Patagonia’s Legendary Black Hole Bag Lineup Gets Its Most Carry-On-Friendly Addition Yet

Boasting many of the same spectacular features as its siblings, this compact pack is as travel-friendly as it gets for air travel.

Gray Patagonia backpack with padded shoulder strap and zipper on a brown background.

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By Sean Tirman

Published January 1, 2026

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For decades, Patagonia’s Black Hole lineup has been the bar by which so many other bags, especially duffels and travel packs, are measured. However, as the industry has shifted, so too has the brand’s fan-favorite collection.

Among its most recent iterations is the brand’s MLC sub-lineup. For those not in the know, MLC stands for “Maximum Legal Carry-On” — the connecting tether being that all the bags with this moniker fit the majority of airlines’ carry-on size restrictions.

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Patagonia Black Hole Micro MLC Backpack carried two ways — Along with backpack shoulder straps, the bag has an over-the-shoulder removable strap and suitcase carry handles.

Unfortunately, that has become a moving target, so even the MLC bags have had to adjust over time. That’s where the Patagonia Black Hole Micro MLC Backpack comes into play.

To meet (and beat) the TSA’s ever-shifting standards, Patagonia has launched this, its most compact carry-on bag ever — one designed not for the overhead bin, but for the tight space below the seat. Yet, despite its svelte 22-liter capacity, this bag still bears all the same construction and stylistic hallmarks expected of a bag with the Black Hole name.

Patagonia Black Hole Micro MLC Backpack interior — While its capacity is smaller than that of other bags in the lineup, its internal scheme is no less comprehensive.

The purpose is twofold: to counteract the increasingly crowded and overstuffed overhead bins (it’s small enough to count as a “personal item”) while still offering room and organization for a weekend’s worth of gear.

And it manages this while still boasting an ultra-tough, weatherproof TPU-coated exterior, a padded laptop pouch, zippered mesh pockets (and other pouches), external tethers and more.

Perhaps best of all, the Micro MLC Backpack is also one of the most affordable bags in the whole Black Hole catalog