REASONS TO BUY
Great price point for an entry-level pack
Durable pack material
Back panel holds a foam pad
REASONS TO AVOID
Unsupportive
Messy amount of straps
Hip belt could be too large for smaller torsos
3F UL Gear Qidian Pro Review
A compelling option if other ultralight packs are simply too expensive
The 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro might not be a great ultralight pack, but it certainly is affordable.
Credit: Justin Simoni
By Justin Simoni ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ June 10, 2026
RELATED: The Best Ultralight Backpack of 2026
Our Verdict
The inexpensive 3F UL Qidian Pro offers a smattering of features that are attractive to budding ultralighters. We measured the main internal compartment at 53 liters, which is enough for most people to carry food and gear for a multi-day summer trip. The generous center, side, and hip-belt pockets work well to supplement the internal volume. The shoulder straps and hip belt are heavily padded. But the rest of the pack falls a bit flat, lacking most of the useful features of other modern, ultralight packs we tested.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
3F UL Gear Qidian Pro | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Ultralight Backpack |  Best Bang For Your Buck | |||
| Price | $92 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $315 List | $279 List | $399 List | $275 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A compelling option if other ultralight packs are simply too expensive | This pack wowed us with its perfect set of features, comfortable design, and impressively large carrying capacity | A tough, voluminous, and reasonably priced ultralight backpack that's perfectly designed for long trips | It's hard to beat the comfort, support, and ventilation of this classic ultralight pack | You can carry silverback-sized loads with supreme comfort, thanks to this pack's excellent design, which transfers pack weight from your shoulders to your hips |
| Rating Categories | 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro | Gossamer Gear Maripo... | Durston Kakwa 55 | Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra | Gossamer Gear Gorill... |
| Comfort (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Weight-to-Volume Ratio (20%) | |||||
| Adjustability (15%) | |||||
| Specifications | 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro | Gossamer Gear Maripo... | Durston Kakwa 55 | Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra | Gossamer Gear Gorill... |
| Measured Weight | 31.0 oz | 34.3 oz | 31.0 oz | 21.8 oz | 32 oz |
| Stripped Weight | 31.0 oz | 18.0 oz | 27.5 oz | 17.9 oz | 16.2 oz |
| Advertised Volume | 56 L | 60 L | 70 L | 50 L | 50 L |
| Measured Volume (Main Compartment) | 53 L | 54 L | 55 L | 35 L | 45 L |
| Weight per Liter (Full Pack) | 0.55 oz/L | 0.57 oz/L | 0.44 oz/L | 0.44 oz/L | 0.64 oz/L |
| Sizes Available | Torso: One size | Torso: S, M, L Hip Belt: S/M Curved (w/ S torso), M Straight (w/ M and L torso); other hip belts sold separately |
Torso: S, M, L Hip Belt S/M, M/L |
Torso: Short, Medium, Tall, Hip Belt: S, M, L, XL |
Torso: S, M, L Hip Belt: S/M Curved (w/ S torso), M Straight (w/ M and L torso); other hip belts sold separately |
| Organization Compartments | Side pockets, center pocket, hip belt pockets, main compartment | Top flat zippered pocket, three total side pockets, center pocket, dual zippered pockets on hip belt, main compartment | Side pockets, side zipper pocket, center pocket, hip belt pockets, strap pockets, main compartment | Main compartment, center pocket, side pockets | Top flat zippered pocket, side pockets, center pocket, dual zippered pockets on hip belt, main compartment |
| Hydration Compatible | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Side Pocket 700ml Smartwater Capacity | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Single Hip Belt Pocket Capacity | 10 Cliff Bars | 6 Clif Bars | 10 Cliff Bars | N/A | 6 Clif Bars |
| Removable Frame and Hip Belt | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Sternum Strap Whistle | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| BearVault BV500 Compatibility | Good | Good | Excellent | OK | OK |
| Frame Type | None | Removable SitLight foam pad / removable stay | Removable foam pad / removable stay | Curved carbon fiber stays | Removable SitLight foam pad / removable stay |
| Fabric | UHMWPE mixed nylon | 100D & 210D recycled Robic nylon | Challenge Ultra 200x | Main body: Ultra 100X Center pocket: Nylon mesh Side pocket: Ultra 100X |
70D & 100D recycled Robic nylon |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The backside support on the Qidian Pro holds a closed-cell foam pad for convenience and to add padding to the pack itself. Carrying comfort is really affected by a set of somewhat impotent load lifters and a hip belt that's padded only at the ends, not around the lumbar region. While this is an inexpensive pack, it will likely appeal only to folks willing to sacrifice comfort for savings, or to DIYers willing to do a bit of customization to meet their needs.
The 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro is a less expensive option to dive into ultralight backpacking, but does it live up to its own hype? Credit: Justin Simoni
Likes
At only 31 ounces, the Qidian Pro is reasonably lightweight. Even though the internal volume of 53 liters is slightly less than the advertised volume, this pack fares reasonably well when you consider the base weight per volume.
If we look at measured weight to advertised volume, the Qidian Pro stands at 0.55 oz/L, which is certainly in line with some of the better packs we tested.
We measured the internal capacity at 53 liters, slightly less than the advertised 56 liters. Credit: Justin Simoni
The pack body of the Qidian Pro is made of a somewhat heavy-duty, UHMWPE-nylon blend. It's interesting to note that the specific fabric weight isn't advertised. After inspecting the fabric, we can only conclude that this material is as tough as or tougher than other packs made from economical UHMWPE nylon, making it a solid choice among budget packs.
The 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro pack body is made up of a very tough UHMWPE ripstop nylon. Credit: Justin Simoni
The center exterior mesh pocket is notably large. This makes it easy to find your gear, or we liked using it to dry out wet gear. The hip belt pockets are also immense, able to hold ten of our Clif Bars each at once.
The massive hip belt pockets can fit 10 Clif bars' worth of snacks! Credit: Justin Simoni
We were able to fit four Smartwater bottles into the tough mesh center pocket. Credit: Justin Simoni
Dislikes
The comfort of the Qidian Pro was pretty lackluster. This pack doesn't have any back padding, back stays, or a frame, but it does come with an attachment system to add your own closed-cell foam sit or sleeping pad for a little cushion.
This attachment system is somewhat convoluted, however, with some straps lying uncomfortably against your back. In general, the Qidian Pro has more straps than most other packs we've tested – straps were regularly in the way, fluttering in the wind, or gently whacking us while we're hiking.
We were able to fit a full-sized closed cell foam pad, but a pad with this many panels does push out the pack a bit far away from your body. Credit: Justin Simoni
A second strap with a buckle in the middle wraps around the center pocket, which we thought may be a little superfluous. Credit: Justin Simoni
The meaty hip belts gave us hope that they would be supportive. But they don't fully wrap around to provide lumbar support, which limits how much weight can be distributed down onto your hips. So even though they may look substantial, they're mostly ineffective.
Without any closed cell foam padding on the back, the hip belt was almost too long for our male tester with a 32" waist. This pack only comes in one torso size, so this may not be the pack for smaller hikers. Credit: Justin Simoni
The two ends of the hip belt practically come together at the center and touch, meaning that this pack will most certainly be too big for hikers with a waist size smaller than 32", unless they're carrying a particularly thick foam pad for backing.
The Qidian Pro is designed with load lifters, but without a stiff frame or a supportive hip belt, they don't actually function very effectively. This pack only comes in one size, and despite all the straps, it's somewhat of a pain to adjust to get the load feeling just right.
Load lifters are present, but only serve an ornamental role, acting only to cinch down the front of the roll top, rather than pull the pack towards the shoulders. Credit: Justin Simoni
Should you Buy the 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro?
Despite the alluring price, the 3F UL Gear Qidian Pro just isn't comfortable or adjustable enough for us to recommend. If the cost of other packs is well out of reach, it might be worth buying this inexpensive pack as an entry point into ultralight backpacking. However, we can't expect you to want to use it for very long.
What Other Ultralight Backpacks Should You Consider?
The Granite Gear Crown3 60 is an almost ideal entry-level ultralight backpack. It features a standard plastic back sheet to protect your back and to add support to the pack body. The Durston Kakwa 55 is much more expensive than the Qidian Pro; however, it's only slightly more than the Crown3 60 and offers much better value based on its overall comfort and ease of use.
—Justin Simoni
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