The Best Outdoor Backpacks
There are many outdoor backpacks that are currently for sale. Picking the correct one for your needs is very important. It is as important as picking the correct shoe. You do not wear sports shoes when going to a formal event, right? It is the same for backpacks. You will need to find the best outdoor backpack that will satisfy your needs. When you find the right one, you will notice how much more fun trips are and how easier they become. The right backpack is important if you are hiking, camping, climbing or doing any outdoor activities. A great backpack will relieve a lot of weight from your back. This is a great especially if you suffer from some sort of back pain. You want a backpack that will help you carry lots of weight and lots of items for your hiking trip. Picking the right backpack can help your back a lot and help you enjoy hiking more.
Tip # 1: Get The Right Outdoor Backpack Based On Your Needs And Specification
One of the easiest ways to figure out the right pack for you is to know how long your trip is going to be. The amount of items that you may want to carry depends a lot on the trip length. A simple day trip will not require a lot of items but a trip that can last for a week may require items such as tents, sleeping bags, foods, extra clothing, and other necessities. Another way is to find out what kind of activity and items are going to be stored in your backpack.
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Packable Daypacks – These items usually has a capacity of 20 liters. People who do not plan on hiking more than one day can use a very light daypack. It should be enough to carry water and other valuables. It can often be folded into something small so that it can be packed easily when not in used. Great for outdoor events and activities for 1 day. Packable backpacks are great for travel as well. You can use them and carry them to the airport. The capacity is often good enough to hold a lot of valuable items. |
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Hiking Daypacks – These are the packs most people get. These usually have capacity of 35 to 50 liters. A lot of hikers who only hike one day also get outdoor backpacks like these. People often use these backpacks for school, outdoor activities and other events. They can pack most items and have a lot of access to pockets and accessories. The bag is often comfortable in weight and very useful. These types of backpacks are very popular and often have water reservoir compartment. |
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Camping And Backpacking (3+ nights) – These backpacks can carry a lot of items. I tend to like mine to have 70+ liters or more carrying capacity. They are often used for camping, treks lasting for 1 week or more, and men who want to lighten up the load of their girlfriend or sons/daughters. These packs have a lot of room and you can use it to pack extra clothes, accessories and more. They also have lots of pockets and attachment points or attachments straps. They have padded back and padded hip belt. Great backpacks if you are going to be carrying a whole lot of items. |
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Rugged Backpacks – Rugged backpacks are great for hiking as well. They can be tactical backpacks that uses some sort of molle webbing. Molle webbing allows you to attach additional pockets to the backpack by using the Velcro. Rugged backpacks can also be made out of leather. If the leather is good, the item will have lots of durability while looking very fashionable. Tactical backpacks often have a huge capacity as well. They are often used for hunting and other outdoor activities. |
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Travel Backpacks – These are great backpacks for people planning to travel. They have lots of pockets, light and easy to carry. These outdoor backpacks often have enough room for extra clothing, gadgets and more. I often use mine to carry items to the airport. Travel backpacks often have wheels. They make carrying heavy weight easier. These backpacks are great if you are traveling and can be used in a variety of ways. Can even be used as a hiking backpack in case you didn’t bring any. |
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Specific Backpacks – These items are made for a specific activity or fashion or event in mind. These backpacks are designed for 1 day trips to multi day trips and can carry a good amount of items. They have several lash on points, accessories and capabilities not found in most multi-purpose bags. They are designed for a specific task and make that task a lot easier. There are lots of landscape photographers that prefer photography backpacks rather than hiking backpacks. Backpacks meant for photography have pockets that allow you to takeout cameras and put them back in rather easily. They have straps for tripods as well. There are also climbing backpacks, dry bags, waterproof backpacks and different types of backpacks for different types of activities. |
Tip # 2: Backpack Capacity
One of the main things that you need to look for is the capacity of the backpack. How many items can it carry and how much room does that backpack have? The higher the capacity, the bigger the backpack. If you are looking for a backpack for a day hike, you will want somewhere around 20 liters. This will often give you the smallest and lightest backpack you can have. This is often good enough for an 8 mile hike that will last for one day. If you want a backpack for a weekend trip, somewhere around 50 liter would be great. For a long backpacking trip, then 70+ liters would be idea.
Tip # 3: Material Of A Good Pack
Backpacks come in many different types of material. The material of your pack can also influence its weight and durability. However, the most important thing to consider is whether the material is water resistant or not. The outdoor backpack does not need to be 100% waterproof but it has to somewhat resist water. A bag that soaks in water can be very detrimental to the items are inside it and the water will also add a lot of additional weight to the pack. Most hiking backpacks are made out of polyester or nylon. I have seen some people bring leather backpacks. They tend to look nice and fashionable. Good for day hikes. I have seen some bring tactical backpacks as well with Molle webbings.
Tip # 4: Backpack Size And How It Fits The Torso Size
In order to get the best outdoor backpack for your needs, you need to take into account your height and body type. The packbag should be a snug fit to your body. In order for this to happen, you need to take into account your torso length and waist size. Torso length is very important because if the pack is too big for your body, it will be harder to carry. Luckily, a lot of packs come in many sizes. You can get small packs to big ones. One thing to remember also is that women and kids have different torso length. They should get backpacks that they will be comfortable with.
Tip # 5: Padded Hip Belt
The waist size is also very important as it will have most of the weight of your pack. There are many packs that have a hip belt. They are designed so that people will have an easier time carrying their items. A lot of the weight will be around the hips so having a padded belt to support the weight can make everything more comfortable. The weight of the bag is very important. There are hikers who prefer a hip belt that is not padded. Some do not prefer a hip belt at all. Hip belts can add weight so for hikers who wants to carry less, they go for bags that have the most minimal weight, even if it does not come with a hip belt or other accessories. I prefer a hip belt because I often carry a lot, and the more the body can easily move, the more fun and less fatigue I will feel while on a trip.
Tip # 6: Backpack Frame Type
Internal Frame Backpacks – Most of the outdoor backpacks that you will see are internal frame types. Internal frame backpacks uses a variety of techniques to transfer the weight of the pack to the hips. They tend to be form fitting and hug the body of the user as much as possible to lessen the weight or make the weight of the backpack more manageable.
External Frame Backpacks – The external frame types have the supporting rods outside. There aren’t much of these anymore since the internal frame types are a lot better and look much more cooler. I highly recommend going for the internal frame types also. External frame types put the weight on the top part of the body. This can cause unevenness and sluggishness. The body will have a harder time moving because of it. I have tried an external frame backpack and just did not like it. A lot of the movies from the past show an external frame backpack but I no longer see them in the trails.
No Frame Backpacks – Backpacks with no frame are for hikers that like to hike very light. A couple of no frame or frameless backpacks are the packable daypacks. These types of backpacks are very lightweight. They are suitable for trail runners and hikers that want to hike in a very fast paced. These types of backpacks often do not have a lot of compartments, pockets, and they often do not have any padding. A lot of the comfort that a regular backpack has is taken away so that the backpack will weigh a lot less.
Tip # 7: Multiple Compartments
Multiple compartments are often very nice. You may want some lash-on capabilities also if you would like to put external tools like camping lamps, ice axe, tripod and so on. You may also want 2 compartments for a water bottle or space for your hydration pack. I love lots of compartments in the front because I have lots of gadgets. I often bring my camera equipment, extra batteries for my camera, extra batteries for my phone, and etc. I often bring first aid kits also and pain relievers. It is important for me that my stuff are very organized. This is one of the reasons I like lots of compartments on my outdoor backpack.
Tip # 8: Attachment Points
If you love to travel with hiking sticks then you will want to be able to attach these items to your backpack when you are not using them. There are times when you are climbing or bouldering, the hiking sticks tend to get in the way. It is for this reason that attachment points, and tool loops are created. Attachment points are often a piece of garment/rope hanging outside the backpack. You can strap a lot of items to these attachment points like climbing axe, trekking poles, crampons, sleeping pads, tents, chairs and so on. They are often very useful and worth having.
Tip # 9: Contoured/Padded Back
An outdoor backpack that is shaped to fit your lower spine is great for distributing the weight evenly. The person becomes more comfortable as the weight isn’t focused on one point. A person’s pack often carries the essentials for a day of hiking, canoeing, biking or urban exploring. We need to be very comfortable when carrying items especially when they weight a lot. A padded back will provide comfort to our back and spine so that they are not being hit by items that we carry. They also keep the backpack in shape which makes carrying items a lot easier.
Tip # 10: Padded Shoulder Straps
The weight will often be pushing down on our shoulders and hips. It is important that these places are padded if we are carrying lots of weight and going to be walking a couple of miles. The pads will put less pressure and friction on the shoulders, making the person more comfortable in moving around. This will cause less chance of injury and wounds. This is a great feature if you are carrying a lot of items. Your shoulders will not get injured and will not feel a lot of pain while you are carrying the backpack. They also prevent soreness of the shoulders and body the next day.
Tip # 11: Hydration Reservoir
A great feature to have is a hydration reservoir compartment. You don’t need to bring water bottles or put them at the side of your backpack. You can just use a hydration bladder. A hydration compartment should allow you to hang your bladder easily and have a hole for the hose to get through. This is a great way to save money since you don’t need to buy water anymore. You can just use tap water or filtered water from your home. It is easier to drink water with a hydration bladder also when you are hiking. You don’t need to stop, take a rest and take out the bottle from your backpack. You can just sip through the hose and get your water while moving or walking.
Tip # 12: Rain Cover
Most backpacks are water repellent. Water repellent means that the backpack can repel water but they are not 100% waterproof. Your backpack will have zippers, stitches and attachments that can leak in water to the inside of the backpack. So a great accessory to have is a rain cover. Usually, rain covers do not weigh a lot and they are very packable as well. You can fold them to a very tiny size so that you can just put it in a pocket and use it in case of an emergency. A rain cover is not 100% waterproof also but they are often 100% rainproof. They will protect your belongings from the rain and other types of bad weather. This is very useful especially if you are bringing batteries, gadgets and other types of items.
Tip # 13: Sleeping Bag Compartment
A lot of backpacking and camping backpacks have a sleeping bag compartment. They also often have straps at the bottom where you can attach a foam pad or rolling foam bed. This is a great place to put items that you need to take out all the time. I often put my tripod and wrap the straps around it. This makes carrying the tripod a lot easier. It is the same for your sleeping bag. A compartment for your sleeping bag or sleeping bed is a great addition to your camping backpack. You also do not need to bring a stuff sack if you have one of these compartments. They can hold your sleeping bag rather well.
Tip # 14: Ventilation
Not all backpacks have ventilation. What I mean by this is that hikers often have a sweaty back. The backpack will often have a suspended mesh panel that allows the sweat to evaporate and breathe out of your back instead of sticking to the backpack and your clothes. This feature is often called tension-mesh suspension. Your back is resting on a mesh panel that is very breathable. This allows the sweat to evaporate. This feature is often common with internal frame backpacks. Since internal frame backpacks are often form fitting and hugging the person very closely, a ventilation is often required so that sweat can evaporate and not get stuck at the back of the hiker.