Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L vs. Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack

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

Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L

Front facing view of the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L
Capacity40 L
Weight1.17 kg
Dimensions53×35.5×21 cm
Airline fit65%
Price$130

Feature by feature

Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40LFeatureKathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack
Storage
N Compression Y
None Expanded Capacity None
4 Opening 4
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
hideable Hip Belt hideable
Y Sternum Strap hideable
Inside
17in Laptop 17in
1 Main Compartments 2
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
removable Rain-fly N
2 Water Bottle Holder 1
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
300D Dual-Diamond Heather Ripstop, 500D Poly RPVB CoatingRecycled Polyester/Nylon

Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack

Front facing view of the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack
Capacity38 L
Weight1.31 kg
Dimensions55.88×32×28.45 cm
Airline fit2%
Price$150

Key differences between the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L and Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack

Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, 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. 4 accept both. 118 accept only the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L, and 0 accept only the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack.

Only the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air Europa, Air Koryo, Air Macau, Air Nostrum, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Azul Linhas, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Southern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Cubana de Aviacion, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Korean Air, Kulula, Kuwait Air, Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, PenAir, Philippine Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Air Morocco, SAS Scandinavian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scoot, Sichuan Airlines, SilkAir, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, SpiceJet, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAAG Angola, TAM Airlines, Thai Airways, Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Ural Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet, WOW Airlines.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L vs. Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack: which should you pack?

The Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L carries 2L more than the Kathmandu Litehaul 38L Carry-On Pack (40L vs. 38L), while the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L is the lighter pack at 1.17kg (vs. 1.31kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L fits 65% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L; if you want to travel lighter, the Eagle Creek Wayfinder 40L is the better call.