Ultralight Backpacking with Osprey's Levity 45

First Impressions

In order to get the 1.8-pound Levity 45 as light as they did, Osprey had to remove many of the extra features that you find on their other packs. Gone are the convenient hip belt pockets, multitude of extra straps, and extra padding on the shoulders and hips. For pockets, you get one zippered pocket in the lid and three more open, yet fairly deep pockets on the back and sides of the pack. That’s it. The pocket on the back is great for stuffing a rain shell or puffy jacket for quick access, and the side pockets can fit one-liter water bottles nicely. Speaking of rain, there’s no pack cover—the gram counters said “nada.”

The Levity is constructed of 30D Cordura silnylon, which is more commonly used to make the walls of lightweight tents. This definitely gives an idea of how rugged it is. It doesn’t feel like something you want to be pushing through brush, or tossing around on rocks. In fact, when I was loading it up I noticed that my fuel canister was pressed against the outside of the pack and I was able to very clearly read the canister’s label through the pack material. The areas of the pack that are the most likely to see wear (the outside of the large pockets, the bottom, and top of the pack) are all made with NanoFly 210D nylon. This more durable material in these common contact points feels much more durable—but I still wouldn’t toss it around too much.

Loading Up

Loading the Levity 45 was a little challenging at first because it’s narrower at the top—the only loading point—than it is at the bottom. This makes it feel a little smaller than the stated 45 liters. Once I realized this, I just had to be a little more strategic in arranging my gear from the bottom up to fully utilize the space. This was fine—I just took to loading it like playing a game of Tetris. Ultimately, I ended up having no problem fitting everything I needed for several days on the trail.

The Levity 45’s smaller size really dictated what was essential and what could be left behind, thus requiring a true minimalist approach. This, combined with the recommended 20-pound max capacity, there’s no room for heavy, bulky gear or an abundance of luxury items—if any. The priority became my essentials and food. There are a few small, exterior gear loops and daisy chain attachments that are suitable for lashing on a sleeping pad or ultralight shelter, but not much more.