Most comfortable pack, off the back with a reasonable weight?

[Troy Ammons]

Been out of the loop for a while.

What is the most comfortable pack with some sort of frame to keep it off the back with a reasonable weight? Maybe like under 2#.

Doesn’t have to be SUL.

 

[Lester Moore]

frame to keep it off the back… under 2#

The Zpacks Arc Blast or Arc Hull might fit your needs.

[Beth K]

I agree – Zpacks Arc Haul.  It is very comfortable. Mine is 27 ounces but I added the lumbar pad, wallet, side pockets, and loops for stashing my hiking poles.  Added a couple ounces to the base weight.

[Brad Rogers]

Under 2lb – SWD Long Haul 50

Under 3lb – Seek Outside Gila or Divide

[JCH]

Zpack Arc Haul is also my choice.

[Vincent Vilcinskas]

I’ll put in a second vote for the Seek Outside packs.

[David Caudwell]

ZPacks Arc Blast – I’ve had mine on hundreds of trail miles, it’s been on trains, on planes (in the hold and as a carry-on), bouncing about on the top of long-distance buses in Asia, and it’s still not got a scratch on it. Despite gaining some weight since its inception, it’s still the lightest arc-framed pack (as far as I know) and it’s 99% waterproof (just don’t go scuba-diving with it!).

I see no need to go with the Arc Haul (with which you gain weight and lose water resistance). This is still a tough pack for most uses.

It’s not flawless – I think the load-capacity is considerably less than claimed (for me 30lb is the absolute max and I’m much happier with it at 25lb and under)); the adjustments are fiddly and prone to “resetting themselves” sometimes, and it takes time to learn how to adjust it right. However, once learned and, assuming it’s not over-packed, I find it a great UL framed pack!

 

[John Mc]

I’ll 2nd the Superior Wilderness Design SWD packs…..

[BPLwiia]

I’m totally sold on the Seek Outside packs. In my opinion, it is the most comfortable pack I’ve ever owned and significantly more comfortable than either my McHale or Zpacks packs.

I chose the Revolution suspension system (rather than the integrated) in case I ever need to use the breakaway capability. I chose the Fortress 6,300 which weighs the same as the Peregrine 3,500 but provides significantly more room yet rolls down into nothing when not needed.

 

[Gumbo]

+1 Seek Outside Divide. A little heavier, but so darn comfortable. If I was through hiking, would definitely be taking a hard look at SWD Long Haul 40 or 50.

The beauty of the Divide is that it’s super comfortable at 25 pounds (Wonderland Trail last year), but can also handle 60 pounds with ease (13 day Grand Canyon trip with dry camps the year before).

[E. L.]

Zpack Arc series

[Alex F]

I’ve got the Osprey Exos. It comes in a 48, 58 and 68 I think. I have the 58, it’s ultra comfortable and weighs about 2.5lbs or so.  I got it on sale at REI. It comes in a couple of different colors.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Osprey EXS 58

Never, ever heard anything but praises for its comfort so I bought it and “they” were right, most comfortable pack I’ve ever used in decades of backpacking.

“Off the back”? The EXOS trampoline mesh back has enough space to store my Z-rest sit pad and still have plenty of air flow.

 

[David P]

• -12-25 lbs fully loaded- Superior 40 from Superior Wilderness Designs.

Very comfortable pack although not technically “off the Back” design, the shape of the stays makes it so there’s some airflow. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of customizing the details of this pack when purchasing and am struck by its performance so far. (2 seasons) Little details like shock cords in the side pockets so when you bend over or scramble your bottles or other items don’t fal out, removable stays, just enough external loops to be useful without being cluttered with doodads… functional and beautiful Brandon has excellent attention to customer requests and remarkable craftsmanship.

25-40 lbs (winter or w/ my son) Osprey Exos 58

have to also declare this pack the most comfortable for me, I’ve been using for about six years. It “hugs” my back like no other, hipbelt is very ergonomic, it’s user friendly and tweakable to remove things you may not need. I got my old exos 48 down to 2lbs 3ozs with modifications. Tons of attachments which are handy in winter for me where I switch from running with snowshoes to skiing and have extra gear that may need to be lashed on.

[BH]

Exos 58. It carries weight more comfortably than packs twice its weight.

[AlpineIce]

I’ve been happy with Gregory’s Optic 48

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