Aarn Featherlite Freedom 50L Backpack: The Weirdest Pack You’ll Ever Love (Maybe)

Can a backpack make hiking and backpacking with moderately heavy loads more comfortable, help you move more freely, maintain good posture and keep you balanced? Aarn Packs thinks they can. So we tested an Aarn Featherlite Freedom 50L backpack from this new-to-the-USA brand that offers truly original backpacks that challenge conventional backpack design. It is, without question, one of the quirkiest—and most highly engineered—backpacks we’ve ever tested with its intriguing “balance pockets,” web of cords and toggles, and highly adjustable suspension system.

But did all this radical pack engineering and design live up to the claims? Read on to find out what makes this pack so unique, what we thought of it, and what type of backpacker we think it’s best suited for. Here’s our deep dive into what makes it so unique, and whether it’s worth the $389 price tag.

About Aarn

First things first: What even is Aarn? It’s a New Zealand brand that just launched in the U.S. in the last few months. And Aarn bckpacks are an engineering marvel (at least from a non-engineer perspective). The number of not only features, but innovative design and functionality is frankly mind-blowing and extends across their entire line of backpacks. How all the pack straps are attached, the pockets are fitted, and the structure is arranged is impressive and wholly original to say the least. And it’s all designed to give you maximum freedom of movement on the trail.

But the most notable feature: Aarn’s signature Balance Pockets, removable accessory pockets that attach to the front of the pack. They are designed to–you guessed it–create balance when it comes to weight distribution. Add in a unique through-the-pack pivoting suspension and tons of other features, bell and whistles, and you’ve got yourself one highly original pack that’s unlike any other we’ve ever tested.

Aarn Featherlite Freedom Features + Review

That said, unique and seemingly well-engineered features and innovations on paper don’t necessarily translate to real world experience. So here’s are the deets, what makes the Aarn Featherlite Freedom unique, plus how it performed. We tested the short backed version (there’s also a medium) with a medium hip belt (Josh is 5’3″ with a 33″ waist).

Weight:

• Short back: 1204g / 42.5oz + liner  
• Medium back: 1256g / 44.3oz + liner  
• Pockets Weight: 296g / 10.44oz (pair) + liner

Capacity: Short 50L, Medium 55L

Price: $389

Weight + Max Carry

The Aarn Featherlite Freedom isn’t an ultralight backpack, which is what we usually prefer, but it’s not ultra heavy, either, at an average trail weight of around 43 oz (the Osprey Ariel 55 is 75 oz in comparison). However, it does get notably heavier with the addition of balance pockets, which are about 14 oz for the pair (we weighed them ourselves to get this number). Still, the pack is suitable for backpackers who might like to lighten their load a bit, but don’t want to commit to full ultralight backpacking. Or lightweight backpackers who occasionally need a pack for heavier winter loads; it’s rated to comfortably carry up to 37 lbs.

The overall weight doesn’t include the removable, high‑visibility rain liners located in the main compartment and both Balance Pockets, though, so add in a couple more ounces if you’re leaving those in.

As for fit, if you’re used to narrow packs, this one will feel notably wider—but that extra width keeps the load closer to your back to improve balance and posture.

Features

As you’d expect, there are lots of features inside and outside on the Featherlite Freedom, some expected, some more unique.

Hydration: Inside the pack and under the liner is a hydration‑bladder hanger but no dedicated pocket or sleeve for a bladder. The hose port at the top of the pack is a bit snug, which required up to unclip our hose and thread it through backward when our bite valve didn’t fit (but bite valves vary in size, so your experience may vary).

Pockets: There’s a front stash pocket with adjustable bungee, which we loved for stuffing jackets, maps, headlamps, or anything we want or need fairly quick–but not constant–access to during breaks. There are two large stretchy water‑bottle pockets, one on each side. The bottle pockets do sit a tad high, so a bit of stretching and contortion was required to slide a water bottle in and out, but it wasn’t impossible. We think that makes the pack a perfect candidate for the One Bottle Hydration system we reviewed that’s a combo of hydration reservoir and water bottle.

Rain Liners: There are bright yellow removable rain liners in the main compartment (secured with Velcro at the top) and in the Balance Pockets, which are lashed to the bottom and feature a roll-top design. We appreciated these for extra water resistance in light showers and that they made finding gear in the bottom of the bag easier thanks to the high-vis color.

Attachment Points: For those who love to lash items externally, the Aarn Featherlite Freedom offers the opportunity to do so in plenty of places. Namely via two Lasso Locs tabs on the front of the pack that offer a place to clip on Aarn’s ski, snowboard or snowshoe attachment straps. There are also trekking pole and ice ax attachment points on the front and quick-stash bungees on the shoulder straps, all of which make this pack extremely multi-functional with just a few extra accessories. Meaning you can use it for summer backpacking or winter backcountry touring!

Closure and Access: The opening is a roll-top closure that secures via webbing straps with buckles on the sides. It can also be secured with an over-the-top single webbing compression strap that doubles as a way to attach a foam sleeping pad to the top (a bear canister or something heavy and bulky won’t work as well).

Hip Belt: The hip belt is removable, repositionable and replaceable. There are a couple sizes available depending on your measurements, so make sure to check before you order (S up to an XXL that fits a 47″ waist). There aren’t any pockets since they wouldn’t be very accessible when using the Balance Pockets anyway. But the padding is wide, comfortable, and moved with our bodies while hiking.

Balance Pockets and Load Distribution

But let’s be honest about what really sets this pack apart from every other backpack on the market: the chest‑mounted Balance Pockets. They are two 5-liter pockets that attach via clips and buckles to the front of the shoulder straps. Their purpose (as stated earlier): to create balance between the weight on your back and on your front. And there’s good reason for an innovation like this. Heavy backpacks tend to pull your center of gravity backward. To compensate, you lean forward in order to stay balanced. But this can add extra strain to your spine and core muscles, which can make you sore after a long day on the trail or simply wear you out a bit faster (because more muscles are consistently engaged), even if you don’t consciously notice it happening.

Then there’s the balance issue, of course. When all the weight is on your back, if you’re on a steep incline, crossing a narrow footbridge, or hopping across a rocky stream, it’s easier to lose your balance. Trekking poles can help keep you upright, of course, but you may not always have them in-hand. Especially if a trail calls for scrambling over big rock features or steep inclines. But transfer some of that weight to the front and you don’t feel quite as tippy.

But how did they function? Not only did they offer a handy place to keep items we wanted instant access to, like snacks, headlamps, or an extra layer, but they did noticeably reduce the backward pull on our torso. As soon as we attached them, we noticed we stood and walked in a more comfortable upright stance. For hikers with core‑strength or balance challenges, this could be a game‑changer.

As for fit, our main concern was that they wouldn’t work for people with boobs, but they feature curved stays on the back so they stay completely off the body. Yes, even if you have breasts. If they’re not curved enough, the stays are bendable.

Don’t want or need the pockets all the time? They are easy to remove so you can carry just the backpack (which is plenty comfortable and spacious).

On the downside, the pockets did obstruct some strap adjustments and make the harness area seem over- crowded and complicated. When reaching for buckles or straps on the hip belt, adjustment points or even for dropped gear, it felt a little like having T‑Rex arms. We couldn’t cross our arms or move them as freely as we’re used to. During uphill scrambles, they also scraped over rocks and felt bulky when squeezing through tight spaces.

Also worth noting: they are undeniably strange looking since they’re unlike anything else on the market. That won’t matter to some, but others may want to consider the point!

Suspension, Straps and Fit

Underneath the complexity of the pockets lies an impressively engineered suspension system. We definitely appreciated the mesh back panel, which conforms to your spine and breathes well while a firmer lumbar pad offers solid support.

Then there are the shoulder straps, which utilize Aarn’ calls their’s “U‑flow” design. They are uniquely attached to the pack via on-the-fly adjustable webbing at the top and cords and passthrough tubes at the bottom. The latter creates a sliding, pivoting action that allowed for natural movement while wearing the pack. We could twist side‑to‑side, squat, tilt and climb without hinderance because the straps slide seamlessly back and forth through a tube at the bottom.

In fact, it felt really good to be able to move as if we weren’t strapped into what looks like a complicated apparatus at all. That, combined with lightly padded but breathable and surprisingly comfortable shoulder straps made it a genuine pleasure to carry.

Dual‑point hip‑belt adjustments even let us fine‑tune the angle of the belt against our hip bones. The only quibble we had was the nontraditional buckle, which works fine, but doesn’t offer any clear advantage over standard clip‑in models in our opinion. We don’t really have a problem with it, though, it just seems like an interesting choice.

The hip belt, which is removable and interchangeable, truly moves with your body separately from the pack straps. It made for a comfy setup and a pack that moves with the separate parts of the body, offering more freedom of movement. We even mounted and dismounted a bike smoothly and turned to look behind us while riding without feeling locked in place. That’s a pretty big accomplishment for a backpack.

Sustainability

Aarn is a member of 1% for the Planet and offers low‑cost repairs and replacement parts to help keep packs in use and out of landfills longer. While they’re still a small brand without widespread sustainable‑materials initiatives, the pack feels robust and built to last—and the company stands behind its products.