Evolved Supply Co. The Ranger Ultralight Backpack Review

Bottom Line

The Evolved Supply Co. The Ranger excels as a minimalist ultralight pack for UL purists, fast-and-light hikers, and photographers. Its stripped-down design offers refreshing simplicity and keeps weight to a minimum, with optional add-ons to build out the feature set.

The Ranger is incredibly supportive, comfortable, and durable for its class. We tested it with a full load in harsh desert conditions, where it stood up to moderate bushwacking and easily carried its maximum recommended load of 20 pounds. Although it’s not entirely waterproof, it holds up to the elements better than most ultralight packs. 

Beginner backpackers or those still dialing in their kit might get more value out of an ultralight framed pack. There are several options to choose from in our ultralight backpacks gear guide. But with its trail-tested design and quality engineering, The Ranger is a solid value for ultralight purists.

How We Tested

We’ve tested dozens of backpacks over thousands of miles across desert, forest, and high-alpine terrain, giving us a strong baseline for how ultralight packs perform in the field. In this case, we loaded up The Ranger and tested its performance over dozens of miles and several nights of backpacking in Colorado’s high desert during the spring.

Comfort

Comfort is often an afterthought with the most ultralight gear, but it was clearly a priority with The Ranger. The thickly cushioned shoulder straps are a big contributor, with half an inch of dense padding that makes for a plush carry. The straps are robust enough that they actually help support the load in a noticeable way. They even include load lifters (uncommon on a frameless pack) to pull the pack closer to your body and minimize sway.

The trade-off is a lack of weight transfer to the hips. Like most frameless designs, The Ranger concentrates most of the load on your shoulders. A hipbelt add-on is available, but it’s only helpful for mitigating pack sway – not actually disturbing the weight.

The other drawback is limited airflow along the back panel. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for us, but moisture does tend to get trapped back there. The optional pad attachment system can potentially boost airflow while also adding some cushion and a touch of structure.

Functionality

In its standard configuration, The Ranger is a minimalist’s dream built around just the essentials. The main compartment uses a roll-top closure that snaps and buckles shut, with a single strap and simple G-clip.

Storage is intentionally pared back to maintain a sleek design and reward intentional packing. The front mesh pocket is smaller than most but stretchy and easy to access. The side pockets are adequately sized for two slim water bottles and reachable on the move.

Though The Ranger doesn’t include shoulder strap or hipbelt pockets out of the box, it does have a bottom stretch pocket complete with a trash port. We’ve become big fans of this feature. It’s ideal for stashing rain gear, snacks, or anything you want to keep within arm’s reach, and it doubles as a secure spot for empty wrappers.

One unique feature is the dedicated camera attachment point on one shoulder strap, which could be a dealmaker for ultralight photographers. The pack also includes an ice axe loop – a must-have for alpine travel. The two side compression cords are held closed with a tension hook, making it easy to store and access trekking or tent poles. 

If you want more external storage, Evolved offers several accessories to deck out the pack. These include a shoulder strap pocket, a water bottle sleeve, a pad attachment system, a Y-strap to replace the single top strap, and shock cord.

Water Resistance

The Ranger is highly water-resistant, but it’s not fully waterproof. It’s built with ECOPAK EPLX fabric and uses a hybrid seam construction that comprises taped horizontal seams and bound vertical seams. The design helps limit water intrusion in the areas most likely to collect moisture without the added weight and cost of meticulously taping every seam.

In our testing, the inside of the pack stayed mostly dry, with the majority of moisture creeping in around the seams near the back panel. This highlights a secondary issue: Sweat can potentially build up and soak through the back panel over time. You’ll want to be mindful of that, especially in warm or humid conditions, and avoid leaving the pack sitting face-down in bad weather.

In use, The Ranger handled rain better than many ultralight packs. It does a good job keeping water from entering through the top opening, meaning your gear stays protected for a reasonable amount of time in light to moderate precipitation. That said, we still recommend pairing it with a pack liner, especially in consistently wet conditions.

Construction

The Ranger is impressively durable for how light it is. At just 1 pound (around 0.5 ounces per liter of capacity), it feels noticeably more robust than many other packs in its weight class. The ECOPAK EPLX200 fabric – made from recycled water bottles – offers excellent abrasion and puncture resistance, allowing the pack to handle moderate bushwhacking.

The stretch pockets stick to a similar script. They’re built with UltraStretch (comparable to Dyneema), which helps address one of the most common failure points in ultralight packs. Instead of feeling delicate, they hold up well to repeated use and abrasion.

The aluminum G-clip makes one less plastic component to break, and the webbing and compression cords are thick and confidence-inspiring. Truly every detail of this pack was built with longevity in mind.

Should You Buy the Evolved Supply Co. The Ranger?

The Evolved Supply Co. The Ranger is a dream pack for ultralight purists who value simplicity, durability, and a build-it-your-way approach. It’s especially appealing for photographers who can take advantage of the dedicated camera clip. Its stripped-down design keeps weight to a minimum while still delivering confidence-inspiring toughness, and the modular add-ons let you choose exactly what you need and nothing you don’t.

Many frameless packs feel like glorified daypacks, but The Ranger is obviously more capable. Its thick, robust shoulder straps and the inclusion of load lifters go a long way toward improving carrying comfort. As long as you stay within a reasonable load range, The Ranger is more comfortable than most in its class.

It’s not the best fit for beginners, heavier carries, or anyone expecting framed support or full waterproof protection. But for experienced ultralighters with a dialed kit, The Ranger is a real winner.

What Other Ultralight Backpacks Should You Consider?

If The Ranger isn’t quite what you’re looking for, check out our guide to the best ultralight backpacks to find the one that’s right for you. The three designs below are particularly strong alternatives.

Mountainsmith Zerk 40 Review: The Zerk takes frameless support and modular organization to a new level. With its ultra-wide, vest-style shoulder straps and semi-rigid back panel, it’s one of the most supportive frameless packs we’ve tested. It also has a lot of fun and innovative pockets throughout to keep essentials within arm’s reach.

Atom Packs The Pulse EP50 Review: The Pulse EP50 offers a ton of storage for such a lightweight pack, including a main compartment that extends for long food carries. It also comes with a minimalist frame for extra support – that can be removed when you don’t need it.

Nashville Pack The Cutaway 40 Review: The Cutaway is another extremely capable frameless option. It’s comfortable, spacious, and highly modular. The unique design is hit or miss, but we consider The Cutaway to be quite well rounded for a frameless pack.