Ben Kilbourne and Porter England have been backpacking together for about a decade, testing countless packs, tents, and other gear in the process. After using many different packs, they decided there was room for improvement in a particular category: framed packs made for carrying about 35lbs. While there are dozens of great ultralight backpacks out there, many people in the ultralight backpacking community still seem to be pining for something that doesn’t exist: a 55 liter pack that weighs under two pounds and is simple, sleek, clean, versatile, comfortable, and aesthetically appealing. Ben & Porter had a hunch they could pull this off.

On the surface it might not look like Ben & Porter are doing anything particularly new, but they're taking all the best ideas they've come across in their combined 4+ decades of backpacking experience and putting them into one pack. That means a pack body that is fatter on the bottom and leans toward you rather than away to keep the center of gravity close. That also means a hanging hip belt made with extremely dense foam and connected directly to the frame for excellent load transfer. That means articulating shoulder straps to match the width and slope of different shoulders. That also means very good looking aesthetics.

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