The right backpack can be the difference between a great outdoor experience and a miserable trip with a sore back, stiff neck, and headache to match.
A good backpack can make a huge difference to your overall comfort on the trail. For some activities, it can be useful to have a pack with specific features and details, and if you spend a lot of time outdoors year-round, it may make sense to have more than one backpack to choose from.
The size of backpack you need depends on the type of activities you plan to use it for. It’s both impractical and uncomfortable to have too much gear hanging off the outside of your pack, so for an overnight trip where you need to carry a sleeping bag and perhaps a tent or tarp, most people choose a backpack with a capacity of more than 50 litres.
How Big a Backpack Do You Need?
Trail Running / Short Daypack – 0 to 15 Litres
A waist pack or hydration belt can often be a good alternative for shorter outings. If you’ll be moving actively, good back ventilation and a close, secure fit are important.
Pockets on the shoulder straps are practical for storing gels, snacks, and small soft flasks, so you can keep essentials within easy reach without taking the pack off.
Daypack – 8 to 35 Litres
A hip belt becomes more important as the weight of your gear increases. Small dedicated pockets for your phone, keys, and other essentials are practical, and a rain cover is a smart feature since this often becomes the kind of backpack you use all year round, in all kinds of weather.
Weekend Pack – 35 to 65 Litres
The correct back length and a good fit for your body are essential for carrying comfort when you’ll be wearing the backpack for longer periods.
The pack should also have multiple compartments to make it easier to organise and pack your gear.
Multi-Day / Expedition Pack – 60 to 100+ Litres
Carrying comfort is the top priority, and the backpack should be adjustable so it fits your body properly. It needs to be stable and built to handle a substantial load.
Different types of trips place different demands on pack size. Sometimes it’s important that the backpack is large enough to fit everything inside, while other times it may be perfectly fine to strap something like a sleeping pad to the outside.
What Type of Backpack Is Right for Me?
The range of backpacks available can feel overwhelming. What suits me best? Where should I start, and what do other people looking for the same thing usually choose?
In this guide, our team of outdoor enthusiasts has gathered some useful tips and advice to help you along the way, and the guide will be updated regularly.
A good place to start is by dividing backpacks into a few main categories:
- Waist packs or bum bags – Carried only around the hips with a belt
- Training packs and cycling packs – Close-fitting and stable with minimal ventilation. Designed to move with your body. Intended only for a hydration bladder, a few clothing items, or a packed lunch
- Backpacks for children – Specially designed for kids and young people who should not carry heavy loads
- Daypacks – Simple packs, often with a fixed carry system. May include attachment points for ice axes, crampons, trekking poles, and more. Many are designed specifically for activities such as ski touring, hiking, or general mountain use
- Hiking backpacks – Larger packs for hut-to-hut trips, longer adventures, or hunting trips
Today, most serious backpack manufacturers offer separate models for men and women. Taller women over 175 cm may sometimes find it difficult to get a backpack with enough back length, in which case it may be worth trying a men’s model.
Some manufacturers also offer interchangeable hip belts for improved fit and carrying comfort.
Training and Cycling Backpacks
Training packs and cycling packs are lightweight and rarely have room for more than a hydration bladder, some food, and perhaps a sweater or lightweight jacket.
These backpacks are designed to sit very securely on the back and follow every movement closely. Anything unnecessary in terms of extra volume, attachment points, padding, or frame support has usually been stripped away.
They are rarely intended to carry more than five kilograms and generally do not provide much comfort under heavier loads.
Because of this, they are not recommended as hiking backpacks or standard daypacks.
Backpacks for Children
For children too, it’s important to have a backpack that fits properly, which is why there is good reason to choose a model specifically designed for kids.
It’s important to look for a backpack with a well-functioning hip belt and sternum strap. A daypack made for adults is rarely ideal for children, because the shoulder straps and hip belt are often too large and too stiff to fit properly.
In some cases, a small women’s backpack may work.
Children can start carrying their own backpack as early as possible, but small children should generally not carry more than 10% of their own body weight.
If the child is over 10 years old and reasonably used to physical activity, they may be able to carry up to one-sixth of their body weight in their backpack.
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