Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L vs. Exped Impulse 30

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

Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L

Front facing view of the Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L
Capacity45 L
Weight1.559 kg
Dimensions60×27×20 cm
Airline fit16%
Price$199

Feature by feature

Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45LFeatureExped Impulse 30
Storage
Y Compression Y
None Expanded Capacity None
0 Opening 4
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
Y Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
N Laptop N
1 Main Compartments 1
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2 Water Bottle Holder 2
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
630-denier 100% nylon, 200-denier 100% polyester210 D Robic HD Ripstop Nylon Carbonate PU, 2'500 mm water column

Exped Impulse 30

Front facing view of the Exped Impulse 30
Capacity30 L
Weight0 kg
Dimensions55×30×21 cm
Airline fit69%
Price$159

Key differences between the Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L and Exped Impulse 30

Both have: compression straps, backpack straps, sternum strap, water bottle pockets, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 31 accept both. 0 accept only the Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L, and 99 accept only the Exped Impulse 30.

Only the Exped Impulse 30 fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, CommutAir, Copa Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Indigo, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, SAS Scandinavian, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, Thai Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WOW Airlines.

Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L vs. Exped Impulse 30: which should you pack?

The Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L carries 15L more than the Exped Impulse 30 (45L vs. 30L), and the two are closely matched on weight. For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Impulse 30 fits 69% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L; if you want to travel lighter, the Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L is the better call.