Exped Cascade 25 vs. Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Cascade 25 | Feature | Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 4 |
| N | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | Y |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 2 |
| 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 | Eco AzTec® 8 Canvas — 80% Polyester, 20% Cotton |
Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22
| Capacity | 22 L |
| Weight | 0.7 kg |
| Dimensions | 10×10×10 cm |
| Airline fit | 100% |
| Price | $90 |
Key differences between the Exped Cascade 25 and Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22
- Hip belt: Removable on the Exped Cascade 25; Yes on the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22.
- Main compartments: 1 on the Exped Cascade 25; 2 on the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22.
Both have: backpack straps, sternum strap, laptop sleeve, 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 51 accept only the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22.
Only the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti, American Eagle, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Great Lakes Airlines, Gulf Air, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, LC Perú, Linea Aerea Amaszonas, Lion Air Group, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Spring Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tianjin Airlines (E145), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Australia, VivaColombia, Volaris, Volotea, Wizz Air, Xiamen.
Exped Cascade 25 vs. Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22: which should you pack?
The Exped Cascade 25 carries 3L more than the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 (25L vs. 22L), while the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 is the lighter pack at 0.7kg (vs. 0.9kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 fits 100% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Cascade 25; if you want to travel lighter, the Macpac Kahu AzTec® 22 is the better call.