Superlite by Tortuga: Ultralight (2.2 lb) Carry On Backpack

Superlite Backpack by Tortuga

Ultralight (2.2 lb) Carry On Backpack

Travel lighter than ever. Built from fibers 15x stronger than steel by weight. Lightweight, durable, and comfortable to carry.

Lightweight and Durable

The Superlite Backpack from Tortuga is designed for ultralight travelers who refuse to compromise on durability or comfort. 

Weighing just 2.2 lbs (1 kg) and built from ULTRA™, with fibers 15x stronger than steel by weight, the Superlite Backpack will help you pack lighter, move faster, and go farther without ever worrying about your bag.

Walk Through the Superlite

Made with ULTRA™

Most lightweight fabrics are too delicate for world travel. Not this one.

The Superlite's balance of weight and strength comes from ULTRA™, the most advanced pack fabric in the world. ULTRA™ is lightweight, waterproof, and abrasion-resistant with fibers 15x stronger than steel by weight.

As Featured In

At Tortuga, we've been making travel backpacks for 16 years. In that time, we've been named both a Wirecutter pick and a Pack Hacker pick. 

Almost 90,000 travelers have carried our bags on their most memorable trips. They've rated us 4.6 (out of 5) across more than 7,700 reviews.

Your Luggage is Too Heavy

Travel can be a drag. Your trip of a lifetime shouldn’t be weighed down by physical and mental baggage. 

Suitcases are too big and heavy for world travel. But even travel backpacks have gotten too weighed down with unnecessary features. 

The Superlite weighs 44% less than the average travel backpack.

How light can a travel backpack be without sacrificing durability or comfort? We’ve been working on this problem for a decade.

The Superlite uses only 14% of your carry on weight limit (15 lb, 7 kg), even on the strictest airlines. The rest is yours for clothes, gear, and everything else you actually want to bring.

Never Check a Bag Again

The Superlite is 34L so it’s carry on compliant, worldwide. Your bag always fits in the overhead bin. Yes, even on Ryanair.

No checked bags. No wasted time. No dead weight.

Comfortable on Long Days

Most ultralight bags skimp on the harness. They use thin straps without padding and load lifters. They punish your shoulders to save weight.

For the Superlite, comfort was the only "feature" we weren't willing to cut. The Superlite isn't just lightweight. It also has all the comfort features Tortuga is known for.

For long carries or heavier loads, add the optional hip belt for even more support. The hip belt will transfer up to 80% of the weight from your shoulders to your hips.

At Tortuga, we’re known for making comfortable travel bags. 

The Wirecutter called our heavier Travel Backpack Pro "comfortable to wear over endless miles" with "the carrying comfort of a hiking backpack." The Superlite carries the same harness DNA in a bag that’s less than half the weight of the Pro. Now imagine how comfortable that is.

Packs Like a Suitcase

Most ultralight bags are built for the outdoors. The Superlite is designed for easy packing and efficient travel.

The clamshell main compartment opens flat like a suitcase, so your stuff is always organized and easy to reach.

The Superlite holds its rectangular shape, and the sides stand up on their own for easy packing.

Packing List

Here's what fits in the Superlite for a one-week trip:

• 5–7 days of clothes
• 1 pair of shoes
• Toiletry kit
• Up to 16" laptop
• Phone, earbuds, chargers, and cables

Experienced one-bag travelers routinely pack for 10+ days in a bag this size. In fact, I packed for an 11-day work trip to Vietnam in the Superlite.

The Superlite doesn't ask you to pack less; it helps you pack efficiently.

Just Right Organization

Enough pockets for what you need. No more, no less.

Top admin pocket: For quick access without opening the main compartment. Includes a stretch mesh pocket, zippered mesh pocket, and key leash.

Padded laptop sleeve: Fits up to a 16" laptop, suspended from the bottom for protection from drops. Top-opening for in-flight access without taking the bag down from the overhead bin.

Interior mesh pockets: Act as built-in packing cubes for smaller clothing and accessories.

Stretch mesh water bottle pocket: Made with Ultra-PE for increased durability.

Top and side carry handles: Grab and go.

Specs

Features

Fabric Deep Dive

The Superlite is built from ULTRA™ 200TX by Challenge Sailcloth, a multi-layer composite engineered to be both light and strong.

• Layer 1: Ultra-PE face fabric. The outer layer is 200-denier UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) blended with high-tenacity polyester, making it one of the strongest fibers by weight ever made.
• Layer 2: Ultra-PE CrossPly. More UHMWPE fibers laid in a 45° diamond pattern to provide stability in all directions and to prevent tears from spreading.
• Layer 3: Film backing. A 0.75 mil film layer that makes the fabric waterproof to 200+ psi. (Note that the bag itself is water-resistant but not waterproof.)
• Layer 4: Recycled polyester ripstop. The back of the fabric is a 70-denier recycled polyester ripstop that adds structure, improves stitch-holding, and gives the interior a clean look and feel.

ULTRA™ 200TX is lighter, stronger, and more abrasion-resistant than the ECOPAK™ EPX200 used in our Pro line of backpacks.

NEW: Superlite Daily

Added by popular demand.

The Superlite Daily is the ultralight personal item and work bag made to pair with your carry on.

What’s the same? The Daily has the same ULTRA™ fabric, streamlined design, and comfortable straps as the larger Superlite Backpack.

What’s different? The Daily is a compact, underseat bag (20L) that travels with you around the world or to the office. It opens downward, not to the side, for easier use at the office or at a cafe.

Plus, it includes two features requested for personal items: a luggage handle pass-through and two stretch mesh water bottle pockets.

Superlite Collection

Choose the Superlite Bundle reward to get everything in the collection. Or build your own bundle by selecting a backpack, then choosing from the add-ons below.

Superlite Backpack: The ultralight, ultra-strong carry on bag

Superlite Daily: The ultralight, ultra-strong personal item bag

• Dimensions: 18 x 10.5 x 7 inches (45 x 27 x 17 cm)
• Volume: 20L
• Weight: 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg)

Superlite Hip Belt: For an even more comfortable carry. Takes 80% of the weight off your shoulders.

• Size: 23-59 inches
• Weight: 0.4 lb (0.18 kg)

Superlite Compression Cube: Compresses your clothes 33% so you can pack more. Made with ULTRA™ and ULTRA-PE stretch mesh just like the backpack.

• Expanded Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.9 x 4.7 inches (31.5 x 22.5 x 12 cm) 
• Compressed Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.9 x 3.1 inches (31.5 x 22.5 x 8 cm)
• Volume: 8.5 liters, compresses to 5.7 liters
• Weight: 6 oz (170 g)

Superlite Pouch: A small carry accessory to keep you organized. Stands on its own.

• Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 2 inches (20 x 15 x 5 cm)
• Weight: 1.2 oz (32 g)

Rewards

Shipping, Duties, and Taxes

ULTRA™ has a long lead time and is made in small batches. We've already reserved enough for the first 1,000 bags of this Kickstarter. Those ~1,000 bags will be delivered in the first shipment. Any rewards beyond that will be delivered in a second shipment of goods.

• Kickstarter campaign: June-July 2026
• Bag Production (Batch 1): July-September 2026
• Fabric Production (Batch 2): August-November 2026
• Ocean Freight (Batch 1): October-November 2026
• Fulfillment (Batch 1): November-December 2026
• Bag Production (Batch 2): December-February 2027
• Ocean Freight (Batch 2): March-April 2027
• Fulfillment (Batch 2): May 2027

All Superlite rewards will ship from our US warehouse. 

US customers will not pay shipping or import duties but may be subject to local sales taxes.

Non-US customers will pay shipping, duties, and taxes up-front, prior to fulfillment. We will ship your reward DDP (delivered duties paid). Before shipping, we will send you a survey where you will fill out your shipping information and pay shipping, duties, and taxes.

See below for estimates. Rates are subject to change and will be charged before fulfillment.

Reward prices do not include import duties, taxes (e.g. VAT), or any other fees imposed by your country of residence. These will be charged, along with shipping, after the campaign has closed and before your reward is shipped. 

You can use Easy Ship's Import Duty and Taxes Calculator to estimate your costs. 

Meet the Team

We started Tortuga in 2010 after we (Fred and Jeremy) took a backpacking trip to Eastern Europe. The trip was a blast, but our luggage was a disaster. Fred’s hiking pack was too big and disorganized for travel. Jeremy bought a used bag on Craigslist, and the shoulder strap ripped off on the first day.

We couldn’t find the perfect travel backpack. So we made it.

Sixteen years later, almost 90,000 travelers have carried Tortuga packs on their most memorable trips.

Carry on travel is all we do. We’re a travel company, not a bag company.

Fred quit his job at Google to co-found Tortuga in 2010. His most recent big trips were to Greece with his wife and to Ho Chi Minh City for work. He's been told that he drinks his Vietnamese coffee "too fast."

Jeremy started Tortuga with Fred while he was at film school and is still running Tortuga and working in film. His favorite trip was to Japan on his honeymoon, and he's seen every Steelers game since the 1992 season.

James Brittain—through his studio, (Extra) Ordinary Design—is a gear designer with 20+ years of experience designing and developing functional, purposeful, and built-to-last carry gear.

Jion has been making bags since 2016 and nearly tripled its capacity in 2024 with a second factory. They produce travel, outdoor, and lifestyle gear for brands like Samsonite, Topologie, and Tortuga. Jion is led by its CEO, Ms. Yoonji Kim, making it the only woman-owned bag factory in Vietnam.

The Superlite is ready for production. Fred and James visited our factory in Vietnam this Spring to finish up design and development. We already approved the “golden sample” or “pre-production sample” and will order fabric and place the production order as soon as the campaign is over.