Exped Cascade 25 vs. Deuter Giga SL
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Cascade 25 | Feature | Deuter Giga SL |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 17in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | removable |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | 2 |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 420 D Oxford nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column | 300D PES Ripstop |
Key differences between the Exped Cascade 25 and Deuter Giga SL
- Laptop sleeve: 15in on the Exped Cascade 25; 17in on the Deuter Giga SL.
- Rain cover: No on the Exped Cascade 25; Removable on the Deuter Giga SL.
- Water bottle pockets: No on the Exped Cascade 25; 2 on the Deuter Giga SL.
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. 138 accept both. 0 accept only the Exped Cascade 25, and 36 accept only the Deuter Giga SL.
Only the Deuter Giga SL fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Australia, Volotea, Xiamen.
Exped Cascade 25 vs. Deuter Giga SL: which should you pack?
The Deuter Giga SL carries 3L more than the Exped Cascade 25 (25L vs. 28L), while the Exped Cascade 25 is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 0.96kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Deuter Giga SL fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Deuter Giga SL; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Cascade 25 is the better call.