balance gear 59 or 63 Liter Aarn Natural Balance Backpack$100 OFF CLOSEOUT SALE! The Aarn Natural Balance backpack offers exceptional load carrying capacity with reduced pack weight. The perfect pack for those embracing the light and fast philosophy but needing a higher capacity than the Featherlite Freedom. > FEATURES. Pelvic form hipbelt, True fit shoulder straps, and Flow thru stabilizers help to make the bag feel lightweight and comfortable on your journeys. Waterproof Dri liners and Cord loc
$100 OFF CLOSEOUT SALE!
The Aarn Natural Balance backpack offers exceptional load-carrying capacity with reduced pack weight. The perfect pack for those embracing the light and fast philosophy but needing a higher capacity than the Featherlite Freedom.
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FEATURES.
Pelvic form hipbelt, True-fit shoulder straps, and Flow-thru stabilizers help to make the bag feel lightweight and comfortable on your journeys.
Waterproof Dri-liners and Cord-loc compression work to protect your belongings from the weather.
On-Adjust 2 Back lengths to shift loads up and down, with a 15 cm range.
Materials: 500D Kodura nylon, 210D, 70 x 100D, and 40 D ripstop nylon
Colors: Green and grey combination for a natural look
BALANCE POCKETS
We recommend using Expedition Front Balance Pockets, which provide greater stability and balance, and a more upright posture. This translates to much less fatigue and strain. Front pockets have accessible zip flaps to protect items from the rain, gear clips, and mesh exterior pockets. The Front Balance Pockets attach easily to Aarn’s comfortable backpacks and convert easily into a daypack after clipping on the shoulder and sternum straps. Hiking, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors has never been easier!
The 15 liter or 18 liter Expedition Balance Pockets provide greater stability and balance, and a more upright posture. This translates to much less fatigue and strain.
Shoulder and sternum straps are included for converting the pockets into a daypack, which is carried on the front of the body for maximum security and easy gear access.
Front pockets have waterproof Dri-liners, accessible zip flaps to protect items from the rain, and four mesh exterior pockets with compression cords.
The design of the Front Balance Pockets, which includes four mesh exterior pockets with compression chords, is to provide maximum comfort, organization, and accessibility. Attach to the Aarn "balance pack" for an unmatched outdoors experience.
(Click on Buttons to See and Evaluate)
Sport Balance Pockets - Mid-volume balances unobtrusiveness and weight carrying ability
Expedition Balance Pockets - Large-volume for balancing heavy loads.
MORE ACCESSORIES
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These allow you to clip climbing hardware on the larger models with Pelvic Form Hipbelts.
Alternative to sternum straps when Balance Pockets are not used.
Hold tent, poles, foam pad, etc. on pack sides.
Allow skis to be attached to the pack sides and locked to prevent movement
Allow a snowboard to be attached to the pack and locked to prevent movement
SPECIFICATIONS
Volume
Liters
Regular
59
Large
63
Dimensions
Centimeters
Regular
Height: 68 Width: 42 Depth: 25
Large
Height: 72 Width: 42 Depth: 25
Weight
Kilograms
Regular Backpack
1.41 / 1.5
with Front Balance Bags Attached
1.7 / 1.83
Large Backpack
1.49 / 1.58
with Front Balance Bags Attached
1.81 / 1.98
Recommended Maximum Load (Pack only): 49 pounds (22 kg)
The Aarn Natural Balance Bodypack features a unique design that helps maintain the wearer’s posture. After it won gold at the Outdoor Industry Awards in Germany last year, Laura Waters was determined to give it a long distance trial.
"I have a nickname for this pack: I call it my Magic Pack.
From the moment I first tried it on I’ve been amazed at how weight seems to magically disappear once I’m wearing it. Whether I need to carry ten days of food over a long section or seven kilos of water for a desert stretch, it turns a sizeable load into something very manageable. In fact, my pack has felt so suspiciously light at times that I’ve actually taken it off mid-walk to check I haven’t inadvertently left something behind at the last break.
I carried the Natural Balance for over 3000 kilometres hiking the Te Araroa Trail from one end of New Zealand to the other, and its absolute comfort gave me one less challenge to deal with. Gone were the aching shoulders and hot knots of pain in my back that I used to suffer with a traditional backpack.
So what’s the secret to this ’magic’? It’s the way you carry your load that makes all the difference. Aarn Tate has spent 30 years perfecting and testing the Flow Bodypack system in the tough terrain of his homeland, New Zealand. The key to its design is a set of pockets on the front in which you carry all your compact, heavy gear and thereby counterbalancing the load on your back. The result is an energy-efficient system that maintains the natural curve of the spine and leaves you standing upright and perfectly balanced.
Why It Works
A backpack magnifies the forces acting on your body. Without going into the detailed physics of it, a 16 kilogram load plonked on your back with a traditional backpack could end up exerting a force on your body that feels more like 20-24 kilograms. The Bodypack system however removes all leverages on your back from your pack and brings your posture as close to upright as possible. In doing so most of the load is shifted off your shoulders and spine and transferred evenly around the pelvis.
It Looks Different
I get a lot of comments from hikers I pass on the trail, dubious of the design of this newfangled pack. Here are a few examples:
Yeah, but can you see your feet? The Natural Balance has two separate front pockets so you can see your feet in the gap between them if you want to. Having said that, I discovered that I didn’t actually watch my feet hit the ground, I looked ahead at the ground where I intended to put my feet and then my feet simply followed.
What about tricky terrain? The pack has a fantastic hip belt and shoulder harness that allows the load to shift as you move so you stay centred and balanced always. The front pockets do not hinder manoeuvrability when scrambling over rocks on all but the very tightest of ledges.
Isn’t it hot to wear? No. The front pockets hang away from your body allowing air to flow, plus ventilation mesh is used in the back panel.
You’re carrying all THAT? Having a large load is not a pre-requisite to wearing this pack Aarn make smaller volume models that an ultra-light hiker probably wouldn’t even notice they’re wearing, but if you like to take enough gear to stay warm and safe, if you need to carry lots of water, or if like me you’re partial to a bit of fresh fruit and veg on your hike, then this pack will allow you to carry your load in comfort.
Another significant bonus is having camera, sunscreen, maps, snacks, PLB, etc. readily available in the front pockets. Pockets are interchangeable too so I swapped one standard pocket for photography specific one, padded for my equipment. The pack has a removable dry bag lining and the tough nylon exterior sheds water well so you won’t need a pack cover. And the whole pack is fully adjustable for a precise fit.
If I could change anything it would be the plastic clips and buckles. They are lightweight but not the strongest. I’ve broken two over 3500 kilometres of hiking and while spares are provided I’d like to see a tougher material used here. Also after 1000 kilometres the dry bag lining was, perhaps unsurprisingly, no longer completely watertight though a few bin bag liners inside the pack avoids any dampness in a downpour (note: the dry bag liners are replaceable).
The Natural Balance has won a string of awards, most recently Germany’s Outdoor Industry Awards in 2015 where it earned the Gold Winner title for best backpack. It may look odd and a tad on the bulky side, but to wear it is to experience its magic."
DESIGN
Aarn's Expedition pockets are recommended for use with the Natural Balance lightweight daypack from Light Hiking Gear, complete with four mesh exterior pockets and one map pocket.
Comes with compression straps and pocket can convert to a daypack with shoulder and sternum straps.
The length of the expedition is 5 cm longer and is suitable for back lengths longer than 42 cm.
Expedition pockets are made from 500D Kodura, 210D, 100d x 70D, and 40D ripstop nylon
The colors are a natural green and grey combo
These pockets can be removed at any time. Shop and see why Aarn is one of the best hiking backpack brands on the market.
MORE ACCESSORIES
(Click on Buttons to Evaluate and Purchase)
These allow you to clip climbing hardware on the larger models with Pelvic Form Hipbelts.
Hold tent, poles, foam pad, etc. on pack sides.
Attach skis to the pack sides and lock to prevent movement
Lock skis to prevent movement
TESTIMONIALS
" I'm a long time customer (since 1995) and enthusiastic fan of your pack designs, every since I took an Aarn Natural Balance to Europe in 1995. Wearing that pack (with the "Balance Buddies" as they were called at the time) I have climbed in the Dolomites in Italy, hiked in the French and Swiss Alps, and scrambled and climbed all over mountains near my present home in Seattle, WA. I've worn your pack on every conceivable kind of trip, from long hikes over flat ground to "light and fast: alpine climbs going straight up, AND, having formerly worked in the outdoor industry, I've had the opportunity to fit and wear almost every kind of pack design there is. To this day, nothing compares to my good 'ol Aarn Natural Balance pack.
I wanted to send this note to personally thank you for the enjoyment I've had over the years thanks to your groundbreaking design. Very few packs are equally well suited for hostel-hopping around Europe and summiting Mt. Rainier. Yours is. And, after 15 years, it's still holding up pretty well, all things considered. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you.
If I was still in the outdoor retail industry, I'd still be selling your packs. There is nothing to compare to them, (as you know!!) It's a shame that they're still so hard to find, here in the US, but I'm glad you're still making them. Best of luck to you, and thanks again for doing what you're doing." Eric Fredrickson, Seattle, WA, USA
" Background: After 10 years of marriage we had twins. We were farmers I was accustomed to working on the farm. I started carrying one twin on my back and one on my front - perfect balance.
Years later I started tramping with friends. I bought a backpack. I always ended up with things dangling on my front. A large camera bag was best: it held everyone's snacks, camera, water, elastoplasts. Then I found an Aarn pack sitting on the floor of our local outdoor shop that actually had front bags, called Balance Pockets, it was called Load Limo. The pack was huge - 85kg, but it balanced me perfectly. I managed with heavy loads (I often take a tent). I stood upright, and had no back or knee problems.
Age has crept on, the body changes, bones protrude, flesh disintegrates, carrying weight becomes a burden.
Then I bought a Natural Balance. It weighs a kilo less than my old pack. I climbed in the hills around me, crawling in places, I packed it to the limit, I tramped out in heavy rain, it was faultless. I have done some real bush whacking with it, thinking the fine fabric would tear: it did not. This for me is the perfect pack.
The Aarn design is the most intelligent and ingenious pack I have had anything to do with. I would never consider another type of pack. The design has thought carefully about the body and how it reacts to weight bearing. The pockets are in all the right places - maps, cell-phone, water, food - everything in perfect position to reach without having to take the pack off.
I congratulate Aarn. His engineering and design skills are superb. And thank you for the extra years of freedom this pack will give me.
Having just come back from a 14km. hike in the hills in perfect shape and able to spend the rest of the day at work and still feel OK I am elated. Jo Speedy, Hastings, NZ
I recently took the Natural Balance Bodypack to the UK where I completed the Lands End to John O’Groats Walk 1,050 miles in 57 days, i.e. an average day of walking 18 to 24 miles. The Bodypack did the business! I’m enormously impressed with the pack which I have no doubt helped me to complete the journey without any notable incidents or setbacks.
Having had a lumbar discectomy a few years ago, and a history of neck and upper back problems, it was essential that the pack and hipbelt put minimal strain on my lower back, neck and shoulders. I found that at the end of each day, I had no soreness or tiredness in these areas. Further, my overall fatigue level after 8 to 10 hours walking was surprisingly low, given that I was carrying an average daily load of about 13 kg.
The fore and aft balancing worked well. I found that I had good balance when it was really needed; going up or down steep gradients, rock-hopping, crossing streams or on slippery surfaces. The backpack proved 100% waterproof. Thanks for helping me to realize a dream!
Richard Hipgrave, Wellington, NZ
Hi. Not something that I usually do, but I just could not let the event pass without comment. An unsolicited recommendation!
I am 59 years old and my wife is 56. In February 2004 we had a serious bike accident where my wife broke her collarbone, her pelvis and a rib. I fortunately suffered more minor injuries. We are both keen trampers and planned to continue but were worried about being able to carry our old packs, which always gave problems mainly on our shoulders. We purchased two of your Natural Balance packs (mine the 75L, my wife's the 70L).
We have just returned from 4 days of tramping round Lake Waikaremoana and what a revelation! Both of us just could not believe that you could spend days with the pack on and have absolutely no issues with the weight. These packs just have no impact on you shoulders. This particular tramp requires a lot of clambering up and down a 'root' based track but the packs were just great to carry. I cannot recommend the packs more highly and regardless of whether you have problems I am sure that you will benefit from using these amazingly designed packs. Thanks for saving our outdoors life! David & Margaret Ivory, North Island, New Zealand
Thanks for such a wonderful pack! It was a big investment, but I've never been happier with a piece of adventure equipment. The fantastic design and great build quality make it a pleasure to handle and has saved me in some tricky situations. When scrambling up vertical inclines with a previous pack the awkward and scary sensation of falling backwards down a steep cliff makes me appreciate the Natural balance so much more- I use it for all my treks now- even day walks. I love the balance pockets to store my water bottles - what a fantastically versatile unit! Ben Campbell, Ashford, South Australia
" I have been using a Natural Balance for years. It is still going strong and is without a doubt the best, most comfortable pack I have ever used. I've done lots of backpacking the Sierra here in California and it never fails to get people's attention on the trail. I always tell them, "You are looking at the backpack of the future." David Nelson, California, USA
" Tested: June 2008, northern Australia, solo walk over 23 days (full pack, no re-supply possible). Environment: tropical; dry season; slow country=deep gorges, loose rocks, exposed ledges, spinifex/sandstone ridges, screw-pine cluttered valleys, open woodland, vine thickets, speargrass hells Exposure/time: (from Easiest to Hardest): strolling over horizontal, open, flat ground (1%), walking in woodland, feet mostly visible (25%), rock-hopping along creeks, feet visible (35%), river crossings (1%), high-stepping through over-head-high vegetation, feet not visible (25%), pushing/scraping through distorted spinifex/sandstone labyrinths, feet often not visible (7%), gorge climbing (6%) Weights: body: 64 kg (141 lbs) skin-out at start: 24 kg (53 lbs) (of which 2 kg clothes/shoes/hat) complete pack at start: 22 kg (46.3 lbs). Other packs used on previous walks: On earlier walks (over 14/20/21 days) in various parts of the Australian Kimberley, I used a very light (710 g=25 oz) frameless pack, the ’Starlite’ (Six Moon Designs, recommended for 16 kg/35 lbs loads max; I carried 16-19 kg. During those 3 walks, obsessed with the idea that ’light is always better than heavy’, I pushed myself through difficult country (with stays added to the pack on the 3rd trip). I took it for granted that my daily exhaustion, especially during the first 2 walks, merely reflected the hard terrain. I was physically in above-average condition. Trip #4 (2008) changed my mind: I now had an Aarn. My experience: At first, I felt like a bicycle rider in the seat of a Ferrari. Starting out with the ’Natural Balance’ crammed and heavy (=1/3 of my body weight), I spent the first 2+ days fiddling with adjustments; numerous possibilities meant that I had to *learn*. I carried most of the dense, heavy stuff in the front Balance
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I adored the side characters and found them a lot more compelling than Jovie and Acker, if I’m being honest. I really wanted to like her but I found myself getting frustrated by her lack of, I don’t know, real rage for any of the crap people pull on her. Like ok I get this is romantasy but I have a hard time really believing you’re actually as upset at this guy as you claim to be when two minutes later you’re letting this dude shove his tongue down your throat. Additionally, an early running theme is that Jovie is frustrated that there are a bunch of people deciding things for her but the existence of the whole “matched/bond” thing makes much of her autonomy a moot point. Like at one point I think Acker even points out that them getting into bed together is a “foregone conclusion” and someone else mentions that the other matched pairs that don’t end up together ended up literally destroying each other. No pressure. I was a lot more interested in the characterization of Messer, Beau, and Hallis.
I knew I was going to be exasperated consistently by this girl when she let Mr. Murder Hottie treat Messer like a war criminal after he almost got himself spatchcocked for them by a mighty-morphing radical with an attitude problem. If my homie went through the battle blender like that for me after I found out he had been secretly protecting me and keeping me company for weeks/months, I would be doing A LOT MORE than standing around trying to figure out if I actually thought he was my friend while Captain Boy Toy did some light torture on him. Also Acker, my dude, if you can still find it in your heart and your loins to get riled up while your sister is having a breakdown in the room over…I don’t know, seek help I guess. I liked the juxtaposition of Beau’s bravado and her militaristic delivery of information to her brother showing she can turn on a dime when needed. Adding the mental toll her gift takes on her throughout time and how she has self destructive coping mechanisms really gave her some cool depth, and I appreciated the vulnerability it lent her. Hallis was a weird character for me at first but I ended up looking forward to his dialogue a lot. Initially, I didn’t care for the way he seemed to immediately just be a real jerk to Jovie and it didn’t often read as playful to me when I think it sometimes meant to. Regardless, his genuine care for Beau and Acker and how he dropped the act immediately when they really needed him made him pretty endearing and I always appreciate a grump who cares.
Honestly everything about this book was an A+ for me aside from the two main characters’ dynamic. When Jovie gets pissed at those bats and obliterates a forest? A+ When she tells Acker that she saw the signs that Messer was getting abused and acknowledged she felt shame and that she couldn’t fault him for being complicit in her mistreatment since she had done the same? A+ When she’s sitting there and coming to terms with the fact that everything she knows has been built on lies as she’s flipping through her sketchbook? A++ The writing and setting is great and the book is good, but someone needs to give Jovie a big stick and tell her it’s okay to be mad and smack people with it even if they’re hot.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2025
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Dimps
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Mind blowing page turner
Oh my stars!!! 🤯 he falls first and he falls hard, enemies to lovers, fated mates. Every characters are lovable. There's action, magic, one horse 🤭 and a plot twist that keep on twisting. Oh and a bad ass FMC! Loved it!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
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Bryan & Lanae Kirby
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 3
Interesting. Confusing ending that's too similar to another book
Ok, I had to process almost a whole 24 hours before I could write this review. And long story short, did I enjoy the book, yes. Does it have a lot of interesting and good parts to it? Also yes. But does it also have some major flaws? Absolutely.
Now I'm not gonna break down every single little thing in this book. But here are the basics of what I liked, and what I didn't like.
The good? I liked the characters. They intrigued me off the bad. The world building is pretty decent. It's a little confusing in the beginning, but information is slowly doled out, and some questions are answered. I found that there was a lot of little twists and turns that kept the story engaging. The magic system is intriguing.
But, there are quite a few things off for me. First off, we have another story that has heavy inspirations from other books. There are a lot of aspects in this story that felt directly pulled from throne of glass. And the big twist at the end? Was almost verbatim the same ending as the book how does it feel. As soon as I read it I was like hold up, I literally just read almost this same thing when I read how does it feel when it released like a year or year and a half ago.
Now I know no concepts are really new anymore, and inspiration comes for everywhere. But I feel like most stories it's like, oh this book has these vibes, or if you liked this book you'd like this one that's similar. But this reminds me of powerless in where there are like exact plots and plot points taken from other things. Now is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. I still enjoyed powerless, and I still enjoyed this story. But it does throw me.
There are also a few red flags that the MMC Acker gave me that were not the good kind of red flags we love. First, when they are riding thru the city and people throw stuff at the FMC and he does nothing? Red flag. When they meet his dad and they demand she vows not only to the king but to the MMC? Red flag. All the secrets he keeps? Red flag. When he SLAPS HER IN THE END? Red flag. I'm not sure how I really feel about him.
In the end. This was still an enjoyable read. I did like it and I am curious about the next book. But I am wary about some of the plot points and the MMC.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024
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SJS
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Just read it. You won’t regret it.
Format: Hardcover
This book completely blew me away. I loved every single character—not just the FMC and MMC, but the side characters too, which is rare. In a first book, side characters can feel flat while the focus is on world-building, but that definitely wasn’t the case here.
The romantic tension between the FMC and MMC was so good—seriously addictive. The plot itself felt pretty straightforward at first, and the world-building was easy to follow. It even gave me Heartless Hunter / Wolf King vibes… until the last 20 pages.
And wow—those final pages. I usually spot plot twists coming, and I thought this one was going to be predictable, but I was completely wrong. That ending genuinely shocked me—I haven’t had that reaction to a book in a long time.
I’m already counting down to book two (and that teaser chapter? Absolutely brutal).
Just read it. You won’t regret it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026
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Nicole
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 4
4 Stars for Now!
Format: Kindle
I DEVOURED this book. I was in a huge slump after reading a horrible series right before this but after 3 pages of this book, I was hooked. I read the whole book in 2 days. I think the author did an amazing job at writing an engaging story with an amazing twist at the end. I know many readers feel betrayed by the twist and find the narrator to be unreliable but I feel that the twist was done in a great unsuspecting way. Though I do feel betrayed, I think there is so much room for redemption in the second book!
The author also did an amazing job at world/character building. She was able to do so without interrupting the story which is one of my huge pet peeves. A lot of authors build by taking breaks in the plot or dialogue which I find choppy and disengaging but this author was able to build in an engaging way. There was some lack of world/character building but I think that was due to keeping reader in the dark. The world, politics, and characters were all very easy to understand.
I found the romance a little lackluster and a bit off-kilter. Some of it was really pushy and rushed which left a bad taste in my mouth. I do hope the author delves deeper into the romance in coming books.
The FMC was a breath of fresh air. She was not whiny or stuck-up like most books. She was never afraid to accept help from others but she was still able to shine with her intelligence. Not once did I think she made a poor decision just for the sake of a plot point. She was really easy to like. The MMC could use some work but I think that will happen more in coming books.
This is a MUST read, my only advice would be to wait until it is a finished series!
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