The lightweight rucksack

[caorach]

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.

 

[Nomad64]

Hi Caorach, I am another convert to the Exped Lightning range after Julia's recommendation.

Firstly, make sure you watch the videos on how to set up your Lightning - they include how to bend the alloy stay to fit your back!

By coincidence, I've just returned today from my first fairly serious outing (apart from a few bimbles around the canals) with my 45L version, a 13 mile jaunt around the hills to the south of Birmingham carrying a total of about 9kg (deliberately overloaded for a day hike) to see how my fragile shoulders bear up. The transfer of weight to the hips works very well and I'm pleased to say that I'm sitting here with no discomfort - by comparison, carrying 3kg in my Karrimor Sabre for more than a couple of hours has me reaching for the ibuprofen.

I was so impressed with the 45L version that I also snapped up a 60L one (going cheap), for when 45L is not quite enough but my 85L Osprey (which weighs well over double the Lightnings' gossamer-like 1kg) is too much.

Really looking forward to the prospect of giving them both a proper workout this year, starting in the Brecons, next month!

 

[Macaroon]

I'd really love to give the Lightneing 45 a go, but I just couldn't do the colours on offer; they're vile, to my mind. Having handled one in the flesh they also seem a bit "crinkly crisp packet" to me, as well.

All that is just taste, however, and they seem very good packs indeed.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I'd really love to give the Lightneing 45 a go, but I just couldn't do the colours on offer; they're vile, to my mind. Having handled one in the flesh they also seem a bit "crinkly crisp packet" to me, as well.

All that is just taste, however, and they seem very good packs indeed.

Colour wise, the black looks pretty good, it's no olive drab, but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in the landscape.

Alas they only do horrible colours in the ladies fit, so I went for mens fit.

I'm currently writing a review, complete with photos, and will publish it Real Soon Now™.

J

 

[Quixoticgeek]

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.

Bringing the total number of packs bought on my recommendation so far (that I know about), to 2.

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.

On my first trip out with the pack I slipped over whilst wearing the pack. It's got a muddy mark on the bottom (badge of honour, so not washed off...), but seems to have no visible damage. The buckles are surprisingly durable. I also discovered they are the same as exped use on their dry bags, specifically their first aid kit dry bags. I've taken to clipping my first aid kit between the buckle on the pack, and the other half of the buckle on the compression strap. Not the intended use, but works well.

I wouldn't expect a pack of this weight to be as durable as say a Berghaus Vulcan. But as long as you're not throwing it down mountains I would expect to get many years out of it. The Dyneema grid stop fabric is very durable.

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.

Exped have produced two videos on fine tuning the back system. The metal stay can be bent gently to make it conform to your back best. It took my 15 mins to dial mine in, including a slight bend at the top so I've got more head room as I am quite short.

The two videos are:

• Video 1 - Watch this first, course tuning of the back system.
• Video 2 - Watch this if you want to fine tune it even further.

Once dialled in you shouldn't need to touch the stay.

I have found the back system so good at transferring load onto the hips that you can actually loosen off the shoulder straps and it just sits there. The shoulder straps are just to stop the pack tilting backwards.

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.

Is that including food and water? 10kg is a pretty good weight. My weekend pack weight is 5-6kg, a longer trip tends to go toward 8-9kg dry weight. Which I'm rather pleased with.

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.

Hi Caorach, I am another convert to the Exped Lightning range after Julia's recommendation.

Firstly, make sure you watch the videos on how to set up your Lightning - they include how to bend the alloy stay to fit your back!

Videos linked above.

I was so impressed with the 45L version that I also snapped up a 60L one (going cheap), for when 45L is not quite enough but my 85L Osprey (which weighs well over double the Lightnings' gossamer-like 1kg) is too much.

Make that count 4. Plus the my own.

I am hoping to get the 45L at some point for when my 30L pack is too small, and when the 60L is too big...

One thing you might want to consider is the flash pocket. This is a stretch pocket that you can attach to the front of the lighting. It adds about 80g to the weight, but does give you somewhere to to put things like damp fly sheets, waterproof jacket and the like. I use it for the things I forgot to put in the main pack, plus the days food...

I'd really love to give the Lightneing 45 a go, but I just couldn't do the colours on offer; they're vile, to my mind. Having handled one in the flesh they also seem a bit "crinkly crisp packet" to me, as well.

Can't say I've found that with my pack. Certainly compared to things like Cuben Fibre and Sil Nylon.

J

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I've finally got around to finishing the [thread=138101]review of the Exped Lightning 60 pack[/thread].

J

 

[caorach]

Is that including food and water? 10kg is a pretty good weight.

That figure was an estimate based on what I've got going at the minute but counts everything including food. As I camp on the Lewis moor I don't need to carry water and that makes a considerable difference.

As the year goes on and I start adding the camping gear into what I'm carrying on my "day walks" it will be interesting to see where the weight actually ends up. I'm hopeful it won't be any more than 10kg including my fishing gear but you need to bear in mind that I'm only doing overnights.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

That figure was an estimate based on what I've got going at the minute but counts everything including food. As I camp on the Lewis moor I don't need to carry water and that makes a considerable difference.

Aye, not having to carry much water makes a considerable difference. Hiking in Southern Britain I can often have over 2kg of water in my pack because there are so few water sources on my route.

As the year goes on and I start adding the camping gear into what I'm carrying on my "day walks" it will be interesting to see where the weight actually ends up. I'm hopeful it won't be any more than 10kg including my fishing gear but you need to bear in mind that I'm only doing overnights.

I have found that Lighterpack is a really useful tool for dealing with kit weights and kit lists. It's really helped me cut my pack weight.

The other trick I have is that when I come back from a trip I empty my pack into two piles, stuff I used, and stuff I didn't. I then move the first aid kit from the unused pile to the used pile, and leave the rest at home on the next trip.

J

 

[caorach]

Aye, not having to carry much water makes a considerable difference.

The other trick I have is that when I come back from a trip I empty my pack into two piles, stuff I used, and stuff I didn't. I then move the first aid kit from the unused pile to the used pile, and leave the rest at home on the next trip.

The water thing really makes a big difference, if I had to carry water I'd throw away almost all of the weight savings I've made but on the moorland i walk there is a good water source every 400 yards in many places. I have drunk the water straight from the loch but I almost always boil it and make tea, I make a lot of tea

To be honest I'm not too bad for carrying "extra" stuff. Although the camping is relatively new for me I'm out (mostly on moor) probably 100 days per year on average so I have what I need for a day pretty much fine tuned. It was simply a matter of adding a sleeping bag, mat and tent plus taking my toothbrush along.

One thing I don't carry is a first aid kit - I do have one but in the end it doesn't serve so much purpose. I carry a few plasters just for comfort if I get a cut plus some Celox gauze. In my view significant bleeding is one of the few things that will kill you fast that you can do something about in the field without assistance and Celox is simple, light and probably your best chance. Most of the other "big" things that can go wrong require assistance so a first aid kit is mostly a comfort thing and as I'm only doing overnights my plan for a non-serious problem is simply to walk out and go home

 

[Quixoticgeek]

The water thing really makes a big difference, if I had to carry water I'd throw away almost all of the weight savings I've made but on the moorland i walk there is a good water source every 400 yards in many places. I have drunk the water straight from the loch but I almost always boil it and make tea, I make a lot of tea

Lucky, I have a 50k walk planned for the Spring, on the whole trip there are only 2 places I can get water, and I am seriously considering trying to lay out a water cache on route.

One thing I don't carry is a first aid kit - I do have one but in the end it doesn't serve so much purpose. I carry a few plasters just for comfort if I get a cut plus some Celox gauze. In my view significant bleeding is one of the few things that will kill you fast that you can do something about in the field without assistance and Celox is simple, light and probably your best chance. Most of the other "big" things that can go wrong require assistance so a first aid kit is mostly a comfort thing and as I'm only doing overnights my plan for a non-serious problem is simply to walk out and go home

I have different kits depending on what I am planning. My main kit is a pack of plasters and a Field dressing. Based on much the same reasoning as yours. I have a larger kit detailed in the First aid section of the forum if I am going with a group, or if there are axes involved.

J

 

[IC_Rafe]

One thing I don't carry is a first aid kit - I do have one but in the end it doesn't serve so much purpose. I carry a few plasters just for comfort if I get a cut plus some Celox gauze. In my view significant bleeding is one of the few things that will kill you fast that you can do something about in the field without assistance and Celox is simple, light and probably your best chance. Most of the other "big" things that can go wrong require assistance so a first aid kit is mostly a comfort thing and as I'm only doing overnights my plan for a non-serious problem is simply to walk out and go home

The first aid kit, is one of the things you'll never need, untill you need it, and then it's invaluable. Not saying you need to load up a pharmacy, but generally speaking: some extra water purification tablets, moleskin, bandages, painkillers and medication to help with explosive intestinal distress ( ), normal stomach issues and medicine to help with fevers can really help your hike out. Maybe a bit crude to say but: try walking out if you're having the runs. Even a couple of km can seem an eternity like that. Or if you got bad stomach cramps which hurt when you even just move. These are non-serious issues in the normal world, but if you're away from civilisation, they can become serious issues quickly.

 

[caorach]

Even a couple of km can seem an eternity like that. Or if you got bad stomach cramps which hurt when you even just move. These are non-serious issues in the normal world, but if you're away from civilisation, they can become serious issues quickly.

Your walking and wild camping experiences are clearly a lot more dramatic than mine. I just go out and enjoy myself.

 

[IC_Rafe]

Your walking and wild camping experiences are clearly a lot more dramatic than mine. I just go out and enjoy myself.

You've never accidentally eaten a bad thing? In your entire life?

It's easy to cross contaminate drinking water for example, and if you're just a bit unlucky, you can easily get the runs for 24 hours. If that happens in your home, it's not a problem. You call the boss that you're sick, you take something to help with the cramps and drink lots of fluids. If you're out that can be life treathening. I've seen a mild form of it when out with friends, and diarrhoea in the very close to anywhere wild isn't very fun. Nevermind if you're a couple of km away from anywhere.

I also just go out and enjoy myself, but i keep in mind that that enjoyment can be very easily broken, and i carry things in my first aid kit to remedy that. It's better than the alternative of trekking out a couple of km with a stop every 100m because someone has the runs.

In my mind the lack of a first aid kit, is one of the most stupid mistakes people can make. It can mean the difference between hiking out and not having many problems, to having search and rescue come out and evacuate you (or your corpse) in the worst situation because you're dehydrated from diarrhoea or vomiting.

Edit: just to add a more likely scenario: in the winter i usually have the snivels. Atm i'm sitting here sick with flu. I was planning on going out on an overnight trip a couple of days ago. If i had gone, i'd have become sick (just a flu) while out there. With the amount of vomiting i've done the past few days, and the fever, any hike out would have been a nightmare. Atleast with the first aid kit the fever'd be down a bit temporarily, and my stomach would be a bit better and i'd have a better chance of actually getting out, while without it (i just sweat it out at home without medicines unless really needed) i had trouble just standing up and not be dizzy. Let alone hike out several km with a pack.

 

[Klenchblaize]

You clearly have a good point but a little more tact and less of a lecturing tone wouldn't go amiss.

K

 

[IC_Rafe]

Sorry, i didn't intend to come over as lecturing. I'm not a native English speaker, and when i write on forums i do tend to watch my language a bit more, and try to write as correctly as possible. Guess that affects the tone of my posts a bit and makes them a bit too "formal".

 

[Klenchblaize]

Fear not as I'm far from perfect as my oft' failed attempts at humour attest!

K