This paper revisits the experimental data about the external liquid saturation in packed beds with co-current upward gas-liquid flow. A databank, cleared of untrendy data, with 585 measurements is supplied together with fully detailed experimental information and an estimation of the experimental variance. A new strategy is proposed for the use of high-order polynomials to assess the variance when replicates are absent. This contribution also focuses on the equations proposed to calculate the external liquid saturation. Two equations were selected because they yield the correct limits for monophasic flow. They are also independent of the flow pattern and of the biphasic pressure drop, and stay useful throughout all flow patterns. Both equations were reworked and reoptimized using weighted least squares. These proposals cover wider experimental ranges than any of the others revised. Their representation accuracy is 14.0% and 16.1%. None of them can be rejected at a confidence level of 95%.