Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L vs Zpacks Nero Classic 50L
Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.
Ultralight frameless backpack with 55L capacity, roll-top closure, padded hipbelt, and compression straps. Ideal for thru-hiking and multi-week expeditions.
Frameless ultralight backpack made from Dyneema Composite Fabric. Minimalist design for gram-conscious hikers and ultralight enthusiasts.
Building a pack? Add either one to your HikeLoad list, or drop its weight into the base weight calculator, and see what it does to your total weight.
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Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L vs Zpacks Nero Classic 50L: which should you buy?
If saving weight is your priority, the Zpacks Nero Classic 50L wins — at 330 g it is 180 g (35%) lighter than the Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 55L (510 g). That said, the heavier option may justify the extra grams with more capacity, durability or comfort, so weigh the trade-off against how you'll use it.
See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest backpack page, or browse the full gear weight database.