Macpac Rapaki 25 vs. Exped Impulse 30

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

Macpac Rapaki 25

Front facing view of the Macpac Rapaki 25
Capacity25 L
Weight0.91 kg
Dimensions52×30×25 cm
Airline fit39%
Price$140

Feature by feature

Macpac Rapaki 25FeatureExped Impulse 30
Storage
Compression Y
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 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
200D Recycled Polyester, 420D Oxford Nylon210 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 Macpac Rapaki 25 and Exped Impulse 30

Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, 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. 73 accept both. 0 accept only the Macpac Rapaki 25, and 57 accept only the Exped Impulse 30.

Only the Exped Impulse 30 fits

Aer Lingus, Air Asia, Air Canada, Air Macau, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, CommutAir, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, Garuda Indonesia, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kulula, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Norwegian, Pakistan International, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, SAS Scandinavian, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, Trans States, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic.

Macpac Rapaki 25 vs. Exped Impulse 30: which should you pack?

The Exped Impulse 30 carries 5L more than the Macpac Rapaki 25 (25L 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 Exped Impulse 30; if you want to travel lighter, the Macpac Rapaki 25 is the better call.