3F UL Gear Tutor Ultra 35

The Qidian Pro is the budget entry to ultralight: 56 L at 31 oz for $92, using a UHMWPE-blend nylon that imitates the gridstop fabrics on packs costing four times as much. It is included because it is genuinely tested and genuinely cheap, not because it matches the others.

Outdoor Vitals puts a vest harness on its Skyline 30 fastpack: 23 L main plus pockets for 26 L total in S/M, or 31 L total in the large. It weighs 20.6 oz in S/M without the two soft flasks that ship with it, and Outdoor Vitals rates it to 20 lb for base weights of 10 lb or less.

The Kumo is Gossamer Gear's frameless 36 L, using the removable SitLight pad as both back structure and camp seat. At $180 it is one of the best-value frameless packs available.

A vest-style harness and a detachable Fastbelt carrying zip stretch-mesh pockets turn the 36 L Kumo into the Fast Kumo, a fastpacking take on the pack. It weighs 20.7 oz (S/M) or 21.5 oz (M/L) and costs $190.

The Virga3 is Granite Gear's frameless ultralight pack: 1.68 lb as sold, or 1.18 lb stripped of the hipbelt. Granite Gear states a clear 25 lb ceiling, which is more than most cottage brands publish, and offers two torso sizes plus two hipbelt ranges.

The CDT is the largest of ULA's frameless packs and the cheapest way into the brand. UltraGrid is a doubled 200D recycled grid fabric that resists tears well beyond its weight, and ULA states a clear 25 lb ceiling rather than leaving it to inference.