Exped Serac 25 vs. Ortlieb Gear-Pack

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

Exped Serac 25

Front facing view of the Exped Serac 25
Capacity25 L
Weight0.765 kg
Dimensions55×25×21 cm
Airline fit69%
Price$200

Feature by feature

Exped Serac 25FeatureOrtlieb Gear-Pack
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
3 Opening 2
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack removable
removable Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap Y
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 ripstop nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water columnPD620, PS620C

Ortlieb Gear-Pack

Front facing view of the Ortlieb Gear-Pack
Capacity32 L
Weight1.2 kg
Dimensions64×29×18 cm
Airline fit14%
Price$185

Key differences between the Exped Serac 25 and Ortlieb Gear-Pack

Both have: 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. 26 accept both. 105 accept only the Exped Serac 25, and 0 accept only the Ortlieb Gear-Pack.

Only the Exped Serac 25 fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Great Lakes Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Indigo, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, PenAir, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, SAS Scandinavian, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, Thai Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WOW Airlines.

Exped Serac 25 vs. Ortlieb Gear-Pack: which should you pack?

The Ortlieb Gear-Pack carries 7L more than the Exped Serac 25 (25L vs. 32L), while the Exped Serac 25 is the lighter pack at 0.765kg (vs. 1.2kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Serac 25 fits 69% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Ortlieb Gear-Pack; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Serac 25 is the better call.