Guide 4 min
How much does an empty backpack weigh? Weight per litre
At 50 L, an empty backpack weighs 870 g to 2100 g depending on the model: 17.4 g to 42 g per litre. Five real packs compared, and their share of 8 kg.
An empty 50 L backpack weighs 870 g to 2100 g in the WildKit catalogue, depending on the model. Divided by its capacity, that's 17.4 g to 42 g per litre. Before you put a single thing in it, you already carry 11 % to 26 % of your 8 kg wild camping target.
Backpack spec sheets talk about litres, pockets, ventilated backs. The empty weight comes last. Yet it counts from your first step, and it never gets lighter on the way: food gets eaten, water gets drunk, the pack stays.
How much does an empty 50 L backpack weigh?
From 870 g to 2100 g, depending on the model. The catalogue holds 28 backpacks, from 20 L to 70 L. Five of them are exactly 50 L: same capacity, so a direct comparison, pack by pack.
| Pack | Capacity | Empty weight | Weight per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 | 50 L | 870 g | 17.4 g |
| Simond MT900 UL 50 L | 50 L | 1050 g | 21 g |
| Simond MT100 50 L | 50 L | 1400 g | 28 g |
| Simond MT100 EasyFit 50 L | 50 L | 1600 g | 32 g |
| Simond MT500 AIR 50 | 50 L | 2100 g | 42 g |
Between the lightest and the heaviest, there's a 1230 g gap, or 1.2 kg, for exactly the same volume.
Why compare backpacks in grams per litre?
Because it's the only figure that compares two packs of different sizes fairly. Dividing the weight by the capacity tells you what each litre of space costs you. At 50 L, a litre weighs 17.4 g on the lightest pack and 42 g on the heaviest: more than double.
A small pack isn't always leaner per litre. The Quechua MH100 20 L weighs 23.5 g per litre, more than the 50 L Gorilla. So never compare two packs of different volumes on raw weight: divide first.
What about a 20 L day pack?
The two 20 L packs in the catalogue weigh 470 g and 600 g: a 130 g gap.
| Pack | Capacity | Empty weight | Weight per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quechua MH100 20 L | 20 L | 470 g | 23.5 g |
| Quechua MH500 20 L | 20 L | 600 g | 30 g |
For a day hike, the pack range is 15 to 25 L and the weight target is 3 kg, or 3000 g. The empty pack already takes 16 % or 20 % of it. On a small target, a few grams of container weigh more in the balance.
What share of your 8 kg target does the empty pack take?
From 11 % to 26 %, for a 50 L pack on a wild camping trip. Your wild camping target is 8 kg, or 8000 g, with a 40 to 50 L pack.
| Pack | Empty weight | Share of 8 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 | 870 g | 11 % |
| Simond MT500 AIR 50 | 2100 g | 26 % |
The rest of the target goes to the sleeping bag, the tent, the mat and the clothes. Every gram the empty pack takes, you either remove from another item or carry on top. The same logic applies to the tent: see the weight to aim for with your tent.
What to remember
- At 50 L, an empty pack weighs 870 g to 2100 g in the catalogue: a 1.2 kg gap for the same volume.
- Compare per litre: 17.4 g to 42 g per litre at 50 L, 23.5 g to 30 g at 20 L.
- On a wild camping trip, the empty pack takes 11 % to 26 % of your 8 kg target, before anything else.
The pack counts in your total weight, like every other item (see how much your bag should weigh). Its size is chosen from what you put in it (see what backpack volume for your trip). Give your trip to the configurator: it picks a pack whose capacity covers your kit, and its weight is added to your total.
Written by Thanaël Fontaine. Published .