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Exped’s Lightning 60 rucksack has recently been updated to be lighter and tougher, whilst importantly keeping its minimalist roots. We gave the Lightning 60 some heavy use in the Cairngorms and the Isle of Arran to see how it would fit into life for multi-day wild-camping in the late Scottish winter months.

With a weight of 1180 grams and a high capacity of 60L, you’d expect the low weight of the Lightning 60 to feel a bit on the flimsy side. This couldn’t be further from the truth with a hard-wearing choice of fabrics used throughout and strong back support. It also boasts a high load limit of 24kg, this all sounded great for a couple of upcoming expeditions in which we needed to pack a bit of extra weight due to the amount of time we would be away, mixed with the time of year where cold weather kit would be required.

The  Lightning 60’s capacity is mostly made up of one large compartment and two mesh side pockets. This gives it its large capacity at a low weight without having to lessen the durability of fabrics. We very much like this approach and often find simplicity is best when choosing outdoor kit. The wide opening is easy to place gear inside and it certainly feels like a large capacity pack with plenty of room to fit in our cold weather kit and camera equipment for 3-4 days of wild camping. A bit of thought needs to be considered as to where kit is placed as the single access point makes reaching kit lower down harder to acquire. You do however quickly build up and system and this is often the style of pack we like to use for journeys of this length and more. A streamlined pack with less stitching which leads to lower areas failing and needing repair.

Roll-top closure has become a popular choice for a wide range of packs today and it’s a quick and lightweight solution. The Lightning 60 benefits from this type of closure as main body of the bag is water-resistant, perfect for the varied weather conditions we often encounter in the UK. 210 D HMPE ripstop nylon and 630 D nylon fabric base gave us reassurance this pack could handle our high load of kit and the added benefit of a 1500 mm water column kept our gear secure and dry, but as the pack is not seam-sealed, it is always better to err on the side of caution, and make sure your items are protecte. This is a pack which will stand the test of time and we found the overall build to be of very high quality.

Everything we liked about the simplicity of the Lighting 60 unfortunately becomes lost when it comes to the overabundance of strapping located all over the outer of the pack. The strapping or compression system certainly does a good job of keeping the pack streamlined for when differing loads are carried. Our main issue is that even when fully loaded the strapping is far longer than needed and the little Velcro fasteners to keep the slack from flapping around became a pain to handle with cold hands. Obviously, this does however offer a lot of variation to personalise the set-up, and cutting down what you don’t need will save this small niggle as well as reducing a few grams at the same time.

There is a small pouch located at the top of the pack which is large enough for a few quick to hand items. It became handy for items such as keys, a headtorch, and a spare map. It can however become difficult to access when the Lighting 60 is fully loaded, and we found it easier to access this pocket from the internal zipper.

The adjustable torso is a great touch, very easy to use with a simple tension adjuster, covering a wide range from short to long back lengths. T-Rex suspension system with a single central aluminium stay will divide opinion, and this was certainly the case for us. We found it lacked the comfort needed for long distances over tough terrain when carrying a heavier load. Much preferring a full back support with more contact with the pack itself. Once our camera kit was removed the Lightning 60 felt much more balanced, and comfortable to wear throughout long days over mixed terrain. More of a larger pack for lightweight multiday expeditions than a heavy-weight workhorse. Feeling at its best at below 15kg, which in all fairness will be commonplace amongst most.

Shoulder straps and hip belt are exactly what you would want them to be. Decent amount of padding, large pockets, and plenty of adjustment to suit body shape, size, and weight carried. Little extras like ice axe loops and pole attachments again all do their job to suit a wide range of activities. 

Shoulder straps and hip belt are exactly what you would want them to be. Decent amount of padding, large pockets, plenty of adjustment to suit body shape, size, and weight carried. Little extras like ice axe loops and pole attachments again all do their job to suit a wide range of activities.

Our Verdict

Exped’s Lightning 60 may appear simple in design, but lots of design elements have been carefully considered in which a low weight is achieved without lacking in capacity and robustness. The single large main compartment keeps the Lighting 60 streamlined, water-resistant and lessens the worry of failure for extended journeys. The 1500 HH and tough 630 D nylon fabric base is a great confidence boost for travelling in remote areas with ever changing weather conditions. This really is a tough piece of kit with a low weight of just above 1kg for a 60-litre pack will be a major factor in choosing this pack for any long-distance adventures. The load capacity of 24kg we found a little misleading. There is no doubt the build of the pack can handle a high amount of weight, but for us, the T-Rex suspension system with minimal padding and long aluminium stay lacked the comfort we usually look for when packing heavier items. Most long-distance routes in the UK, using relatively lightweight kit, will most often not require the need to carry anything near the load we used during testing. The back and shoulder support is fully adjustable to suit a wide range of torso lengths and body shapes. So much of this pack will again come down to personal choice highlighted again with the compression straps, for us they are far too long and over complicated, but certainly do a job of securing down addition kit, keeping the pack streamlined and secure, whilst maintaining an even distribution on weight. Overall, this is a great pack that will see out a variety of activities with long lasting durability.

Trek Scotland is a small family business based in the picturesque village of Tomintoul in the North East region of the Cairngorms National Park. They provide bespoke Mountain Guiding for Single Day Walks and Lightweight Multiday Trekking experiences, including wild camping, in the stunning Cairngorms wilderness and surrounding areas. Whether in the high mountains or lower valleys, their Multiday Treks are equipped with high quality, lightweight camping and trekking gear. They only work with small groups and, whatever your ability, pride themselves on designing your outdoor experience completely to your needs and with professional guidance and expertise. Adventure is waiting... Read more from Trek Scotland