The best super ultralight day hiking pack

The Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27L is ultralight and ultra minimalist, without sacrificing water resistance, durability, or external storage.

• Weight: 12 oz
• Price: $155
• Materials: Challenge UltraGrid
• Back Panel: None
• Main Compartment Volume: 25
• External Volume: 2L
• Pros: Ultralight. Waterproof. Durable.
• Cons: Expensive: No back panel.

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Construction & Features

For starters, we’re very enthusiastic about Hell’s ultralight 12 oz  weight. That’s super light, even for a minimalist day hiking backpack of this size, and makes it a near auto-include on our guide to the best ultralight daypack. And it’s all thanks to a combination of minimalism, and Challenge UltraGrid Eco fabric, which combines 80% recycled nylon with 20% double rip stop 200d UHMWPE grid – stronger than Dyneema or Spectra.

We’ve got to call out the unique rear external pockets, made of a durable nylon Lycra blend. Rather than separating out two side pockets plus a center rear pocket, there is just one continuous stretch mesh panel across the entire lower half of the pack. It’s great for holding tall water bottles, rain gear, and small accessories.

However, as big as this pocket looks, it doesn’t have much slack, all of the volume comes from stretching it. This secures everything very well, but explains why such a large pocket offers only 2L of listed external storage. We’ve also noticed that with continuous wrap-around pockets, water bottles tend to drift backwards and away from the side where they are most ideally positioned

The 2.5” EVA foam shoulder straps are comfy, and there is also a nylon webbing hip belt to keep the pack secured in place. There is no back panel padding or frame whatsoever, so expect to add your own and/or deal with some floppiness.

As such, we recommend buying a foam sit pad and carrying it on the inside to prevent lumps. Or just load the pack such that your fleece, puffy, and rain gear situate along the inside to provide pseudo back cushioning.

Verdict

The Mountain Laurel Designs Hell 27 offers incredible stats and materials performance to those willing to choose the most minimalist, super ultralight option. It’s spendy, but not the most expensive.

Compare this to the other best day hiking backpacks! Make sure you’re all set for your next day hike with our 3 pound ultralight day hiking checklist. Need a bigger pack, jump to our guide for best backpacking packs.