POCKETS GALORE
Are you forever looking for ways to stash small items, like camera, snacks, GPS, sunscreen, first-aid kit, and more? The Nimble, with no fewer than seven pockets and three storage compartments, is your pack. “It's more organized than my kitchen!” said one tester. Even better, the Nimble still made good on its name, keeping a tester surefooted during a rocky off-trail trek to the top of a 12,000-foot peak in New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness. Credit a back-hugging framesheet, no-sag hipbelt, and effective compression straps. 3.9 lbs, 3,500 cu in; kelty.com
Bonus: Hydration ports are located on both sides, and they're big enough for the largest bite valves.
Bummer: All those mesh side pockets can snag on branches when you're bushwhacking (or fill with snow come winter). Also, testers had trouble keeping the sternum strap in place.