Best Ultralight Backpacks (2026)

The Arc Haul Ultra 60 is Zpacks' engineering statement: a 21.7-ounce pack whose carbon arc frame tensions a mesh panel off your back — the only true ventilation in the sub-1.5-lb class. Backpacker magazine named it the best ultralight pack of 2026.

The Unbound 40 is HMG's fast-and-light pack for dialed kits, with a stretch front pocket and bottom pocket aimed at hikers who move all day and camp minimally. At 40 liters it suits sub-10-lb base weights and shorter resupply intervals.

The Southwest 55 is Hyperlite Mountain Gear's flagship all-rounder, built in Maine from waterproof Dyneema composite with solid woven pockets for brush country. It's the pack that made white Dyneema the visual signature of modern thru-hiking.

The Kakwa 55 is Dan Durston's disruptively priced ultralight — under 2 lbs, a 45 lb load rating, and a 2026 update with a redesigned hipbelt, all starting around $200 in UltraGrid fabric. It has become the value benchmark every new UL pack gets measured against.

The Gorilla 50 is the Mariposa's smaller, symmetric sibling — 50 liters, under 2 lbs, and the classic 'second pack' people buy once their kit shrinks. It keeps the sit-pad back panel and Robic durability in a cleaner silhouette.

The Mariposa 60 is Gossamer Gear's signature pack, famous for its asymmetric pocket layout — one giant over-the-shoulder pocket that holds a tent, plus six more — and a removable back pad that doubles as a camp sit pad. It's the organized person's ultralight.

The Circuit is the thru-hiking pack — hand-made in Logan, Utah by ULA Equipment and a perennial #1 in Halfway Anywhere's PCT gear survey. Its 68 liters of total volume, bombproof Robic fabric, and 35 lb carry make it the default recommendation for first thru-hikes. An Ultra-fabric version is sold at a premium.

The Crown3 60 is the third generation of Granite Gear's beloved Crown line, a fixture of PCT gear surveys and the classic answer to 'ultralight on a budget.' The re-flow hipbelt is adjustable in length, and the frame sheet and lid strip out for a sub-2-lb minimum weight.

The Focal 58 is Gregory's answer to the Exos: an ultralight with a genuinely ventilated FreeFloat suspended mesh back and a dynamic pivoting hipbelt. The women's version is the Facet 55. It undercuts the Exos on features while matching it on weight.

The Catalyst is the Circuit's bigger sibling — 75 liters of total volume and a 40 lb rating for long food carries, winter kit, or bear-canister-plus-packraft loads. It's the UL pack for people whose trips outgrow the Circuit.

The Flash 55 is REI's ultralight value play — a roll-top pack with the co-op's Packmod system of removable pockets and straps, letting owners configure or strip it per trip. It's the cheapest credible ultralight framed pack from a major retailer.

The Exos 58 is Osprey's crossover ultralight — a sub-3-pound pack that keeps a real suspended-mesh frame and lifetime warranty. It has been an Appalachian Trail staple for a decade, and the current generation added an adjustable torso. The women's version is the Eja 58.