Blackwolf B-Lite 55 Backpack

My most recent purchase has been the Blackwolf B-Lite 55 Backpack.  The B-Lite 55 is a cheap, lightweight 55 litre backpack.  It normally retails online for around $80 plus postage, but if you keep your eye out you will find it on sale, Wildearth currently has it on sale for $76.05.  I bought mine instore at Aussie Disposals on sale.

The pack is available in Lime Cactus, Chilli, Blue and Black/Titanium, or in plain English green, red, blue and black/grey. For what its worth i bought a red one, purely because that was all that the store had left.

One of the features that drew me to this pack was the claim that it only weighed 800g, quite light for a 55 litre pack, and certainly one of the lighter packs of its kind available in Australia.  There are of course much lighter packs available out there but they are generally not readily available in Australia and if they are once you include shipping they start to get a little expensive.  I have weighed the pack at home and I can verify that it does in fact weigh, pretty much exactly, 800g.

Pockets:

The pack has three externally accessible pockets, one in the hood at the top and two on the sides, plus one large internal pocket.  I really like the additional pockets on a top loading pack.  It also has a useful zip on the front of the pack that allows easier access to the 'belly' of the pack (an unusual feature for a top loading pack).  While I like the front zip it is not particularly long so access is somewhat limited, especially if you want to get to a larger item in the pack.  It is also of limited use if you have packed your belongings in a waterproof liner (as would be recommended for most hikes, especially if you have additional zips, such as with this pack as they inevitably reduce the water resistance of your pack) .  Nevertheless I like the additional access zip.  It certainly does no harm and is particularly useful for day trips or weekend camping trips when your belongings are less likely to be packed in an extra waterproof bag.

Each side pocket also has an hydration port allowing you to run your hydration tube out of the pocket.  I quite like this design as it separates your hydration from the main compartment of the pack, helping to minimise the impact of any leaks, and it means that you can carry your hydration, which is relatively heavy, reasonably close to your centre of gravity.

On the outside of the pack there is a bungee cord on the top and two small ones on the front.  There are also compression straps on each side which could be used to carry additional gear, although with the side pockets full you may find that the backpack gets a little wide which is not ideal if hiking through thick bush.

Harness and padding:
Inside, the pack has two narrow metal strips sewn into the back to provide a basic frame.  Back padding is minimal and in the usual spots.  The harness is also quite minimal with a sternum strap that can be adjusted easily for height as necessary and a very basic hip belt.  Although the padding and harness is quite minimalistic I think that it is sufficient for a pack of this type.  In my opinion you wouldn't want to be carrying more than about 14 or 15 kg worth of gear in an 800 gram, 55 litre pack and the harness and padding should be quite sufficient for this type of weight.

The fabric used in the pack is 300D ripstop polyurethane which appears to be sufficiently robust for a pack of this type.  The stitching, while not as robust as on some packs, especially those made of heavier fabrics, appears sufficient, although I think I will keep an eye on it, but realistically any lighter weight pack is going to require a little more care than a heavier, tougher pack.

Conclusion:
Overall the pack is intelligently designed with sufficiently durable construction.  So far i have not had the opportunity to take the pack on a longer trip but on a few weekenders and overnighters it has performed wonderfully.

Given how cheap the pack is and that it is readily available in Australia I would definitely recommend the pack to anyone in Australia looking to purchase a lightweight 55 litre pack.