Travel Backpack Lite 40L vs. Setout Backpack

What's New?

The Travel Backpack Lite is Tortuga’s newest “best backpack for most travelers.” The Setout Backpack was the previous version of this bag.

The new pack is based on six years of feedback and reviews of the Setout Backpack plus a year of reviews of the Travel Backpack Pro.

At Tortuga, our goal is to make evergreen products that last for years, never become obsolete, and never go out of style. However, when we see opportunities to improve our products, we take them. Sometimes that means a small tweak. Sometimes that means a major update. The Lite is a major update.

Your feedback suggested doubling down on what the Setout was already good at. So the Lite is more carry-on-friendly and more comfortable. The Lite is also 10% lighter than the Setout and has one of the highest volume-to-weight ratios of any travel backpack.

Keep reading to learn how we used your feedback in an updated travel backpack.

More Carry On Compliant

Maximize your packing space while still being carry-on-compliant, even on international airlines. The Travel Backpack Lite is 55 x 35 x 20 cm, the largest size that can still be carried on most airlines.

The Setout Backpack 45L was 56 x 36 x 23 cm. Forty-five liters is the maximum size that can be carried on US airlines but is too big to be carried onto some international and budget airlines.

When we asked, a majority of our customers preferred the slightly smaller, international size. The new size will maximize your packing space and compatibility with airline baggage rules. You’ll never need to worry about being forced to check your bag.

Greater compatibility shouldn’t mean less packing space. This brings us to our next update.

Lighter Weight

To make sure that you aren’t losing any packing space with the size update, the Lite is also simpler and lighter than the Setout.

We reduced weight without sacrificing comfort or convenience. We simplified the electronics compartment, reduced the number and length of zippers in the bag, reconfigured the front pockets, and changed the shoulder straps (more on that below).

The simplified design means that you have the same amount of packing space—or more—as you did in your Setout Backpack.

You’ll also have less weight to carry. The Lite is 10% lighter (0.4 lb lighter) than the Setout.

More Comfortable Shoulder Straps

Lastly, the Setout’s injection-molded foam shoulder straps and custom buckles have been replaced by a lighter, simpler, and more comfortable design. The new shoulder straps are made of the same foam padding as the Travel Backpack Pro, our most comfortable bag. Some previous customers found the Setout’s shoulder straps to be too bulky and stiff. They’ll find the new design to be much more comfortable.

The custom buckles to attach the straps to the bottom of the bag have been replaced by lighter weight Woojin buckles.

What Hasn't Changed?

The improvements above add up to a significantly better backpack. But the most important features of Tortuga backpacks haven’t changed.

Like all previous generations of packs, the Lite is still:

• Carry-on-sized
• Easy to pack
• Comfortable to wear
• Built to last

These four features are non-negotiable.

Learn more about the Travel Backpack Lite 40L.