ILE Default Mini vs. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

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

ILE Default Mini

by ILE
Front facing view of the ILE Default Mini
Capacity25 L
Weight1.5 kg
Dimensions51×31×15 cm
Airline fit89%
Price$275

Feature by feature

ILE Default MiniFeatureHyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
Storage
4 Compression 5
None Expanded Capacity None
2 Opening 2
Passport
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
removable Hip Belt Y
removable Sternum Strap removable
Inside
15in Laptop N
2 Main Compartments 1
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2, side Water Bottle Holder 2, side
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
1000D Cordura or xpac 1.45kg x-pac; 1.65kg corduraDyneema® 200-denier

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

Front facing view of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
Capacity40 L
Weight0.8 kg
Dimensions70×28×17 cm
Airline fit12%
Price$380

Key differences between the ILE Default Mini and Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

Both have: backpack straps, 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. 23 accept both. 146 accept only the ILE Default Mini, and 0 accept only the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest.

Only the ILE Default Mini fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, flybe, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, PenAir, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Thai Airways, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Volotea, WestJet, WOW Airlines, Xiamen.

ILE Default Mini vs. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest: which should you pack?

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest carries 15L more than the ILE Default Mini (25L vs. 40L), while the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest is the lighter pack at 0.8kg (vs. 1.5kg). For carry-on flexibility, the ILE Default Mini fits 89% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest; if you want to travel lighter, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest is the better call.