EXOTI™ AR2 BACKPACK

Everything I could want and more. Supremely comfortable, secure, thought out, durable. An external frame for the modern world. Thank you updating an incredible style (external frame) with modern quality. The size is perfect as well. Now I can hopefully hike like I use to, despite a life changing spine injury. Frame might as well be a favorite back brace in the BEST kind of ways. I always loved the stability and consistency of a framed pack. And now its even more important to prevent excess sway and movement. A reliable friend for critical times and circumstance. Can't wait to use this for the next 20 years.

Hey guys,
the Vargo-Team helped me get this pack to Germany. They were very helpful and nice! The pack itself is the best i have tried so far. The pack itself is light but not the lightest (Ultralight Pack) out there. But this just does not matter because the combination of Frame and carrying System makes the pack feel almost weightless on my back. The Quality is also really good (and i am really picky!). I would totally buy this back again though i a glad i don’t have to;)

Hello, folks. I recommend this backpack. I bought it for a specific reason. I will offer background about who I am and what I do, why I selected this product, and, finally, how it has performed in two shakedown "proof of concept" urban hikes.

First, who I am and what I do. I am 56 this year. For most of my life, I was a stereotypical geek. I was sedentary. In my mid 40s, I took up running. I went crazy. Last year, the first full post-pandemic season, I ran 38 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and 7 shorter races. Although most people are surprised by that amount of activity, I should say I am not fast; my typical finish is the top of the bottom quartile. I am not, generally speaking, a hiker. I do long walks in city environments, not in the wilderness. By long, I mean I log as much as 15 miles in a day, and I routinely set off on 5 mile commutes or treks to run errands. I almost always, not quite always, have a backpack. I have a half dozen or so. I use mainly running vests and lightweight gear. I also have some convertible backpacks, the type that can be carried as a shoulder bag or a duffel bag, and I sometimes carry about 30 pounds en route. I have both purpose built items meant for runners, including trail runners, and then some heavy duty stuff that I bought because I value durability as well. Oh, incidentally, I have been a professional critic (a job category I believe one ought not brag about) of various cultural forms, from live theatre (about which a set designer informed me I know nothing) and classical music to movies (aggregated in Rotten Tomatoes) and books (for major mainstream periodicals).

Second, why I went with the Vargo titanium external frame. I have started to do longer city run-walk-hikes. I mean in the 10 mile range. I have considered rucking some races. I have done two half marathons (of a career total approaching 200) with considerable gear, in order to fly afterward -- I mean a laptop computer and maybe a total of 15 pounds of stuff. I also have reason to travel to a train station and business meetings. That involves backpack as luggage or business attire contained inside a bag. I anticipate doing even more, specifically to take the Acela train between New York City and Washington, D.C., and walking or running between 2.5 and 8 miles to the stations (I have done this a dozen times with less appropriate carrying choices). Thus I spent countless hours looking at products I might consider, primarily 30 liter to 40 liter backpacks that were frameless. I already have more than one in the 20 liter size and two big bags that are not ultra lightweight. I wanted the external frame to reduce sweating issues. I often need to change out of running gear into a coat and tie, and I suppose I could pack an extra t-shirt, but I want to have less heat on my back anyway. The Vargo line looked great. I already had a couple of other pieces of their titanium.

Third, how I would rate the experience. I am more than satisfied. The backpack is well designed and competently constructed. i believe it will last. The frame is as light as advertised. The weight distribution is ideal. My only concerns have nothing to do with the product but rather with my circumstances. I am not sure this is what one should bring into a formal meeting unless you wish to be identified as the nut who ran to the occasion. I wish I could fly with confidence I could take this as a carry on, because I fly 100 times per year, and I want to have a single EDC item, and this involves an alternative when I will be on that mode of transportation.

I enjoyed reading what others wrote. To perform a service for others, however, allow me to give this a thumbs up.

About as good as you can get. The sack could be bigger and the frame 4" longer but this would add weight.

I have used this pack twice since I purchased it, so I feel comfortable giving it my review.

This is my first ultralight backpack, and I was excited about it, but also somewhat skeptical about the durability. I'm pretty hard on my gear and while I don't abuse it, I don't pamper it either. The micro-diamond ripstop fabric looks to have a solid weight/durability ratio, and it appears to have a DWR finish on it as well. I had no problems pushing through brush and evergreen branches with no signs of wear or tear, and in a light drizzle the inside of the pack stayed dry.

The fit is absolutely amazing. I'm a big guy with very broad shoulders and plenty of "emergency rations" around my waistline. The harness is quite adjustable and I felt no pinching in the waist, armpits, or neck/shoulders (which is a common problem for me). The lumbar plate on the titanium frame offers excellent support and comfort in load transfer. The padded hipbelt is secure and provides extra comfort. The shoulder harness load lifter straps work superbly even if you're only carrying 25lbs. Also, the yellow compression/load lifter straps function well in keeping the load high and tight.

I've always been a fan of pockets for organizing what I carry, and this pack has plenty of them. Not something that you typically see in most UL packs. The zipper pulls are an added bonus in their ease of use and access to the pockets.

The reason I did not give this pack a 5 star rating, is because accessing my water bottle from the side mesh pocket while wearing the pack is problematic. Luckily I hike with friends that can retrieve and stow it for me while on the go. If I could give it a 4.5 rating or a 9 of 10, I would.

I've owned packs from Kelty, Moutainsmith, Gregory, REI, Eberlestock and KUIU. This Vargo ExoTi AR2 pack ranks very high for its weight, fit and function. You can't go wrong with this pack!

This bag is lightweight, comfortable, and capable. It has plenty of room for gear with the outer pockets, the main compartment, and the space below the pack for larger items. The frame, lumbar support, and straps really contribute towards easing the weight of your pack. The way the bag and frame interacts with the straps is an awesome design and is easily adjustable. This bag handles backpacking trips well and I would buy it again

What I like about this external frame pack is the generous amount of pockets and the ability to strap on a sleeping bag which would otherwise take up too much space inside the pack. I also found that a tent can be held quite snug under the top lid. I also like the pack being lightweight compared to other external frame packs.
I wish there was a top loop, found in internal frame packs, so that the pack can be lifted and carried more easily rather than trying to grab onto the thin titanium frame. I found that the thread to the orange trim on the side pockets started to unravel, after a couple months of use, so I had to resew it. I don't like the clip to the hip belt. It is too flimsy and not as robust as those found on some cheap day packs. One problem is that it is easy to misalign the clips unless care is made to insert it slowly slowly. So, I guess it's more of a poor design. The other problem is that the plastic becomes very stiff in temperatures below zero and the clip does not lock in place. It's slides in all the way but doesn't lock so the hip belt becomes useless.

I love this pack. I have always wanted to go back to the better balance of an external frame pack. The ExoTi's lightweight titanium frame makes this possible again in UL pack! My bearikade bear canister straps tightly to the frame below the pack and is in perfect balance there compared to being on top of an internal frame pack. Frame helps lift pack off my back and is better fitting and loads better than the "new" internals. External pockets a major plus. My only complaints are: 1. The hip belt is very small (padding does not extend very far around my waist) and not thickly padded so you "feel" a bit of pressure on your lower back. It would be nice if this came in sizes and had more padding -- even at the cost of a few additional ounces. 2. Despite having a pouch for a hydration bladder there is no feed-through hole for the hose, seems like a strange oversight. Otherwise, this is an excellent pack! Highly recommended.

First of all, I would like to thanks to the customer service team. They are super helpful and react fast!

Back to the backpack. I always wanna buy a old school backpack for the my hiking on PCT, but most of the external framed pack are very heavy. When I found AR2, I just can’t wait to buy it and send away my ‘modern’ ultralight backpack to home. I really like the retro design but super lightweight. I am going to carry this for my rest of the hiking of PCT. I will write another review when I finished the hiking.

Loving my new pack only have 20 miles on it so far. 46l is plenty for me. Having the Lowe 1/4 free to tie bulky odd shape stuff to is awesome. Having two back pockets is a major plus.