Following on from very positive reviews from Quixoticgeek of this parish I decided to give the Exped Lightning 60l rucksack a try as I was in the market for a lightweight bag suitable for overnight camping and fishing trips.
Julia had said the bag was very comfy and that it was great at transferring the weight onto the hips.
I took delivery of mine this week and the first impressions are good. Firstly the fabric and general construction is actually more robust than I expected of a bag weighing just over the 1kg mark. While it is not as indestructible as my previous LA Sting to be honest I suspect that the Exped is more that adequate for most general use and I don't foresee any significant wear/tear problems with it. The various plastic buckles feel a little "lightweight" (well, that's the point) but, again, I think they are fit for purpose.
Today was my first day out walking this year so at the minute I'm very unfit indeed. However, I filled the Exped with a reasonable weight in gear, cooking stuff, lunch and so on and headed out for a walk and it must be said that I found the bag very comfortable indeed. As Julia said it really is good at moving the weight to the hips and the simple back system works well. The only thing I found a big "odd" and the jury is still out on it is that there is a bend in the metal stay for the back system that causes it to contact my back a few inches down from the base of my neck. This is clearly a design thing, though I could probably bend it out a little, and sometimes I was noticing it and other times I wasn't. If I decide this is a "bad thing" then the solution is simple but at the minute I'm undecided.
The whole point of the lighter bag is to reduce my overall weight as I was carrying way too much weight last year. Having had my gear and the new rucksack on the scales I'm hopeful that this coming year I will be carrying about 1.5 stone (10 - 12kgs) for an overnight camp. Not super ultralight perhaps, but half, or less, of what I was carrying last year.
Now one short day out doesn't count as enough material for a detailed review but if you are looking for a lightweight bag that doesn't involve any compromises and is comfy then the Exped is certainly worth considering. Hopefully at the end of this year I will have enough material to post an actual review rather than just a preview.
Julia had said the bag was very comfy and that it was great at transferring the weight onto the hips.
I took delivery of mine this week and the first impressions are good. Firstly the fabric and general construction is actually more robust than I expected of a bag weighing just over the 1kg mark. While it is not as indestructible as my previous LA Sting to be honest I suspect that the Exped is more that adequate for most general use and I don't foresee any significant wear/tear problems with it. The various plastic buckles feel a little "lightweight" (well, that's the point) but, again, I think they are fit for purpose.
Today was my first day out walking this year so at the minute I'm very unfit indeed. However, I filled the Exped with a reasonable weight in gear, cooking stuff, lunch and so on and headed out for a walk and it must be said that I found the bag very comfortable indeed. As Julia said it really is good at moving the weight to the hips and the simple back system works well. The only thing I found a big "odd" and the jury is still out on it is that there is a bend in the metal stay for the back system that causes it to contact my back a few inches down from the base of my neck. This is clearly a design thing, though I could probably bend it out a little, and sometimes I was noticing it and other times I wasn't. If I decide this is a "bad thing" then the solution is simple but at the minute I'm undecided.
The whole point of the lighter bag is to reduce my overall weight as I was carrying way too much weight last year. Having had my gear and the new rucksack on the scales I'm hopeful that this coming year I will be carrying about 1.5 stone (10 - 12kgs) for an overnight camp. Not super ultralight perhaps, but half, or less, of what I was carrying last year.
Now one short day out doesn't count as enough material for a detailed review but if you are looking for a lightweight bag that doesn't involve any compromises and is comfy then the Exped is certainly worth considering. Hopefully at the end of this year I will have enough material to post an actual review rather than just a preview.