Pockets, Straps, and Other Features

Instead of traditional pack shoulder straps, Black Diamond Beta Light Backpack gives you a lightly padded, aerated running vest style harness. This configuration is rapidly growing in popularity because people love the secure fit, reduced bounce and sway (especially while moving fast), and easy access to built-in shoulder strap pockets. This is great for running and fastpacking, but the downside is that running vests are less cushy, less relaxed, arguably less comfortable, and don’t allow connection of modular, aftermarket shoulder strap pockets, which are usually superior to built-ins.

Perhaps our biggest nitpick against the Beta Light is that the vest harness pockets are too small and too narrow. The left front vest pocket is clearly designed for a 500ml soft bottle, but the opening is so narrow that it’s functionally difficult to use, and nearly impossible to place a full bottle into. The right pocket is large enough for a tube of sunscreen and some snacks, but not large enough for a phone and definitely cannot hold water. We would have preferred the option to store water in both pockets, and see them enlarged by roughly 50%.

The front exterior mesh pocket is large and in charge, but we’re surprised and a bit disappointed that they opted for traditional stretch mesh (which has middling durability) instead of ULTRA Stretch Mesh (which is much more durable), considering that most of the rest of the pack is built with Challenge fabrics. We also note, and definitely dislike, how this pocket closes via connecting to the top strap buckle, a system we’ve never been impressed by. There’s multiple reason for this.

First off, if you strap something on top like a fleece, sit pad, or a pair of sandals, but later wish to access the front mesh pocket, it adds an extra step of taking those items off the top, and then resecuring your fleece/sandals/sit pad once you’re done digging around. Secondly, you are unable to apply significant pressure with the top strap because the stretch mesh absorbs the tension, making it difficult to securely use. That’s why most packs have a dedicated top strap buckle affixed to the top front above (not attached to) the top of the front mesh pocket.

We’re glad for the inclusion of hip belt pockets, but this is another missed execution because they aren’t volumized/gusseted, ergo hold less than it looks like they should. However, they are still large enough to store an phone.

The side pockets are the correct size and shape (large enough to store two smartwater bottles), and curve upwards towards the front of the pack, but are constructed with 100e ripstop nylon instead of Challenge ULTRA. It’s odd not to use a more durable fabric here, considering this is a high wear-and-tear zone, like the rest of the bottom of the body of the pack.

A few more features include side compression cinching straps, which are nice and burly and and can also be used for drying gear. We’re impressed that this pack offers load lifters too, that’s really nice and uncommon for running vest style packs.

Lastly, there’s the Beta Light Pack Satellite Bag, a $45, five ounce, modular, standalone 4L waist pack that can strap to the top front of the Beta Light pack body (though the way it protrudes would be suspect of bad weight carrying physics), to the vest harness for easy access to handy items, or to the hip belt as a peak bagging solution. Interesting idea, but we’re a bit skeptical and haven’t tried it/can’t vouch for it.