Exped  Lightning 50 L Pack

Picked up this pack to do 4+ day section hikes on the Arizona Trail; I'd been using a 30L pack but it wasn't beefy enough for long water and food carries. I considered this pack as well as somewhat lighter cottage packs as well as existing lightweight packs from other manufacturers. This pack is probably not a good fit if you're a real gram counter, but the lighter packs crucially lacked a few features I really wanted. The way I see it, I'm asking the pack to have enough benefits over an ultralight pack to justify an extra 10 ounces. This pack is rated to 40lbs, which is far more than I expect even after a resupply with extra water, and only has two points of contact (lumbar and shoulders) with no mesh back panel to collect unpleasant prickly things. This makes it well ventilated, a must for me on hot low-desert trips. The pack carries very well for me, and is incredibly adjustable for a perfect fit. I really appreciated the adjustable torso length, load lifters, hip-belt with pull-style straps, and even adjustment straps at the bottom for pulling the load forward. Exped USA has videos online that show you how to dial in the fit on older Lightning packs, but they are still helpful for this new version. This pack transfers weight to the hips well, doesn't pull on my shoulders, and feels like it hugs my back even when it only has two real points of contact (lumbar/hips and traps/shoulders). The pack did great even when doing some light scrambling. The main pocket is cavernous and swallows all my gear plus days of food. (My gear isn't entirely ultralight either.) It should also accommodate a bear canister though I haven't tried it as I don't go anywhere that requires one. There is a waterproof zipper pocket at the top, which is a great place to store smaller items you might need quick access to (headlamp, first aid kit). There is a zippered mesh pocket inside the pack, also useful for small items that otherwise might get buried; I used it for food items I wanted to access on a break without getting lost or smashed inside the pack. These two pockets basically attempt to perform the functions of a traditional pack brain; they aren't quite as convenient but they do the job. Perhaps my unexpected favorite feature is the bungees for holding fully-extended trekking poles. It was very cool to be able to stash my poles on the pack without collapsing them, removing the pack, or asking a partner for help. I was skeptical that this feature would work well, but it actually did, even doing light scrambling. I did find it was better to partially collapse my poles before stowing them. Another unexpected feature regards the mesh water bottle pockets. I have somewhat restricted shoulder mobility, but I was able to remove a water bottle without taking the pack off, and could return it to the pocket by removing only one shoulder strap. The water bottle pockets are large and stretchy, and will accommodate two one-liter Smartwater bottles no problem. Past iterations of the Lightning were often criticized for being "too strappy". This iteration also has lots of straps, but they are pretty well thought out. There are ample places to strap gear to the outside if needed (sides, top, and bottom). They work well to compress smaller loads, which is important because I'll rarely have it stuffed to capacity. All the straps have velcro strips on the ends so you can roll them up and keep them tidy, which I'm not necessarily a fan of... a bit too fiddly. I really appreciate the stretchy front pocket, which is a must-have for me. It's a great spot for dirty or wet items I want to keep outside. The hipbelt pockets are roomy and easily operable with one hand. There is a stretchy pocket on the left shoulder strap that seems like it would accommodate a half-liter water bottle, but I didn't have one that size to try it out... it was a great spot to stash a bandana though. Overall this is an excellent pack and I'm looking forward to many miles on the trail with it.