Outdoor Vitals CS40 Review

In this episode Sara and I review her newest backpack, the Outdoor Vitals CS40. This pack is the latest offering in OV's line of ultralight backpacks. It is made of Ultra 200 fabric and is a great pack for 4-7 day trips with loads up to 35 lbs. Compared to other offerings in its class, the CS40 does weigh in on the heavier side of ultralight packs, coming in at 27 ounces.

With the added weight, however, may come more benefits. This pack has load lifters and offers decent padding on the shoulder straps and hip belt, something that isn't found among all of its competitors. The hip belt pouches are also very useful, coming in with a 1L capacity and being extremely easy to open and close.

When I was first introduced to white colored packs, I hated the way they looked. Over time they have grown on me and the CS40 is actually a fairly aesthetic pack. Outdoor Vitals did a good job with the color schemes on the back panel and shoulder straps to make a pack design that isn't hard on the eyes.

In the video, Sara gives her opinions on this product after over 100 miles on trail with it. She's hiked with this pack on the Virginia Triple Crown, Appalachian Trail, the West Virginia Mountains and various overnight backpacking trips in Ohio. This is her third backpacking pack, with her first two being the REI Flash and the Granite Gear Crown 3. Overwhelmingly, Sara likes this backpack the most overall. We also have two friends that own the CS40 and they have shared the same opinions. Our friend Celeste thru hiked the entire Long Trail with the CS40. Sara and Bryon will be doing an 80+ mile thru hike with it on the Uinta Highline Trail in Utah.

Outdoor Vitals claims to be a company centered around making quality, affordable products in the ultralight backpacking space. I believe this product delivers on that promise, being high quality while still coming in significantly cheaper than comparable packs such as the Zpacks Arc Haul and Hyperlite Southwest. It comes in only slightly more expensive than budget oriented packs such as the Durston Kakwa. Overall, this pack provides very good value at the price point.