EmailBest Reviewed
Hiking Backpacks
- Best hiking backpack Gregory Baltoro 70 *Est. $270
- Budget backpack Teton Sports Wilderness 55 *Est. $75
- Best women's backpack Osprey Ariel 65 *Est. $240
- Weekend backpack Mountainsmith Treklight Eclipse 55 *Est. $200
- Lightweight backpack Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet *Est. $130
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Lightweight backpack
- Comfort
- Ample loops and pockets for gear
- Snug fit
- Limited size and versatility
- Short mesh pocket
- Twisting Y-strap
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).
Our Sources
1. BackpackingLight.comDetails/Subscribe
This detailed single-product review accompanies a comparison review of ultralight backpacks that is based on thorough tests. The author calls the Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet his "favorite frameless backpack."
Review: Mountain Laurel Designs 2006 Prophet Backpack Review, Will Rietveld, Aug. 2006
2. TGO
TGO magazine is a U.K.-based publication devoted to backpacking. This detailed owner-written review of a custom-designed Mountain Laurel Design Prophet backpack covers many details. Overall, the reviewer is pleased with the pack's size and features.
Review: Mountain Laurel Designs Prophet Pack, Eddy Meechan, Aug. 8, 2007
3. Lightweight Backpacking and CampingDetails/Subscribe
This book is aimed at people who want to try ultralight backpacking. The two chapters on backpacks, in particular, are key. The most popular backpack sizes for ultralight backpackers are reported to be from 2,440 to 2,750 cubic inches for weekend hikes, which puts the Mountain Laurel Prophet at the lower end of the spectrum.
Review: Chapter Two: Backpacks and Chapter Three: Pack Weight, Ryan Jordan and George Cole, Oct. 2005
Hiking Backpacks Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
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