Overnight Packs

Featured review by Brent Mills

A great pack for lightweight and ultralight backpackers.

I originally purchased this bag to use as a daypack when hiking with my girlfriend. However, this was around the same time I started moving to ultralight hiking and now I use it for any kind of hiking / backpacking trip. I have only had this pack for about two months, but have already put over 250 miles on it with various loads. FIT I found the large REI Trail 40 to be a little bit on the small side (I'm 6'2"), but only slightly. The pack sits very comfortably, but the hip-belt is very slightly above where I would expect it to sit.

Read more: REI Trail 40 reviews (4)

Featured review by Andrew F.

The Coulee 40 could either be a really large daypack, think carry stuff for a small family, or serve you for overnights with lightweight gear. The two fiberglass stays help it carry quite a bit of weight comfortably, and the hip and lumbar pads are very good as well. The key feature that makes this backpack great is the three zippers that allow full access to everything. It's outstanding, my new favorite smaller backpack.

BASIC DETAILS ABOUT THIS BACKPACK The Coulee 40 is a backpack from Mystery Ranch, the Montana-based backpack company founded by the same guy that brought us Dana Design backpacks years ago. This pack holds about 2400 cubic inches of your stuff, primarily in the main storage area, but with a few interesting other spots. The frame consists of a shoulder "harness" that incorporates a hard plastic piece and adjusts up and down to fit your torso length to a "T", a wide-ish hip belt that wraps around your hip bones and keeps weight off your shoulders, and two synthetic/composite stay rods inside the pack that make up the key portion of the internal frame.  Adjustments abound on this backpack.

Read more: Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 reviews (2)

Featured review by Twig

The 2400 Southwest internal frame, DCF backpack is a minimalist’s dream. It holds just enough for an overnight or for a multi-month journey, it just depends on the user. It also seems up for the challenge of lasting through multiple long thru-hikes. I considered a long list of packs for my thru-hikes and this one came out on top, for good reason.

Conditions of Testing: I bought this pack in September of 2017. While owning it for less than a year, I have put over 2,000 miles on it so far. I used it on a 170-mile section hike of the AT and then for a 4-month thru-hike of New Zealand’s 3000 km Te Araroa.  I plan to use it again for my upcoming 2018 PCT thru-hike. It's hard not to feel a bit sentimental over something that has been so integral to my happiness this past year, but at the same time, given my extensive use of it, I am also comfortable in giving it such high praise.

Read more: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest reviews (4)

Featured review by Ed

I'm a big fan of this pack. Like most things I buy, I got it on sale so I'm happy with the price (around $80). At first i thought i would not like the shoulder straps or the back panels that contact your body. They seemed bulkier than necessary. Well, i was wrong. Both have been great. The straps are very adjustable and were very comfortable on a recent 15 mile hike (filled with 3L bladder, 2 MRE, GSI Soloist, Brunton Raptor, EMS Gortex rain shell, spare REI wool socks, and power bars).

Read more: The North Face Terra 40 reviews (6)

Featured review by Sprint Chicken

Best lightweight backpacking pack I've used. Definitely recommend for lightweight packing, for those who are not into ultralight backpacking and comfort is still important. Do not recommend for people packing heavier loads. I have definitely found that packing >30 lbs significantly and negatively affects comfort. Normally, my total pack weight is somewhere between 24-28 lbs, food and water included.

Fit: 5/5 stars, excellent fit. I am a woman 5'7", 135 lbs. I bought the pack when it was "unisex" or men's only, I have it in M. They have a women's specific version of this pack available now (Eja 38), which I have not used. I found the original unisex version of this pack to be perfect with no homemade modifications necessary for better fit. I was not able to try the pack in person as I bought it online. Going off of Osprey's recommended sizing measurements, I originally ordered a S, but I have a comparatively long torso, so a M fit me much better.   Comfort: 4.5/5 stars, excellent comfort.

Read more: Osprey Exos 38 reviews (3)

Featured review by Yul

Incredibly comfortable pack for long day hikes. Superb quality, but with bad pocket design.

I've used this pack for nearly four years now. It's my everyday pack for work as well as long day hikes.   Comfort and Suspension: The suspension system is unbelievable, and even in its maximum load, it makes the weight disappear. I can snugly fit the pack to my back, thus it eliminates any momentum while moving. I experienced no hot spots or too much friction on the waist belt. It's relatively ventilated with a mesh back, a mesh shoulder and waist straps, with foam lining, and a space between the body of the pack and the mesh panel.

Read more: Osprey Stratos 34 reviews (3)

Featured review by Byambaa

This is just about the perfect pack for me. As an archaeologist who does field survey walking and excavation in Asia, this pack has served my needs perfectly. Yes, it is slightly over the size regulations for acceptable carry-on luggage, but if it isn't bulging out of the seams, then you will be able to get on with most carriers (I still haven't had to have my Kestrel 38 checked in). The pack is comfortable, fits everything I need and is generally well designed. I'm not fond of packs with the trampoline style back air circulation system.

Read more: Osprey Kestrel 38 reviews (10)

Featured review by Chelsea Biondolillo

Well organized, makes weight balancing a breeze. I love the easy of getting stuff into and out of this pack, including myself. I wore this thing while hiking the W in Patagonia over six days with zero hotspots.

I was fitted for this pack at a big retailer—and I was most impressed with all of the points of adjustment that this pack offers. It is designed for women, but even then, I'm very short torso'd. Most packs gave me sore hips due to length, but this one cinched up great.  The pack is also organized well. The bag compartment keeps my sleep stuff in one place and the central compartment works well for weight balancing. I found the front of the pack (meaning the straps and hip belt) the least useful for anything other than tissues or lip balm, but what are you messing with the front of your pack for while hiking anyway? ;) Like all top load packs, how well the gear is organized/accessible is up to you.

Read more: Deuter ACT Lite 45+10 SL reviews (4)

Featured review by Giftogab

Comfortable day pack with good balance, a built-in rain cover and a great vented back panel.

This pack is IT! I bought it more than two years ago from REI in San Francisco. I am a plus size woman, 5'8" tall. I needed a pack that fit the bill for my upcoming Everest Base Camp Trek. I was fitted by the employee at REI who was an experienced back packer so I was thankful for his help. This is not the woman's version but it fits fantastically for my torso and hips and ....well....EVERYTHING! The hip belt is very comfortable with foam extending about to the actual point of my hip bones.

Read more: Deuter Futura Pro 42 reviews (6)

Reviewed by Jake W

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism is a 40-liter alpine-focused pack with attachments designed to carry your axes, pickets, tools, crampons, screws, skis, etc. It carries heavy loads well, boasts a woven Dyneema face fabric on high wear areas so it's incredibly durable, and can be stripped down to be an ultralight climber's dream. Mountaineers, ski tourers, ice and rock climbers will all appreciate the level of design put into this pack. My one criticism is I am not a huge fan of the G hooks (not a fan of G hooks in general, so there's nothing wrong with these ones in particular, I just don't like the style of securing a lid).

FIT AND COMFORT I am right on the edge of torso sizing (19-inch torso which borders Medium and Large) for most brands, HMG included. I usually prefer to go with the lower end and order the medium, same here. I do have previous knowledge that helped me in this decision as I own the medium torso HMG Ice pack and it fits me well. The Prism comes in four torso size options so it should be fairly easy to find a size that fits you: Small (15.0 - 17.0" torso) Medium (17.0 - 19.0" torso) Large (19.0 - 21.0" torso) Tall (21.0"+ torso)   The shoulder straps have nice padding and an S-shaped curve to them.

Read more: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism Pack review (1)