Bushwalk Australia

Has anyone gone down the path of making their own light/ultralight pack for kids (i.e. pre-teens)?

I have been looking at options for my 7 year old, and the weight of the packs available is almost 25% of his max carry weight.

I'm looking around a 25-35L capacity, and keeping the weight below 500g (for a max carry of 5kg)

Is it worth exploring, or just leave it for now?

500g ... that is very light.

An exos 36 weights about 1 kg ... it is the harness and frame that add a lot of weight. At 500g there will probably be no frame nor load lifters. The kid may find that uncomfortable after a days hiking..

This $30 one from aliexpress weighs ~ 300g & will carry 5kg - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32839712277.html
I keep one in the boot - it has stood up pretty well in the scrub. I added a 100g zmat to give it a little rigidity.
Worst case, you can disassemble it for parts & a template for DIY.

Warin wrote:500g ... that is very light.

An exos 36 weights about 1 kg ... it is the harness and frame that add a lot of weight. At 500g there will probably be no frame nor load lifters. The kid may find that uncomfortable after a days hiking..

Given that the amount to be carried is under 5kg - yes, probably frameless or similar (especially if it's a MYOG pack).

My pack for up to 4 days is the Hornet 46, which weighs ~800g. Essentially I would like him to be able to reliable carry his sleeping kit (mat/pillow/bag), clothing layers (insulation, wet weather and sleeping), some snacks and water. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

It's a good idea if you like to make gear.

Here is one that is 35L about 500g
https://wildernessthreadworks.com/obi-34l-1/

I have Summit Gear Lorikeet 25L that I could use for an extremely minimalist overnighter and also throw off a cliff over and over again (not going to) https://summitgear.com.au/products/summ ... ck-cordura