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In an Aussie summer jam-packed with backcountry adventures, Taylor took the One Planet Extrovert Hiking Pack on six different treks across three states. After 350km through mud, rivers, sleet, extreme overgrowth, and unrelenting sun, how did this gregarious pack fare?
The One Planet Extrovert is a competitively lightweight, external-frame rucksack that’s great for multi-day hikes in the Australian backcountry. It’s locally made in Melbourne, which places One Planet among the only Australian owned and manufactured backpacking brands in the game. The attention to certain details and emphasis on durability reflect that.
This pack was put through the absolute ringer in some extremely dense bush and emerged on the other side to tell the tale.
It also matches the sky remarkably well on a clear day
Why am I the right person to do this review?
Instead of getting a real job, I hiked nearly 10,000km of long-distance trails around America, Europe, and Australia for the last decade. And yes, I did my time as a full-on ounce-counting ultralight bro, who hasn’t?!? But then I turned 30 and found out that camp chairs and warm meals can also be dope.
I’m also dumb enough to swim across rivers like this
I like to go full gearhead in reviews of outdoor goodies – including backpacks – for a couple of other sites in the US too. Last I checked, the Extrovert was the ~15th backpack I’ve used on a multi-day hike, but it’s the first Aussie-made one, so I was excited to see how it stacked up.
On top of this, the folks over at One Planet were kind enough to let me drop by their factory in Melbourne to get properly fitted, so you know the comfort rating is fair in this review.
Read more: Why You Should Get Fitted Before You Buy A Hiking Backpack
Quick Specifications
Weight: 1.4kg for all sizes, due to the adjustability of the EXACT FIT MID harness
Capacity: 5 to 20kg
Size: 55L
Material: Diamondloc
Colours: Blue or black
One Planet Extrovert 55L vs the Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50L
Performance
This pack boasts quite a few bells and whistles, with lots of features that set it apart from a traditionally ultralight pack, so I was interested to see whether they were simply extraneous or actually useful. Up front, I can say that a lack of external storage options is surprising, but probably contributes to the pack’s durability.
Plus, since it’s so insanely abrasion and water-resistant, you know that, even if it’s sometimes cumbersome to access things, they’ll at least be safe inside the pack.
To begin, there are tons of ways to adjust weight distribution and how this pack sits on your body. The EXACT FIT MID harness is adjustable to fit your frame, and the external aluminium poles can be removed to make it a frameless pack, based on how much weight you’re carrying. A cinchable drawcord keeps the double-layered throat closed, which was the main casualty I incurred on these hikes.
Since the drawcord wasn’t fastened to the cinching mechanism, it pretty quickly fell out and made the top of the pack un-cinchable – I fixed it with a sturdier knot though
Apart from this, the water carrying capacity is insane. There’s a large bottle holder on each side, comfortably fitting a 1.5L bottle or Nalgene, as well as two more pockets behind these holders that could hold more, albeit unreachable bottles. But that’s not all! There’s also a detachable pocket inside the pack to hold a Camelbak if that’s your preferred hydration method.
It makes the pack pretty ideal for long, hot hikes when you need to be able to carry a lot of water
Durability
Externally speaking, this bad boy is indestructible. It’s composed of Diamondloc fabric, which is 210-denier Robic nylon. Compare this to the 100D nylon of the Osprey Exos or the 100 and 70D of the Gossamer Gear Gorilla, and you’ll see it’s literally twice as reinforced, and probably the most heavy-duty material short of straight-up canvas that I’ve seen used on a pack.
Seriously gotta be heavy duty to last for hours through this
It’s also coated internally with DWR and non-PFC treated externally to be double water-resistant, which, over 350km of hiking, I’ve found to be the case, with no indications of deterioration yet.
The non-mesh nylon of the water bottle holders also scores extra durability points, but sacrifices some performance. I don’t think this was a trade-off worth making, as their firmer structure completely prevents anyone from carrying a larger bottle or screw-on filter. Since this is the standard kit on most multi-day hikes, it became kind of an unsolvable problem unless I wanted to switch to a Camelback or, pointlessly, multiple smaller bottles?
A 1.5L bottle with a screw-on filter was jutting into my side on every hike. So much that it bruised my ribcage at one point
Even the drawstring on the throat that failed is heavy duty. Apart from this, you’ve got:
- Specialty non-crack nylon buckles
- YKK zippers
- Maybe most importantly, double-stitched binding, which means increased seam durability at every level
This thing can’t be overloaded or over-stretched and carries those loads comfortably. The specialised sewing team at the factory in Melbourne makes sure the One Planet Extovert is undeniably prepared for the elements of the Aussie bush at every level.
This is echoed in the fact that One Planet is also the go-to supplier of gear for outdoor school trips around Australia. So you just know it’s gotta be tough if it’s being used by a bunch of teenagers carrying rented gear on their first outdoor trips.
Anecdotally, I was told that somebody threw one of these packs off Mt Bogong and it landed, then rolled, hundreds of metres down the mountain. When they found it was allegedly perfectly intact. I don’t even doubt it.
Comfort
I carried up to 15kg in this pack, and it didn’t affect the comfort level too much. In fact, the hip belt is probably the most padded one I’ve ever worn. This thing is like a bandolier of tiny pillows. The hip belt’s figure-8 design, along with the padding, makes a heavy load much more distributable. I also had the detachable hip belt pockets, which can comfortably fit lots of snacks and most phones. And despite this much weight, my hips didn’t incur too much discomfort.
Even after layering on a fanny pack too
The ventilation system in the back is fairly unique, as it’s designed for contact in certain spots and is composed of raised air mesh. I think it worked fine, but it wasn’t revolutionary. My personal opinion is that a moisture-wicking shirt is always going to be more important than a well-ventilated pack.
The main comfort issue is, again, that no matter how you adjust the way the pack sits, a large water bottle can jut up and into your ribs while you’re hiking.
Design
For more rugged adventures in the backcountry I think the Extrovert is a great option. The emphasis on water-resistance and durability make its design perfect for things like the South Coast and Port Davey Tracks, Federation Peak, either of the Arthur’s Traverses in Tasmania, or deep in South Island, New Zealand.
I hiked the Northern Wilderness Circuit on Wilsons Prom with it, and am SO GLAD I had it, because the dense overgrowth would’ve absolutely chewed up a lesser pack.
RIP our foam sleeping pads
I also think that the external aluminium frame works well with the raised air mesh on the back, and the adjustability of the harness makes it a very versatile pack. You can make it lighter by removing the hip belt pockets, frames, and raising the harness for shorter, easier adventures, but it can also hang with a full load as well.
I think a roll top closure system could realistically replace the cinchable drawstring on the throat
A roll top would also increase water-resistance and wouldn’t really cost extra weight, but other than that, every design choice has its justification.
Sustainability
Born and bred in Melbourne, it’s such a treat to see such a thoughtfully designed and rugged backpack coming straight out of the city. One Planet is a local company that clearly focuses on community and quality over a bottom line.
Hiking local is also cool too (I love coastal walks)
Sourcing sustainable materials and selling locally reduces the carbon footprint more than any other internationally shipped brand. Along with taking a tangible approach to sustainable manufacturing, I also appreciate that One Planet doesn’t attempt to greenwash its image through meaningless sustainability ‘commitments’ and eco-capitalistic techno-jargon. Instead, they let the materials speak for themselves.
Price
Retailing at $419 AUD (come on, y’all couldn’t make it one more dollar?), this pack is competitively priced for the features and weight. Sure, you can find cheaper packs, but this is definitely a buy once, cry once situation.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about lending it to your friends for their Tassie hikes | Shot by Matt Hately
Apart from this, One Planet offers a very generous cleaning and repair service out of its headquarters in Melbourne. So even if something goes wrong, you can drop by or send in your pack for a free repair.
Read more: How To Choose A Hiking Pack
Final Thoughts
The One Planet Extrovert 55 is a seriously rough, seriously ready hiking pack. It impressively handled everything the Aussie bush had in store for it, and it feels like it’s built to last long into the future.
Many of the small flourishes, such as double seam stitching and Diamondloc fabric, do incur a weight penalty, but this can be a trade-off worth making for more rugged multi-day hikes in the backcountry. I won’t think twice about taking this one on a multi-day excursion off-track in Tassie or New Zealand.
$400 is a totally reasonable amount to pay for a pack that you can expect to last for decades
FAQs One Planet Extrovert 55 Lightweight Hiking Pack
How much weight can the One Planet Extrovert carry comfortably?
Anywhere from 5-20kg, thanks to the adjustable harness and chunky hip belt.
How heavy is the One Planet Extrovert hiking pack?
The pack clocks in at 1.4kg across all sizes – pretty light for something this heavy-duty.
What makes the One Planet Extrovert more durable than other hiking packs?
Diamondloc fabric, YKK zips, double-stitched seams, and enough reinforcement to survive a tumble down Mt Bogong. Plus, if you do somehow manage to damage it, One Planet offers a generous cleaning and repair service.
Can I remove the frame on the One Planet Extrovert?
You sure can! Ditch the frame to save weight on lighter trips.
More Hiking Pack Reviews
- Osprey Lumina 60 Review – Best Ultralight Backpack
- Aarn Little Llama 20L Hiking Backpack – Reviewed & Tested
- Osprey Aura AG 65 Hiking Pack – Reviewed & Tested
- Osprey Exos 58 Hiking Pack – Reviewed & Tested
