Millet Venom 40

Toplid

The Millet Venom 40’s fixed toplid opens unconventionally from back to front. This orientation lets you plop the weekend-size pack frontside down on the ground—keeping the foamand-mesh backpanel and shoulder straps free of dirt, rocks, and moisture—while still being able to access the packbag’s contents. (It also means the front of the pack is smooth and free of webbing or buckles.)

Suspension

The aluminum, stay-supported framesheet, lightly padded hipbelt, and dense foam shoulder straps support loads up to 30 pounds.

Pole Carry

Quickly stash trekking poles (on the side, without removing the pack) with two strategically placed shock cords: one on the shoulder strap and the other on the bottom of the pack.

Airflow

In addition to geometric cutouts on the shoulder straps, the molded backpanel has a ventilation chimney along the spine. “The channel and cutouts let in cool breezes, but the lumbar padding still gets sweaty on hotter days,” says one tester who carried it for nearly two weeks in Thailand and Vietnam.

$160; 2 lbs. 5 oz; 40 liters; millet.fr