Hey, future adventurer! Let’s be real for a moment. That brand new hiking boot, the super cool water filter—these are the things that get all the attention, aren’t they? People can’t stop talking about the view from the top or the amazing sunrise. But there is one piece of equipment that is often overlooked until trouble comes, and that can alone make your trekking experience either fantastic or terrible. Seriously. I’m talking about your backpack.
Honestly? I found out the hard way. My first major trek—a four-day, three-night hike on the\\\\\
Trail, right after college, feeling like I could conquer the world—I decided to go cheap. In fact, it was kind of cheap where you “borrow a garage-sale special.” On paper, it was a 65-liter monster, which looked about right, but the frame was from another time, there was no padding, and the straps? Well, let’s just say they were the ones actively trying to cut off my shoulder circulation. By the time day two was through, my shoulders were like bruised melons, my lower back was screaming a song no one wanted to hear, and I was practically listening to the side like a sailboat in a storm. The mental pain of constantly adjusting, constantly hurting, completely took away from the beautiful scenery.
I suppose it was at that very moment, while I was looking at the perfectly happy, slightly smug-looking hiker who was going past me like a train with his rightly fitted pack, that I realized: your backpack is your mobile home, your safety net, and your best friend on the trail. Treating it like an afterthought? That’s rookie mistake territory. And you, my friend, are about to move beyond that.
This isn’t just a simple gear review. This is the ultimate guide to finding the trekking backpack that fits you and your body, your trip, and your unique style of travel. Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. Size Matters: Figuring Out Your Backpack Capacity
This is where most beginners trekkers start, and while capacity isn’t the only thing, it’s a huge factor. I was confused with all these ‘liters’ when I first came across them. 40L, 55L, 70L… What does it all mean? In a nutshell, “L” is short for liters, and it denotes the total volume available inside your pack. Instead of seeing it as a number, see it more like a lifestyle choice for the time of your trip.
Determining Trip Length vs. Capacity
Trip length is the simplest variable here, but truth be told, how you pack is the real game changer. Can you survive a day with freeze-dried meals and a tarp? Or do you insist on having your coffee maker and a novel?
- Weekend Warrior (1-3 Nights): Your ideal backpack size would be between 30 and 50 liters (L). It is sufficient for a sleeping bag, a change of clothes, food, and basic necessities. It allows you to be agile and light. Pro tip: 45L is the perfect point for maximum versatility.
- The Week-Long Wanderer (3-5 Nights): That’s a standard 50-70L range. The reason for more space is food and fuel, probably a bigger tent, and definitely more layers, as you will be out for a longer period. Most of my international trekking trips are in this range.
- Extended Expedition or Winter Trekking (5+ Nights): Time to bring out the big guns: 70L or more. The large volume is for long, unsupported journeys when you have to lug everything with you—extra bulk for the winter wear or enough provisions for a week or more between resupply points. But be careful: more room simply means more temptation to stuff it. Don’t let yourself be!
The Golden Rule: Don't Buy Big to Grow Into It
Keep yourself from buying a giant 85L backpack just in case you decide to go trekking the Himalayas one day. Here is why: a pack that is empty is not a good carrier. When two days’ worth of gear is stuffed into a bag that is too large, then the contents will move around, making it difficult for you to keep your balance, and, generally, causing you to be unhappy. Get the one for the trips that you have planned now. Later on, if you want, you can easily rent or borrow a larger one. Don’t rush the process, stay light, and gradually build up your gear list.
2. The Perfect Fit: Measuring Your Torso, Not Your Height
This is the most important part. If within this whole guide, you only remember one thing, then let that be: the size of your backpack has nothing to do with your height. It is determined by the length of your torso. So many adult travelers that I come across, I see them making this mistake, and it’s an absolute killer. A good backpack will have the majority of the weight, approximately 80%, on your hips, not on your shoulders. In case the fitting is not correct, shoulders will take most of the weight, and thus, this is how my first AT trip which became a torture session.
The Hip Belt: Your New Best Friend
Never forget, this is where 80% of the weight will be. The hip belt that is properly adjusted should go around your hips, the center of the padding being directly over the top of your iliac crest. In case the hip belt is too low or too high, it means that it is not functioning, and therefore, it indicates that torso length is incorrect. You are the one to decide if a pack without a heavily padded, firm hip belt is worth your time. You shouldn’t even think about it—I mean, just walk away.
3. The Crucial Comfort Check: Suspension and Frame
These are the components that greatly influence how the backpack feels on the back and are quite technical. The suspension system – the frame, the back panel, the straps—is the engine of the backpack. Without a good one, you’re just carrying a heavy sack with straps.
Understanding Internal vs. External Frames
Back in the day, backpacks came with external frames—metal chunky things you strapped your stuff to. We don’t talk about them anymore. Currently, the focus is on internal frames.
- Internal Frame: These employ aluminum rods, plastic sheets (HDPE), or a blend of both to build a support structure within the fabric of the pack. Weight is kept close to the body by them which is very important for balance on uneven terrains. Nearly all the heavy-duty trekking packs nowadays are of the internal frame type.
Back Panel Ventilation (The Sweat Factor)
Have you ever felt your back turning into a swamp during the climb? I have too. This is the problem that the makers are trying to solve here, at the back panels.
4. Access, Organization, and All the Pockets
A pack that fits perfectly but frustrates you every time you need your rain jacket is still a bad pack. Organization is the key to efficiency on the trail. When you are in a heavy downpour and your shelter is what you need, then you definitely do not want to be rummaging through the whole pack to find it.
The Power of External Pockets
You would be very surprised at how often you need fast access to a certain thing.
- Hip Belt Pockets: Absolutely necessary. M… for snacks, lip balm, a phone, a small camera. Opening/closing the zipper on these should be doable with one hand and without taking the pack off.
- Stretchy Side Pockets: Intended for water bottles, hiking poles, or a rain shell. They have to be deep enough for the water bottle not to be thrown out of the pocket when you bend over. Some packs even tilt them so that while wearing the pack, you can get your bottle.
- The Shove-It Pocket (Front Mesh): That large and stretchy pocket located at the front. I put my wet gear there (rain fly, damp jacket, tent footprint) to separate it from the dry stuff. Very convenient.
5. Materials, Durability, and Weatherproofing
Let’s have a talk about the shell of your home on the road. Longevity is of great importance if you are thinking of roughing it through the woods or just doing the pack a bit of a rugged toss (which, honestly, we are all guilty of sometimes).
A Final Word of Encouragement (And How to Test)
Choosing a trekking pack is as personal as finding the perfect pair of shoes. Yes, really. Take your time with it and, please, please, no online ordering without trying it first.
Make sure you take your time and do an in-store check, window shopping doesn’t do really well when buying any outdoor gear, especially your backpack.
Now, go find your pack, pack it smart, and get out there. You’ve got this!
