Pa'lante Packs Alpine Pack

At 18.6 oz the Pa'lante V2 is the clearest expression of the frameless ultralight philosophy: no frame, no stays, no lid, and a bottom pocket instead of a brain. It only works for hikers whose base weight is low enough that a frame is genuinely unnecessary.

Sized for long water carries, the Desert Pack is Pa'lante's higher-volume frameless pack: 37 L in the 17 in torso and 43 L in the 19 in. The brown UHMWPE gridstop version weighs 18.2-18.8 oz; a white Ultraweave 400X build costs $300. It uses a webbing belt, and a $270 variant swaps in the Joey's vest straps.

Running-vest shoulder straps go on the Joey, Pa'lante's small frameless pack holding 24 L in the main body. The purple UHMWPE gridstop version weighs 14.1 oz with standard straps; a black Ultraweave 200X build costs $300. There is no hipbelt and no back pad unless you buy the $330 pad-and-sleeve variant.

LiteAF builds to order in ECOPAK, a recycled laminate that is waterproof like Ultra but made from post-consumer polyester. At 13 oz for 45 L of total volume (a 30 L body plus 15+ L of external pockets) it is one of the lightest packs on this site, and it comes in four torso sizes.

The Exodus is Mountain Laurel Designs' 55 L frameless pack, offered in a choice of UltraGrid or Ultra X fabrics which is why the price runs from $245 to $325. At 1 lb 2 oz for 58 L of measured volume it has one of the best weight-to-volume ratios here.

Now built in UltraGrid throughout, the Ohm is ULA's lighter framed pack: 55 L, 30.4 oz, rated to 30 lb. A 3/4 roll-top with a sewn-in Y-strap closes it, and the side pockets are bellowed UltraGrid.