Kelty Backpacks
Kelty has 6 backpacks on PackRanker, priced from $110 to $280. The highest-rated Kelty pick is the Kelty Asher 55 at 4.6★. Compare the full lineup below.
In 1952 Dick Kelty bent aircraft aluminum tubing into a frame in his Glendale, California living room and sold one of the first external-frame packs made for civilian hikers, with a padded waistband that moved the weight from the shoulders to the hips. He is credited with inventing the aluminum-framed backpack. Kelty is now based in Broomfield, Colorado, owned by Exxel Outdoors, and sells tents and sleeping bags alongside packs.
The lineup is small and priced below most of the big pack makers, and it is built around one choice: a framed internal pack or an external frame. The Trekker 65 at $280 is the external-frame option, rated for 50-70 lbs, with a frame that takes bulky loads lashed outside the bag. The internal-frame packs step up in load rating rather than features. The Asher 55 at $170 is the entry point, rated for 25-45 lbs with an adjustable torso from 15.5 to 21 inches. The Nena 60 at $180 is the women's pack, rated for 40-60 lbs. The Glendale 65 and Glendale 65 W, both $280, carry 30-60 lbs, and the women's version adjusts down to a 14 inch torso, shorter than most packs reach. The Asher 35 at $110 is a framed pack for long day hikes with a hipbelt, sized for one fixed 18.1 inch torso.
Kelty covers its backpacks against manufacturing defects for the reasonable lifetime of the product, which the warranty spells out does not mean the owner's lifetime. It excludes accidents, weather and animal damage, and normal wear, and it applies only to packs bought from authorized sellers in the United States. Damage outside warranty can be repaired at a charge.
Testers found the Asher 55's suspension most comfortable up to about 30 lbs, within Kelty's 25-45 lb optimal carry range, and reviewers value the adjustable torso and hipbelt pockets on a first pack. They place it as a starter pack, trading fabric refinement and long-term durability for price. Before buying, check torso length on the Asher 35, which does not adjust, and if you plan heavy multi-day loads, look at the Glendale 65 instead. The Coyote 65 is no longer sold by Kelty, so any still for sale is old stock.
Sources: kelty.com, kelty.com, en.wikipedia.org, carryology.com
Kelty
Kelty Asher 55
The Asher is Kelty's value backpacking pack. At $170 and 3 lb 2 oz it undercuts everything with comparable capacity, and reviewers consistently place it as the budget pick.
Weight
3.13 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 65 L / 85 L
Kelty
Kelty Asher 35
Kelty's budget Asher line ends at the daypack-sized Asher 35, with an HDPE frame sheet behind an AMP-Flow ventilated back and a stated 10-25 lb carry range. At 1.75 lb for 35 L it is light for a framed pack with a hipbelt, and the 600D polyester oxford body is the same fabric as the 55 L backpacking version. A 24 L sibling uses the same design for $20 less.
Weight
1.75 lbs
Capacity
35 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 24 L
Kelty
Kelty Glendale 65 W
Extending the Fit-Plus torso range down to 14 in, the women's Glendale 65 keeps the unisex pack's perimeter frame, anti-barreling stay and 30-60 lb rating. Price and weight are identical to the men's version. It is one of the few women's-specific packs rated to 60 lb under $300.
Weight
4.75 lbs
Capacity
65 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Kelty
Kelty Glendale 65
Kelty's top framed backpacking pack, the Glendale uses a perimeter frame, an aluminium anti-barreling stay and the Fit-Plus system that adjusts both torso length and hipbelt. Kelty rates it for 30-60 lb, which puts it in the same load class as the Osprey Atmos AG 65 at $90 less. The 65 is the headline size; the 85 and 105 L versions use the same suspension.
Weight
4.75 lbs
Capacity
65 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Also in 85 L / 105 L
Kelty
Kelty Nena 60
Kelty's women's-specific budget backpacking pack is the Nena 60: a perimeter frame, an AMP-Flow ventilated back and an adjustable 15.5-21 in torso for $180. Kelty rates it for 40-60 lb, the same ceiling as the $280 Glendale, at 3.31 lb. It is a top-loader with a sleeping-bag compartment and a centre hydration port.
Weight
3.31 lbs
Capacity
60 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Kelty
Kelty Trekker 65
External-frame backpacking packs are nearly gone, and the Trekker 65 is one of the last still in production, built on an aluminium frame with a 65 L top-loading bag and a spindrift collar. Kelty rates it for 50-70 lb, matching the Asher 85 for the highest carry range in its line, and the frame holds the load off the back for airflow. At 5.31 lb it is also the heaviest pack Kelty sells.
Weight
5.31 lbs
Capacity
65 L
Frame
External Frame
Kelty
Kelty Coyote 65
The Coyote 65 is Kelty's long-running value hauler and a fixture of 'best budget backpacking pack' lists for over a decade. Kelty has dropped it from its current lineup, so retailers now sell remaining stock at closeout prices — which makes it an even stronger budget buy while it lasts. A women's-specific version was sold as the Coyote 60.
Weight
4.9 lbs
Capacity
65 L
Frame
Internal Frame
Kelty against other brands
Kelty backpacks: common questions
Should I buy the Kelty Trekker 65 or the Glendale 65?▾
Both are $280. The Trekker 65 is an external-frame pack rated for 50-70 lbs that keeps the load off your back and carries bulky gear well. The Glendale 65 is an internal-frame pack rated for 30-60 lbs that rides closer to the body on uneven trail.
Is the Kelty Asher 55 a good first backpacking pack?▾
Reviewers put it in that niche: it has an adjustable torso from 15.5 to 21 inches and hipbelt pockets at $170. Testers found it most comfortable up to about 30 lbs and note that the fabric is less refined and may not last as long as pricier packs.