Mountain Equipment Ogre 33+
Most versatile
Our take The best compression in the test, plus low weight, make the Ogre our favorite for fast-and-light missions and quick overnights. “With careful packing, and by extending the floating lid, I squeezed a tent, sleeping bag, food, and clothes for an overnight in the Eastern Sierra,” one tester says. And when he did a dayhike to Pika Lake, the pack’s four removable compression straps easily scrunched it down to about 20 liters.
The details A whopping 36 connection points offer ample options for items that don’t fit in the packbag, and an ice axe garage and elastic pole-attachment cords round out the features. There’s no rigid suspension, but a dense EVA backpanel (it doubles as a sit pad), 2.5-inch-wide shoulder straps, and a padded hipbelt let us carry 25 pounds. Bonus: great value.
Trail cred “I like that I can open the packbag with one hand, and that I never had to worry about breaking the bomber aluminum buckle,” one tester says.