Exped Cascade 20 vs. Exped Serac 25
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Cascade 20 | Feature | Exped Serac 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 3 |
| N | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| 13in | Laptop | N |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 420 D Oxford nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column | 420 D ripstop nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column |
Key differences between the Exped Cascade 20 and Exped Serac 25
- Opening: Top zip on the Exped Cascade 20; Top flap on the Exped Serac 25.
- Laptop sleeve: 13in on the Exped Cascade 20; No on the Exped Serac 25.
Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 131 accept both. 45 accept only the Exped Cascade 20, and 0 accept only the Exped Serac 25.
Only the Exped Cascade 20 fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Etihad Airways, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Australia, Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.
Exped Cascade 20 vs. Exped Serac 25: which should you pack?
The Exped Serac 25 carries 5L more than the Exped Cascade 20 (20L vs. 25L), while the Exped Serac 25 is the lighter pack at 0.765kg (vs. 0.84kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Cascade 20 fits 93% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Serac 25; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Serac 25 is the better call.