pack alone would save me over 1.5 lbs. Here are some observations based on short day trips of 5+ miles with my children. Once I complete several longer weekend trips I will decide whether to switch.

1) Bearicade Expedition fits and leaves enough space for other gear
2) Platypus 2l bladder doesn't fit with Bearicade at the same time in the pack (so I put it in a side pocket, which works well)
3) Sleeve for sleeping pad works well for my short Z-Lite (10 panels)
4) Carrying the bear canister without the sleeping pad as buffer is a no-go for me. So if I ever change to an inflatable pad like the new NeoAir, I would need a seating pad (Z-lite with 4 panels) as a cushion in the sleeve.
5) The stays are transferring the weight well to the hip.
6) Hip belt and shoulder strap work fine with roughly 25 lbs
7) Sleeping pad in outside sleeve works great as "cushion" for bear canister, but my back gets way sweatier compared to the mesh panel on the Exos 58.
8) Without sleeping pad (and without bear canister), I can feel the stays of the frame. May be better packing technique would resolve that. For me it is currently a non-issue, because my current sleeping pad fits well, but I wanted to see how the pack carries without the pad in the sleeve.

My initial impressions are very good. I need to put more miles on the pack, carry more weight (35+ lbs for 10 days without resupply on the JMT) and test the daily routine of getting this or that out of the pack and putting it back in. With my Osprey Exos 58 I have everything dialed in and went to Philmont, on the JMT and the SHR last summer – the pack works great for me. I got the ZPacks Exo in an attempt to re-evaluate my gear list and lighten up some more. So far I got my list for the JMT down from 17 lbs to 12.5 lbs (with 1.5 lbs saved by the pack). Since I have to carry some stuff for my daughters, there are limits to what I can save, but there is still room, if I would give up gadgets like GPS, Solar charger, etc.

Manfred

Just wanted to put another update into this thread. Went out this weekend to Deep Creek in GSMNP for a 3 night trip. I started the trip off with around 25.5 pounds loaded into my Exodus FS and I am happy to report that it performed great! I inflated the klymit frame at the trailhead and left it alone for the rest of the trip. Pack load was definitely transferred to my hips and this weight felt very comfortable in the pack. In fact, I can't think of anything that I would change about the pack.

I LOVE my exo pack from Zpacks. I don't see how anyone could be disappointed with this pack.

Manfred,

Thanks for completely unpacking your Exo at the GGG to make it possible for me to try to stash my Bearikade Weekender inside it horizontally. As we observed, the Weekender fits vertically, but not horizontally. The way I arrange my gear inside my pack, I really would prefer to carry my bear can horizontally.

Still, I'm intrigued by the possible weight savings of the Exo, and I look forward to reading about your impressions when you've put more mileage on yours.

One thing of particular concern to me was your following comment:

"my back gets way sweatier compared to the mesh panel on the Exos 58." It would greatly appreciate hearing more about this issue as you start using the Exo in hotter weather.

Just finished 42mi 3days using the Exo pack and here are a few impressions (averaged 12-13 lb total pack weight, ranging from 15 to 10) :
Compared to the Exos 58 I used before, this pack was better fitting (for me) and the ability to play with the frame length was great. The weight difference is huge obviously. Moreover, I did not miss any of the Osprey features. Size is also very comparable, but the Zpacks Exo sits better/ feels tighter.
The padded belt is great, very easy to transfer weight to hips.
Had no hint of discomfort on shoulders, hips or anywhere else.
Could not feel the frame once the pack was packed.
I do not have the pad holder, but packed an open sleeping bag, with no bear canister there was no pressure on my back.
The material feels very solid, very little bushwhacking on this trip, but not a scratch. Sawing looks impeccable.
I did not feel ventilation was much different than the Exos since I would release the shoulder straps and let the pack lean backwards slightly mostly supported on my waist. This provided excellent ventilation.
The side pockets are wonderfully designed, I am not very flexible and could easily reach both. 2L platy full fits easily.
Load lifters did not do much for me, but did not bother me either.
The added belt pouches are huge, really huge, they were not in my way, but I kept trying to figure out what else I can put there beyond lunch, snacks, phone, sunscreen, mosquito replant, lip balm…
Summary: I think this is as close to a perfect pack I could think of. Every aspect is well designed, super light and feels very solid at the same time. Still have to try it with a bear canister, but given that I could not feel any discomfort on long days, I expect 4-5 more lbs would not be an issue on longer trips (with usually less daily average miles).

Diana,

I have now used the Exo in warmer weather and on longer trips. Here is a trip report for a 60 mile weekend with my daughter. In one of the last photos you can see that I'm now carrying my water in bottles in the shoulder strap pockets.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=63814&skip_to_post=546004#546004

That is the one major change I have made between the GGG and now. Not using a water bladder any longer, saves me additional weight and it works suprisingly well. Unlike Yossi – who commented above – I'm pulling the pack as close to my back as possible. The issue of my back sweating has stayed the same. It is not any worse in warmer weather or on longer hikes. But there is clearly a noticable difference to the mesh panel on the Osprey. Nevertheless I prefer the Exo and will take it on the JMT this summer.

Best Regards,

Manfred

"Still have to try it with a bear canister, but given that I could not feel any discomfort on long days, I expect 4-5 more lbs would not be an issue on longer trips (with usually less daily average miles)."

Zpacks says the Exo can handle up to 30lbs. Do you feel that would be too much weight for the pack or shoulders to handle?