The Best Packrafting Backpack: What to Look For

I get this question a lot - “What’s the best packrafting backpack?” 

Of course, I would love to say it’s the Sockdolager Bad Larry and just build one for every person who asks.  But as a one-man-band that’s just not possible at my current scale.  And sometimes the Bad Larry is not necessarily the best option (especially if you need it fast!). This is the response I have shared many times over the last couple years with people looking for an alternative, along with some of my own personal experiences using different packs, and how other packs work with Sockdolager accessories like the Bow Bag and Captain's Bag.

First and foremost - the best thing you can do is just get out there with the gear you already own.  Even if it’s not optimal, strapping gear onto your pack wherever you can and just going for a trip will help you figure your system much better than any spreadsheet or blog post.  Lots of people have done amazing trips with “non-optimized” packrafting gear. Don’t let the search for perfect prevent you from just getting out there and doing the thing.

As you gain experience, you’ll likely start to narrow in on the features you do prioritize. Before starting Sockdolager I had spent an inordinate amount of time and money on packrafting backpacks, and this is the basic criteria I think a quality packrafting pack should have.

1. Volume:  First, it needs to be big enough to fit all your gear inside, so a minimum of 75 liters, but 90 liters is even better for a full whitewater packrafting kit. In many ways volume is more important than overall load rating, as many packrafting items are large volume but not particularly dense.  Load limit should be in the 60lb range.
    
2. Suspension: A beefy and comfortable hipbelt and shoulder harness, with a tall stiff frame with proper load lifters.
   
   
3. Easy Tizip Storage: The suspension should collapse or compress in a way to  fit inside a cargo zip of the packraft, including boats like a Refuge or Valkyrie where space is at a premium.
   
   
4. Lashing Options:  A variety of attachment points on the pack bag for flexibility on the inevitable trip where you might need to strap bow bags, captains bags, mesh pockets, pfds, helmets,  or spare paddles on.
   
   
5. Empty Pack Weight: Ideally 3lbs or less.  This correlates strongly with a pack that can be compressed small enough to go inside your boat, as most weight with mainstream packs are found in the massive harness and suspension systems.  

There are very few packs on the market that hit all of these criteria.  I've owned almost every retail option available in the US at one point or another.  I am obviously a bit biased here, and comparing them directly is a always tough task because there is a bit of subjectivity and personal preference involved, but I will do my best to objectively explain them.

Superior Wilderness Designs Big Wild 95L

If this pack existed before I started making my own packs, it would have been my top choice.  It’s an outstanding pack in every regard.  SWD is a husband and wife team making packs much like I do, cut and sewn by hand in their small shop in Michigan.  They’ve been making packs for quite awhile now and they have the construction and design dialed.  

The Big Wild is large volume, has very comfortable straps and hipbelt, a tall frame and load lifters.  The unique feature is the floating hipbelt, which allows for more customization on torso fit but it also has incredible wrap on the hips which is independent from the pack bag. My Bow bag and Captain’s Bag also work well with the Big Wild (and they have their own Bow Bag option as well).  The Big Wild is likely the lightest pack in this volume, a few ounces lighter than the Bad Larry.  The only downside to an SWD is likely the lead time as well, if you need something within a couple weeks, it may not be practical.

Early on I built many sets of tubular frame stays for SWD packs, but those now come stock from SWD. Tubular 7075 stays like Sockdolager and SWD use are unique for how stiff they are and lightweight, but also allow the pack to collapse and roll into a tidy little package for sliding into the tizip. 

I have not personally carried a Big Wild on a big multiday trip so my experience is a bit limited in the long term, but I have carried 55 pounds in one on my local walkabouts and it carries super well. I also have many friends who own them and love them.  

Hyperlite Porter 85L

I carried this pack for years as my main rig and it fits me nicely, so I quite like it. I've done a 14 day self supported traverse in the Arctic, carried 67 pounds to start, and was quite happy with its performance overall.  The weak link on that trip was my fitness, not the pack. The Porter was the first mainstream pack available on the market that really optimized for packrafting, and they are still the one of the only options available stock at retail stores without a lead time in the US.  If you need a pack immediately, this is likely your best bet. 

These packs are tried and true workhorses for packrafting because they are light and large volume. I personally dig the Dyneema pack fabrics, the construction is awesome, and these are light weight and durable.  The main downside for a Porter is the lack of side pockets for water bottles and paddles, the fairly minimal harness, and no load lifters. You can also consider other pack models from Hyperlite with external pockets, but they do not come in volumes larger than 70 liters, which is often too small for big packrafting trips.  There are 3rd party options for some pockets that can attach to the Porter.

I recommend sizing up on Hyperlite packs generally within their size ranges, because they are designed with no load lifters and when things get heavy you really do not want your torso collapsing and the shoulder straps falling below your shoulders. I'm kind of between a Medium and Large in Hyperlite sizing, and the Large is my preference to keep the weight off my shoulders.

I also sell tubular frame stays that can work with Hyperlite packs that can help stiffen the back panel up and I find that can help with torso collapse, and also makes them a few ounces lighter. Of course my Bow Bag, Captain’s Bag, and Dome Pocket also work with the Porter which can add volume and versatility. 

Seek Outside Unaweep 6300

These packs are a work of art, I own a Divide, and it is a fantastic pack and the engineering is impressive. My Divide is a 4800 which is too small for most packrafting, so I recommend the Unaweep 6300.  Both packs use the same suspension and harness.  The frame is almost guaranteed to carry the heaviest payload of any pack in this weight class.  The Seek Outside will likely come in at about 54-60oz total, but if your total pack weight is 65lbs or more, I think this is the direction you should be looking. 

The main disadvantage for the Seek Outside is their frame can take a bit of fiddling to fit inside the boat as it is a U shape and fairly wide, and even when broken down it doesn’t fit super tidy, and the frame ends are hard to keep from pushing on your boat from the inside which can cause pinch punctures.  They also have a floating belt option, but also an incredibly rigid frame vertically and horizontally. It's a unique combo. They can carry all the weight you can possibly throw at them. They also have a lumbar pad option which I think is a nice bonus and really helps fine tune lumbar purchase.  The Unaweep also has lots of lashing options which are compatible with their Talon system, as well as Sockdolager Bow Bag, Captain’s Bag, and Dome Pocket.  Made in America, so the lead times can be longer than a stock option, but typically quicker than most cottage brands.  

Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 60-80L

This is one of the most economical packs you can get stock, though the exact model does seem to get updated often so I am not 100 percent sure of the most recent revisions and features.   I own a gray 60-80L version that was released in 2019.  It's a pretty decent pack in my limited experience, especially if it fits well, and the price is unbeatable. It also has a unique style of suspension, it's a tubular frame system shaped in a Y. This gives it a unique sensation on the back as well, as it articulates around your body while walking but still anchors into the lumbar quite well.  And of course it has a unique compression system that expands the volume.

I think the downside to this pack for packrafting specifically is the frame size for storing inside the boat, depending on your boat's zipper size, and the lack of sizing options in the torso overall. The belt isn't super beefy or padded, but I think it works well because it is fairly stiff and has a nice lumbar pad. I also don't love the zipper on the top of the pack. There are not many lashing points on the pack either, so my accessory packs are not as likely to work well without some extra tinkering.  I do still own this pack, and I think for an off-the-shelf option it can work really well and it is possibly the best budget option.

Osprey Aether Pro

I also own this pack. Another great load hauler, very comfortable with an incredibly stiff suspension and harness that feels different from any pack listed above.  If this had a frame that could collapse, I think it would be even better. Some people can get it inside the cargo fly on larger boats like a Gnarwhal, but it's a tight fit and can press against the tubes, and a non-starter on a smaller volume boat like a Valkyrie V3.

I really like the belt on this pack, and the suspension is great. I want to say it's about 54-56 oz in its lightest form, but it is probably not high enough volume for true whitewater packrafting kits unless you lash a lot of stuff to the outside.  There are larger volume Osprey packs available, but none of them are as light as the Aether Pro, some are more than double the weight. This is often available in brick and mortar stores as well.

Final Thoughts

There are a few other cottage brands that make great packs, but I do not have personal experience with them.  Southern Lite in New Zealand is making awesome custom packs and is highly recommended.

I expect as packrafting continues to grow we may see some more options from other brands.  There may even be some smaller brands currently that I am not aware of. This is a place where cottage gear really shines in my opinion. If you do have the ability to go custom, I highly recommend it, but I'm obviously biased too.  At any rate, I do encourage people to spend money within the community, which will go directly to sustaining the individuals that are innovating and making purpose driven gear.

Cover photo: Mark Oates - Packrafting Tasmania