Kelty Riot 15 backpack is a part of a completely new daypacks series launched by Kelty. This is an ultra-lightweight pack, 0.48 kg only, suitable for any outdoor day tours, for commuting, and for travel.
Key benefits & standout features
- Ultra-lightweight pack.
- Versatile.
- External hydration sleeve.
- Great price.
Riot 15 pack – description
As you realize from the pictures, this is a panel-loading type pack, so you have a zipper on the upper top section. Due to this, the pack doesn’t look much different from ordinary packs for city use, so it is indeed versatile as I mentioned above.
The pack is incredibly lightweight and you will hardly find anything comparable to its 1 lb 1 oz (0.48 kg). This is largely due to the absence of any metal frame, and also due to rather minimalist design.
The external hydration sleeve is convenient to have for an easy access to the water bladder, and this also saves the space in the main compartment. So I would say this is a bonus with this pack. The sleeve design is quite unique, it is hidden behind the panel. In the picture below you can see the small orange piece of webbing on the back of the pack, so this is all that you see from the sleeve. You need to pull it to get to the sleeve.
The suspension system
There is no metal frame of any kind, just a padded HDPE panel. This is good enough for the pack of this size. There is some grooved padding but the ventilation channels are not so prominent and I would not expect too much from it.
The harness and the pack are one size only and there is no harness adjustability. The shoulder straps are with a very little padding on the top, the rest is just a very breathable mesh.
Pockets
Not many pockets are available here. You have them 3 from the outside, and these include two small mesh pockets on the shoulder straps and one zippered pocket on the side, see the picture. There is also the mentioned external sleeve and the front shove-it pocket which is a useful space where you can store various things. Inside the main compartment, there are two pockets for organization.
The stretch mesh pockets on the shoulder straps are obviously meant to replace the usual side stretch pockets or the hip belt pockets that are missing here. I think I would prefer the classic pocket organization.
So as you realize, all these features, or better to say the lack of them, is what makes the pack so lightweight.
Other features
There is a light attachment point on the bottom section of the pack, and the usual sternum strap is on the harness. Note also that you have side compression straps, shown in the pictures above. They double as true compression straps and to hold the shove-it pocket in place.
So this is practically all. Please see also this short Kelty’s video about the Riot 15 pack:
Specifications & summary of features
- Gender: unisex.
- Weight: 1 lb 1 oz (0.48 kg).
- Volume: 915 in³ (15 L).
- Purpose: hiking, biking, commuting, travel.
- One size.
- Dimensions: 19 x 9 x 7 in (48 x 23 x 18 cm).
- Materials:
– Body fabric: 75 x 150D Irregular Ripstop.
– Secondary fabric: Poly 420D Small Back Stafford.
– Frame: HDPE sheet. - Grooved EVA padding on the back.
- Panel loading.
- Stretch mesh shoulder strap pockets.
- Front shove-it pocket.
- External pop-out hydration sleeve.
- Bike light loop.
- Side compression straps.
- Side access zippered pocket.
- Sternum strap.
- Internal organization.
- Modified vest suspension.
- Three colors available.
Conclusion, rating, pros & cons
To summarize this text about the Kelty Riot 15 backpack, its best features are the weight and the price. Several things which I like to have in a pack of this size are missing, but this is the part of its minimalist design. You know your priorities, just bear in mind the cons mentioned above.
The pack is without a metal frame, and this is partly why it is so lightweight, but in view of its size, this is not so critical. Please see below how I rate it:
Kelty Riot 15 Backpack
Pros
- Ultra lightweight pack.
- Versatile.
- External hydration sleeve.
- Multi-purpose tool.
- Shoulder harness pockets.
- Side zippered pocket.
Cons
- No rain cover.
- Not the best ventilation.
- No bottom straps.
- No attachment loops.
- No side stretch pockets.
Much more regarding the features, you can have in this Exped Skyline 15 daypack from a new 2017 series. Yet another ultra-lightweight pack is this Osprey Skimmer 16 for women, you might want to compare it with the Riot 15.
If you need something bigger, this Riot series also includes Riot 22 pack, with many similar features, but there are differences as well, like the usual side stretch mesh pockets which it has, so please follow the link, the pack is described in detail in my separate post. You might want also to check this Osprey Hikelite 18 which has an internal frame.
Thank you for reading, it will be great to hear from you, there is a comment box below. I wish you a nice day.
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