Sub 1lb packs with adjustable torso?

Oh, I should say “other than the Nero” from Zpacks as it’s too big for her. 18″ won’t even fit my 5’6″ wife, not sure what Zpacks is doing there…

ULA makes the Circuit with a 12-18″ back iirc. A stripped Circuit is more than a pound though.

MLD Core maybe? No adjustable torso but should be small enough for her.

What volume are you looking for?  It wouldn’t be adjustable but I’d look for the small women’s daypack market with 20-25L of volume.  For example the Osprey Tepest has 20L volume and adjustable torso and is 1.5lbs.

if you have a compact sleeping bag for her 20L would work pretty well assuming you are carrying the shelter.

My daughter is using the Osprey Jet 18 right now and it’s about a pound but she is is only about 4’6 so you would be starting to size out of that pack.

Matthew, Circuit is too heavy. Great pack but heavier than she needs. Might work for her in a few years but right now we need something sub 1lb.
Fabian, Core would be great if they were adjustable and smaller.

She’s only 55lbs so her comfort is at 5-7lbs total weight thus an extra pound is reducing what she can carry by about 20%.

The REI Flash 22 L weighs 14.5 ounces and the total height of the pack is only 18″, so the torso length would be at least 2 inches shorter than that. These packs always fit me poorly due to the Hobbit sized torso lengths, so it could be perfect for a 4’10” child.

Greg, Jet was on my radar. Not a lot of volume though. She doesn’t carry much weight but what she carries if bulky.  They are online order but I suppose I could return it if it doesn’t hold enough.
On top of the stuffie she carries a stuffie pillow (those 2 are about 2 lbs and about the volume of 2 quilts)
She also carries a Revelation Apex (20oz)
Inflatable pad (13oz)

Really would like to find something like an MLD Burn with adjustable torso.

BTW, measured her torso, she’s 13″ right now

Lester, I’ll drop by REI and see if they are short enough. REI claims 15-18″ torso lengths but who knows…

I wonder if Laurent at KS ultralight would do something custom. I heard he’s good about that stuff. Saw a review recently where someone had a KS40 with a frame at 16oz. A smaller pack with a mod to make it adjustable might be worth a look.

Good idea Nick, I sent him a message! A extra small custom 30L with load lifters to make it somewhat adjustable might actually work and would be in the 300g range, that would be fantastic!

I’m going to suggest a very different approach.  Rather than get a “real” backpack below a pound, how about a UL daypack below 3 ounces?

Stuffed animals, a quilt and sleeping pad aren’t a #10 can of peaches (I’ve put those in kids’ packs in 1970s).  They are soft, low-density and often the biggest benefit of what the child carries is its VOLUME not its weight, since the adult’s pack is short of volume.

What I’ve used on our kids until they are 70-80 pounds is a light-weight sil-nylon daypack.  2.7 or 3.2 ounces, they hold about 18 liters.  No padding, no hip belt, minimal shoulder straps, but all of that is fine with 4 or 5 pounds in it.  Here’s Sea to Summit’s 20-liter 2.4-ounce version:

$32.95 at REI or $21.95 + $3.45 postage at: www.trekkinn.com

I can vouch for the fit and usefulness of the Sea-to-Summit one.  I’ve also had good luck with some cheaper options out of China on eBay.  Can’t find them now, but I got some supposedly “Bear Grylls” 18-liter, sil-nylon, highly packable day packs for $11 each.  Searching eBay today, I see some tempting 35-liter versions for $9 + $3 shipping out of China, but they give no weight on it.

Okay, so you don’t get a UL backpack for you to use, but you do get a UL daypack for you to use 1) as over-flow volume such as after a food resupply on a thru hike or for a few longer waterless stretches – wear it on your chest in those cases, 2) as a multiple purpose item in your larger pack as a stuff sack and as a day pack for side trips, 3) when traveling, should there be “mission creep” and you need more luggage capacity on your way home, 4) when around town, it fits in your pocket on the way out but helps haul your groceries on bus/bike ride home.

I suspect the only way you will meet all of your requirements is to go custom.

That said, Have you looked at the GG Murmur?

My daughter is about the same size as yours. I ended up get this pack for her.

https://www.trekkinn.com/outdoor-mountain/vaude-puck-10/135958220/p

It comes with a little sitting pad and rain cover.

The build quality is great and weighs 1.1lbs.

They also make a slightly bigger version:

https://www.trekkinn.com/#/dffullscreen/exclude%5Bunavailable_in%5D%5B0%5D=210&query=puck&query_name=match_and

There used to be a Cottage company that made beautiful kids packs. Little Light Gear.  It doesn’t exist anymore but was what you were looking for

http://hikeitlikeit.com/2011/little-light-gear-ron-rod/

It looks like Matt Kirk might not be making his sub 60 pack any more https://sub60.wikispaces.com/pack

(website says sold out) but a bunch of people on BPL bought one–maybe you could post a want-to-buy in Gear Swap?  Or if you sew or know someone who does, Matt posted the instructions on how to make your own. Totally adjustable torso size, shoulder strap spacing width, hip belt.

If you do a BPL search on the pack you’ll see a number of pictures of people who used this pack for their young kids.

Gossamer gear has the quick sack 26 and a peak bag in 26L aswell.  Those might work for you.  The green quick sack was on clearance.  Theres a sleeve on the inside to put a pad in it to stiffen it up on the back. I have it in grey and find it extremely comfortable. They have a 36L kumo that might fit her.

Thanks everyone!
That Sub60 pack looks pretty awesome, wish I had any sewing skills and I’d make one from the instructions. Would be great to make it from a slightly more tough fabric (my same issue with many of the 3-5oz nylon bags) as they’d be fine with me using them but I can’t expect my kids to be super careful here in the lava rocks.