Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women vs. Ortlieb Messenger Bag

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

Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women

Front facing view of the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women
Capacity30 L
Weight1.25 kg
Dimensions58×28×23 cm
Airline fit17%
Price$137

Feature by feature

Exped Mountain Pro 30 WomenFeatureOrtlieb Messenger Bag
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
3 Opening 2
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
removable Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap removable
Inside
N 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, PU coated, 3'000 mm water columnPD620, PS620C

Ortlieb Messenger Bag

Front facing view of the Ortlieb Messenger Bag
Capacity39 L
Weight1.3 kg
Dimensions50×39×15 cm
Airline fit59%
Price$140

Key differences between the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women and Ortlieb Messenger Bag

Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 30 accept both. 2 accept only the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women, and 81 accept only the Ortlieb Messenger Bag.

Only the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women fits

Cayman Airways, Conviasa.

Only the Ortlieb Messenger Bag fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Astana, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air Malta, Air Nostrum, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, All Nipon Airways, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Atlas Global, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Czech Airlines, EL AL, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Gol Linhas Aereas, Iberia, Icelandair, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Japan Airlines, Jet2, Juneyao Airlines, Kuwait Air, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Peach, Porter Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Thai Airways, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Travel Service Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, Uzbekistan Air, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, WOW Airlines, Xiamen.

Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women vs. Ortlieb Messenger Bag: which should you pack?

The Ortlieb Messenger Bag carries 9L more than the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women (30L vs. 39L), while the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women is the lighter pack at 1.25kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Ortlieb Messenger Bag fits 59% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Ortlieb Messenger Bag; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Mountain Pro 30 Women is the better call.