Gonex ultralight backpack is for all those who dislike hiking or traveling with heavy bags. The reasons you will love…
Gonex Ultra-Light Backpack Review
The most affordable lightweight backpack that’s good to go on all adventures!
By Stephen John · Owner & Editor · November 26, 2019
Summary
Gonex ultralight backpack is for all those who dislike hiking or traveling with heavy bags. The reasons you will love this backpack are its construction, built, portability and of course the price. Having a polyester-nylon blend makes it water-resistant. This super-light bag weighs only 185g making it ideal for hiking, camping, travel, vacation, school, family activities, mummy bag, and gift.
Rating: Gonex Ultra-Light Backpack 20L
Honest & Personal Review
OVERALL RATING
81
*How It’s Calculated
How We Got The Results
Comfort & Support
Breathable mesh shoulder straps feel soft on your shoulders and grant more stability and comfort without producing any strains. The mesh back foam padding keeps your back cool while hiking. The bear-system comprises metal in the back that adjusts to your spine to make you comfortable while carrying backpack stuffed with your items. It improves your control to hold the fully loaded pack.
The zippers didn’t cause any problem for me, nor got stuck. As the backpack has 2-way metal SBS rustproof zippers, they offer smooth action. To enhance support and design, there are well-constructed seams. The strong bar-tracks at major stress points improve longevity.
Features
Gonex backpack is the best pick when you don’t want to spend much money; a lightweight durable backpack under $15. Whether you are traveling, hiking, biking or doing any form of activity, the backpack’s ergonomic design, and endurance guarantees long years of usage. 20L is a good size to carry a pair of shoes, some clothes, and small items. Although Gonex backpack isn’t waterproof, it is still very water-resistant and keeps stuff dry after hours of heavy rain.
Main Features
Best Purpose of Use
- Day hikes
- For minimalist hikers who love comfort and light traveling
- All traveling purposes
Durability & Design
From a design perspective, Gonex backpack comes in 8 colors and 5 sizes. The backpack is made from strong, high-quality water-resistant nylon material that keeps the pack safe from wear and tear. Also, the double stitching across the whole backpack makes it strong enough to hold objects without a rip. The unfolded bag measures 44 x 30 x15 cm and offers an internal volume of 20L to carry whatever you need with yourself during the trip. This makes the pack compact and spacious at the same time.
Moreover, Gonex backpack can transform into its own compact sandwich-size 8 by 6 inches pouch that looks like a little purse. On the exterior of the pack, you also get two nylon mesh pockets on both sides to hold water bottles or umbrellas. Additionally, there is a single zipper on the front to store stuff like a camera, maps, etc. for quick access. It features one main zippered compartment which is quite spacious to keep your items. Plus, an inner safety zipper pocket is there to put valuable like credit or ID cards, passports, and cash. Moreover, this handy pack has little neon strips on the backpack’s corner for better visibility at night to the person behind.
Pros
Cons
FAQ – Gonex Ultra-Light Backpack
Testimonials – Gonex Ultra-Light Backpack
– Nice size for plane personal item
I bought this to take as a personal item on a plane, and then to use hiking once at my destination.
It’s a nice size for carrying on a plane. If you don’t over-stuff it, it fits nicely under the seat in front of you. The only problem I had was when I was in the middle seat on Icelandair. There was something under all the middle seats that made the stowing space smaller, so it MOSTLY fit but kind of stuck into my foot space.
It was great for hiking, also — the straps were padded enough to be comfortable, and it was light enough that it didn’t feel like it was dragging me down. I carried a water bottle, protein bars, a portable charger, etc, and I sometimes forgot it was on my back. It did rain the whole time I was hiking, and the pack is not waterproof (but I didn’t expect it to be), so I put my electronics in Ziploc bags inside.
On my return trip, I emptied the backpack out and folded it up in my suitcase. I didn’t look at how I was SUPPOSED to fold it, so I winged it, and it wasn’t pretty, but it still folded up nice and small.
Overall, it worked out really well.
– Taken from: https://www.amazon.com
– Can’t Believe this is so Cheap!!
This this is BADASS. Never did I expect something in this price range to be as handy and helpful as it was. When I went to India for a wedding this was my day-pack, survival kit, security system and souvenir collector. This thing holds way more than you would ever imagine. When you head out for the day you can know that you wont be mad about bringing this! I haven’t had any quality issues or anything! I have put this through the ringer on multiple trips and camping adventures. Even fully loaded down with water bottles and gear it was comfy and didn’t make my back sweaty, I attached a photo of a typical daily load-out while I was in India! Go-Pro accessory case and all!
– Taken from: https://www.amazon.com
– Size, weight and durability
I’ve been using mine over a year for biking, hiking and snowboarding. It’s light and durable enough to hold the basic survival stuff I need. The size and weight of this bag is where it shines. In this photo I have 2 bottles of water, my tools, fleece jacket and food so I’m really only carrying the weight of the stuff in it. This helps a great deal with balance when hitting the slopes. Great bag!
– Taken from: https://www.amazon.com
Comparison Table – Trekking Backpacks
 Gonex 20 |  Outlander 35 |  Venture Pal 35 |  Venture Pal 40 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $13.98 at Amazon | $20.99 at Amazon | $20.99 at Amazon | $22.99 at Amazon |
| BPF Rating | ||||
| Amazon Rating | ||||
| Pros | Compact, comfortable & cheap. | Smooth zippers, anti-tear material & lightweight. | Lightweight design, large capacity & sturdy. | Lightweight design, ergonomic design, and Compact storage. |
| Cons | Wrinkled look. | Thin fabric & not waterproof. | No padded back panel & not waterproof. | Water-resistant but not water-proof. |
| Bottom Line | Gonex backpack is the best pick when you don’t want to spend much money. | Incredible bag that is perfect for everything; from backpacking to through hiking and even mountaineering expeditions. | Compressible compact pack that provides all the space you need for all items you want to travel with. | Venture Pal 40L gives you an easy way to store a variety of items for everyday use, hiking, and camping. |
| Rating Cat. | Gonex 20 | Outlander 35 | Venture Pal 35 | Venture Pal 40 |
| - Comfort & Support | ||||
| - Features | ||||
| - Durability & Design | ||||
| - Personal Exp. | ||||
| Specs | Gonex 20 | Outlander 35 | Venture Pal 35 | Venture Pal 40 |
| Weight (ounces) | 6.50oz | 11.2oz | 11.2oz | 11.2oz |
| Volume (liters) | 20l | 35l | 35l | 40l |
| Back Construction | Simple foam pad | Simple foam pad | Simple foam pad | Simple foam pad |
| Fold Ability | Packable | Packable | Packable | Packable |
| Hydration | No | No | No | No |
| Hip-Belt | No | No | No | No |
| No. of pockets | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Pockets | Outer smaller pocket, internal zippered pocket, and two nylon-mesh side pockets. | Two front zipper pockets, two side pockets. | Two front zipper pockets, an internal zippered pocket, and two open-mesh side pockets. | One zipped front pocket, two side pockets and one small zippered pocket in the main compartment. |
| Materials | Water and tear-resistant nylon | Rip-proof and water-resistant nylon | Water and tear-resistant nylon | Water and tear-resistant nylon |
| Warranty | 6 years | Life-time | Life-time | N/A |
| Colors | 8 | 12 | 18 | 10 |
| Other features | Ultralight backpack is for all those who dislike hiking or traveling with heavy bags. | Breathable mesh shoulder strap, stress points are reinforced and durable 2-way Abrasion Resistant SBS Zipper. | The upgraded version of this backpack has a better inner lining that doesn’t rip or peel at all even after rough use. Plus, the issue I faced of zippers getting stuck in the flap has been solved with the latest thicker flap design. | Breathable mesh shoulder straps with plentiful sponge padding. |
»Related: See Full Table
Author
Stephen John
Founder, Tester & Editor
Stephen is the founder of Backpackfanatic. Besides managing daily operations he also edits, designs & tests products.
