Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet

Backpacking Light, the leading publication for ultralight backpacking, includes the Mountain Laurel Prophet in its comparison tests of backpacks and provides a detailed single-product review. An excellent owner-written review is also available at TGO magazine, a U.K.-based hiking site. Both reviews highlight advantages and disadvantages of the Mountain Laurel Prophet.

Deemed a "super-ultralight" backpack, the Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet weighs only 4 to 6 ounces and is rated for loads up to 20 pounds, making it an appropriate choice for ultralight backpacking on a warm summer weekend. Unlike most ultralight backpacks, the Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet's capacity, torso length and pockets are custom designed. The Mountain Laurel's fabric also keeps the pack from slipping around. A sleeping pad substitutes for an internal frame (which saves weight), and a compression system reduces pack volume. Reviews for ultralight packs also recommend the Osprey Talon 44 (*est. $160), which weighs six times more than the Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet. A budget alternative is the Teton Sports Wilderness 55 (*est. $75).