Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack vs. Exped Cascade 25

Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.

Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack

Front facing view of the Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack
Capacity30 L
Weight1 kg
Dimensions52×36×29 cm
Airline fit2%
Price$130

Feature by feature

Osprey Transporter® Zip Top PackFeatureExped Cascade 25
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
4 Opening 4
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
removable Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
1 Main Compartments 1
Y Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2 Water Bottle Holder N
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
400D Nylon TPU Double Coated420 D Oxford nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column

Exped Cascade 25

Front facing view of the Exped Cascade 25
Capacity25 L
Weight0.9 kg
Dimensions49×29×21 cm
Airline fit73%
Price$139

Key differences between the Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack and Exped Cascade 25

Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, laptop sleeve, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 4 accept both. 0 accept only the Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack, and 134 accept only the Exped Cascade 25.

Only the Exped Cascade 25 fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air Europa, Air France, Air India, Air Koryo, Air Macau, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Azul Linhas, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Southern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Cubana de Aviacion, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Indigo, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, PenAir, Philippine Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Air Morocco, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scoot, Sichuan Airlines, SilkAir, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, SpiceJet, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAAG Angola, TAM Airlines, Thai Airways, Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Ural Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet, WOW Airlines.

Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack vs. Exped Cascade 25: which should you pack?

The Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack carries 5L more than the Exped Cascade 25 (30L vs. 25L), while the Exped Cascade 25 is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Cascade 25 fits 73% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Osprey Transporter® Zip Top Pack; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Cascade 25 is the better call.