Known for putting a creative and innovative spin on adventure travel gear—think award-winning toiletry bottles—Boulder, CO-based Matador isn't used to settling. Even though the company had already created an ultralight and ultra-packable frame backpack for hiking and climbing, Matador's designers decided to push further. The result of their efforts is the Beast28 Helium, a 28-liter backpack that's worthy of serious mountain adventures but smooshes down flat and weighs next to nothing.
More specifically, the Beast28 Helium weighs 22 ounces, making it ideal for fast-paced day hikes and alpine strike missions. It's one of the lightest frame packs on the market, and it's also sleek in design and constructed from a ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene reinforced ripstop nylon fabric (if you never took organic chemistry, just know it's rugged AF). The pack also has weatherproof zippers and reflective paracord that add to both the durability and aesthetic, plus space inside for a hydration bladder, two exterior water bottle sleeves, and a removable hip belt.
