This Kelty Riot 22 backpack review is about a pack from a completely new series launched by Kelty. This is an ultra-lightweight pack, 0.54 kg only, suitable for any outdoor day tours, for commuting, and for travel.
Key benefits & standout features
- Ultra-lightweight pack.
- External hydration sleeve.
- Hideaway hip belt.
Riot 22 pack – description
This is a panel-loading type pack, with the access zipper on the upper top section. I find this good because this makes it look as an ordinary backpack for around-town use and for daily life.
I would start with the benefits mentioned above. This is indeed an incredibly lightweight pack, it is hard to find anything comparable with its 1 lb 3 oz (0.54 kg) of weight. Though this is partly due to the absence of any metal frame in its suspension.
The external hydration sleeve is a bonus with this pack. This is convenient to have for an easy access to the water bladder, and this also saves the space in the main compartment. Above all, the design of this sleeve is quite unique. Well, unique features are nothing new for Kelty, practically every pack from this brand has something exceptional and unique.
The hideaway hip belt is again something very convenient. You really do not need it in the case of a very small load, and if you use the pack in commuting and in around-town use.
The suspension
There is no real frame here, this is just a padded HDPE frame. The grooved back padding is supposed to give some ventilation, but I would not expect too much from it. See the Deuter Futura 22 pack in the comparison table below to realize how a truly great ventilation should look like.
There is no harness adjustability, and the pack comes in one size only. But such a suspension makes the pack so lightweight, so bear all this in mind and see what your priorities are.
Pockets
In total, you have 6 external pockets available with this pack, plus the external sleeve, plus two internal pockets for organization.
A nice feature are two stretch mesh pockets on the shoulder straps, shown in the picture below. In a sense, they are here instead of the usual hip belt pockets which you do not have obviously due to the hideaway belt design.
Dual expandable side pockets are available for water bottles or for some pieces of equipment; they are with compression straps so you can secure whatever you put there. Note also that you have side compression straps, shown in the picture above, to fix in place any elongated object stored in these side pockets, like tent poles or trekking poles.
A very functional and useful shove-it pocket is on the front, this is a huge space where you can store many things, even a helmet, and on the top of the pack, you have a small zippered pocket.
Other features
There is a light attachment point on the bottom section of the pack, and the usual sternum strap is on the harness. So this is practically all, but please see also this short Kelty’s video about the Riot 22 pack:
Specifications & summary of features
- Weight: 1 lb 3 oz (0.54 kg).
- Volume: 1300 in³ (22 L).
- Purpose: hiking, biking, commuting, travel.
- One size.
- Dimensions: 20 x 10 x 9 in (51 x 25 x 23 cm).
- Materials:
– Body fabric: 75 x 150D Irregular Ripstop.
– Secondary fabric: Poly 420D Small Back Stafford.
– Frame: HDPE sheet. - Grooved EVA padding.
- Panel loading.
- Top stash pocket.
- Stretch mesh shoulder strap pockets.
- Front shove-it pocket.
- Expandable side water bottle pockets.
- External pop-out hydration sleeve.
- Bike light loop.
- Side compression straps.
- Sternum strap.
- Hide-away air-mesh hip belt.
- Internal organization.
- Modified vest suspension.
- Two color combinations available.
Conclusion & rating
So to summarize this text about the Kelty Riot 22 backpack, I would say its best feature is its versatility and the (absence of) weight. This is a reliable small pack that I can fully recommend, though it lacks some features. Note that the series also includes a smaller pack, Riot 15. Please see how I rate this pack:
Kelty Riot 22 Backpack
Pros
- Ultra lightweight pack.
- Versatile.
- External hydration sleeve.
- Multi-purpose pack.
Cons
- No rain cover.
- No attachment elements.
- No torso adjustment.
- Not the best ventilation.
If you need something bigger from the same brand, please check this Kelty Redtail 27. You might want to see also this completely new series by Exped, the Skyline 25 pack and also this hydration ultra-lightweight Gregory Swift 20 Women’s Hydration Pack.
Thank you for reading, it will be great to hear from you, there is a comment box below. I wish you a nice day.
Alan Clark says
I just found this pack on sale for $40. I think it would be worth the $80 sticker however.
I’ve been looking for a minimalist pack to use for multiple activities but that is set up with essentials. I found the two interior pocket plenty big for survival type gear, and the top ziopered pocket was plenty big for a small first aid pouch. My headlamp fit in one of the front mesh shoulder pockets. Now what, I have all this storage left. Plenty of room for a beanie, fleece pants, gloves, and down jacket, binoculars and that was all on the inside. I also am using a geigerrig hydration system, 2L
I really like this pack.
Jovo says
This was a truly great price for such a pack. Those shoulder pockets are surprisingly big and you found the way to use them. So imagine, such a small pack and you still have plenty of space, people from Kelty would be happy to hear this. Interesting you mentioned the binocular, I tend to leave it as it is heavy and bulky, very good one though, Minolta which I bought in Tokyo when I was preparing for my quick tour to Fuji. I am just preparing for mountains, shall make sure it is in the pack.
I love to hear such reports, it is great to find something that suits you as it is the case here. Kelty is a great brand and I always love to see when they come with something new. Thank you so much.
Ryan says
Best comprehensive review of this pack…was on the fence but I’m good after reading your experience. Also, one of the colors was on sale for under $40…so that sealed the deal for me. Thanks again for the nice write-up.
Lastly…I plan on using my Platypus 2L bag and it has the baffle divider like you mentioned which makes it expand slightly 1.5 inches or so.
Jovo says
Great to hear this Ryan, many thanks. $40 was a bargain indeed.
idan says
it looks like the hydration bladder would be pushing a big bump to your back if the pack is fully loaded (looks like a very thin layer of material between the back and the bladder), is that true?
Jovo says
Hi Idan, the issue you mentioned depends on the amount of stuff in the main compartment and on the type of bladder. But you are right, the problem exists, and this is for most of the packs of this size and with such a structure. There are rather thin bladders, profiled in such a way that the side towards the harness is flat, and they also have an internal baffle which prevents them from barreling. You can search a bit, but I think one example is Gregory 3D reservoir. They have 3 liters and 2 liters versions. I would use the smaller here.
The packs that have no such a problem are those with tensioned mesh and curved back. These are Deuter Futura 22, Gregory Zulu 30 and some others. But those have yet another problem, the curved back panel and the bladder, take too much space from the main compartment.
idan says
Thanks alot !!