To date, the Vermont Long Trail has been my longest and most challenging backpacking experience thus far, clocking in at 300 miles and 27 days. The gear I brought with me (lighterpack) was dragged up and down some bushy, rocky, rooty, wet mountains made entirely of mud which provided a great opportunity to reflect on the equipment that worked and the gear that didn’t quite make the grade for prolonged thru-hiking.

A PACK WITH NO NAME

I first discovered the 40L Aliexpress bag on r/ultralight thinking it checked the boxes of a few other backpacks I had been considering including the ULA Circuit, which was probably the inspiration for this pack. The first thing I considered when purchasing this bag was whether or not it was really something unique or just a novel copy of a legitimate backpacking company’s design. A few features stood out to me as very one of a kind design that I had not seen yet in my quest for the perfect pack for myself, namely being a frameless high volume pack with load lifters and lots of padding with huge pockets all around. It’s actually advertised showing a Zlite pad for pack structure on the outside of the backpack. I will say though that the real reason I purchased the backpack was its incredible value, only costing forty-seven dollars! It took about 6 weeks for it to arrive from China.

Online I noticed the Chinese 40-liter bag was claimed to be over 2 pounds but when it arrived I was pleased to recognize how much of the pack was superfluous. This pack comes with so many straps, it’s seriously an overwhelming mess of shock chord and cinches, however much of these components can be removed without permanently altering the pack itself and in the end I was able to get this pack down to 1.5 pounds. I think you could get it even lower if you got creative, I removed the plastic from the hip belt padding quite easily to save some ounces. Maybe it’s not the most ultra-light but it’s definitely not heavy.

“25 POUNDS WITH FOOD, WATER AND BEER WITHOUT FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE”

For pack structure I did something I hadn’t heard of anyone doing specifically. I used two gossamer gear 1/8 inch ccf pads Guerilla Taped together to create an extra wide hammock pad for my double layer dream hammock. This was really nice as I could hardly feel the contents of the bag if I packed it well. I will admit that packing a frameless bag became an art day after day but in the end a few smacks to the pack evened it out and made for a comfy ride. I was personally able to carry 25 pounds with food, water and beer without feeling uncomfortable thanks to the ultra-cushy hip belt. Putting the foam pad on the inside of the pack also helped fill the space of the bag overall which was nice because the bag really is pretty huge. Alternatively I have tried using six sections on Thermarest Z-lite and found that to work very well too. What annoyed me however was that the load’s lifters and the shoulder strap length adjusters don’t stay put and constantly slip. I ended up tying the shoulder strap length adjuster to a comfortable position and sort of was always fooling around with my load lifters. Towards the end of the hike I noticed the foam padding in the shoulders straps began to compress permanently. The shoulder padding remained comfortable for the most part just because they are so wide.

WEAR AND TEAR

The manufacturer claims to use a 210D nylon for the body and upon my first impression seemed to be water resistant and tough. Unfortunately, it is neither. Upon the first shower the nylon soaks through and is about as wet on the inside as it is on the outside. It’s not a big deal if you line your pack with a trash bag or other waterproof barriers. My main concern would be with how this nylon stands up to abrasion and stress. I was disappointed to see one of the compression straps had worn a hole through the nylon where my cooking pot was stored and the nylon shedding its waterproofing like snakeskin. Also by the end of my through hike the hip belt started to wear through at the connection point to the pack. The bag definitely feels like it has a few hundred more miles left in it however despite the wear and tear.

“NO REGRETS USING THIS BAG”

So my honest assessment of this pack is that it is either a “one and done” thru-hiking pack, or a bag that you could easily modify to your preference. I had no regrets using this bag on the Long Trail and it’s been a great introduction to the world of frameless backpacks. I’m already considering ordering another one to have as a back up in case of a total backpack failure on my 2018 PCT NOBO attempt coming up. It’s a terrific value and has many desired features for thru-hiking. It’s freaking forty-seven dollars!