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If you’re planning a family camping trip or a day’s hike with a group of friends, preparing your hiking pack is critical to ensure you have everything for your excursion. While it’s easy to bring a few essential items in a small backpack if you’re hiking for just a few hours, a longer trek requires careful planning. Quality hiking gear for your backpacking trip is a must to avoid hiking injuries or straining your back.
Preparing Your Hiking Backpack
One of the best ways to plan for your backpacking trip is to prepare a packing list of all the items you’ll need. A few hours on the trail doesn’t require an extensive list. You’ll likely need a water bottle, snacks, extra clothes or a rain jacket, and light gear to support your hike.
On the other hand, if your hiking trip lasts for days or weeks, it’s crucial to invest in a quality backpacking backpack. Certainly, one that provides the best bodyweight distribution, compartments, and support to safely load. Additinally, it will need and carry all your necessary items for hours comfortably.
When choosing a backpack for your hiking trip, it’s crucial to list all the items you’ll need to bring. More specifically, you need to determine the size, shape, and features required for your excursion. If you’re planning to set up camp outdoors, you’ll want to invest in a hiking pack that accommodates heavier items. Apparel and outdoor gear, including a tent pole, sleeping pad, rain gear, a tent, and a first aid kit.
Pack each item carefully so that there is no interference with your center of gravity. Any smaller items, such as water bottles, snacks, GPS equipment, and trekking poles, can be accessed easily from external pockets.
Packing Your Hiking Backpack: A Step-By-Step Guide
Once you have all the items you need for your trip, prepare your backpack by placing all the items on a level surface. Next, place the heavy gear in the pack first, closest to your back in the main compartment.
Items you need to access more frequently during your hiking trips, such as cooking gear, water, food, lip balm, and sunscreen, should be packed near your shoulders at the top of your backpack. You can keep these items in place with light clothing, plastic bags, and other lightweight items.
If you’re new to hiking and join a local group of experienced hikers, you can learn more about the outdoor gear you’ll need to bring based on the type of trip, terrain, and weather forecast.
Based on the excursion details, you may want to include various aids to maximize the benefits of your hiking pack. Items such as compression sacks, a hip belt, a packing cube, and other accessories to support your hiking gear.
Choosing the Best Hiking Backpack for Your Backpacking Trip
When you’re ready to plan for your first hiking trip, you’ll need a backpack that accommodates your journey. Whether it’s for several hours during the day or a multi-day adventure. We chose the best options for various types of hiking trips so that you can choose from our top picks for your next excursion.
Best Multi-Day Hiking Backpack
Deuter’s Aircontact Lite is a heavy-duty backpack ideal for multiple days on the trail. It has loops for trekking poles, and support for heavy items, which are essentials for an ultralight backpacking trip. As a result, you can carry it comfortably for hours at a time without strain. This exceptional hiking pack is available on Backcountry and Amazon and provides excellent features for your outdoor adventure.
Features include the following:
- This pack offers excellent ventilation with an internal foam chamber and breathable padding. These details mean there will be minimal moisture impacting the contents
- You can carry up to 60 liters of gear, which is ideal for multiple days in the backcountry
- Straps are easily adjustable, so you can accommodate heavier items and manage weight distribution for greater comfort
- There are side compression straps that help regulate volume so that you can make the most of this backpack’s space.
- You can add a hands-free hydration system and easy access to external pockets, mesh panels, internal compartments, and a detachable lip that offers additional space.
Are there any drawbacks to the Deuter Aircontact Lite backpack? While this backpack offers convenient access to items on the trail, there is no front access. It would be a great added design feature to stash snacks, GPS, and smartphones.
The hiking pack is available in one size only, and there is no rain cover included. However, you can purchase it separately.
The Best and Most Comfortable Backpack
If you’re a beginner hiker, the Arc’teryx Aerios 45 Pack is an excellent option for maximum comfort on the trail. It’s ideal for overnight hiking and multiple-day trips while providing lightweight support so you can easily carry it for hours.
Arc’teryx Bora offers specifically designed backpacks for men and women to accommodate weight distribution and ergonomic comfort. You can find this brand’s line of exceptional hiking backpacks and gear on REI Co-op’s website and on Amazon.
Here are a few reasons why we chose this hiking pack as a top option for comfort:
- There is lots of room to pack hiking gear, including a maximum of 45 liters capacity.
- You’ll have a bungee cord compression system to add extra gear as needed. Such as a sleeping bag, hiking boots, and camping gear.
- Larger, lighter items are easy to store in the top of the main compartment, so you can evenly distribute weight for the more outstanding balance
- There are removable sternum straps to help support and stabilize the weight of your backpack
- You’ll benefit from a shoulder strap harness, which includes soft flasks for water and two pockets with zippers.
While there are no drawbacks to this product, Arc’teryx tends to be more expensive than other brands. Though a worthwhile investment if you’re dedicated to hiking long distances and for multiple-day excursions.
Best Durable Backpack for Rugged Terrain
If your hiking adventures include rugged, mountainous regions and changing terrain, then you’ll want a backpack that can withstand unpredictable weather along the trail.
Granite Gear Blaze’s 60-liter backpack is our top choice for durability. This pack offers a heavy-duty nylon lining, sturdy shoulder straps, a removable sternum strap, and the capacity to handle heavy loads.
There are plenty of great reasons to consider this heavy-duty hiking pack, which is available on Amazon and Backcountry, including:
- You’ll have a maximum capacity of 60 liters, an excellent for hiking trips that last for several days or one week.
- Easily store smaller items that are quick to retrieve in belt-hip pockets. As a result, you don’t have to open the main compartment of your hiking pack.
- It’s compatible with hydration port systems so that you can hydrate effortlessly on the trail.
- All materials are water-resistant and durable, with a nylon lining and zipper closures. Also, it includes a removable lid that can be carried like a chest pack.
Are there any disadvantages to this durable hiking backpack? Granite Gear Blaze’s 60-liter pack doesn’t offer sufficient ventilation, so moisture build-up is a risk over time.
Best Lightweight Backpack
Whether you travel for one or multiple days, a lightweight backpack is essential for comfort and endurance on the trail. The Osprey Levity 60 Ultraweight backpack is available on the company’s website and REI Co-op and accommodates daily trekking with everything you need on your hike.
Features including:
- Excellent ventilation and comfort to manage loads for hikers who prefer to travel light
- You can attach extra gear to the backpack with cord loop attachments and a top lid, which are included.
- Side pockets offer easy access to water, snacks, and small equipment secured with zippers.
- A front pocket accommodates rain gear for changing weather conditions on the trail.
We noticed the only drawback with this backpack was the smaller capacity. The result it that you only can carry up to 30 pounds of carrying weight. Ideally, this product is great for backpackers who don’t need much gear and prefer to travel light.
Best Hiking Backpack for Easy Access
If one of your top priorities is easy access to your water bottle, smartphone, or snacks while hiking, we recommend the Mystery Ranch Glacier hiking pack. This rugged, durable backpack makes it easy to pack and find everything you need on the go while providing long-lasting quality for multiple trips into the wilderness.
You can find this incredible backpacking pack on Amazon and Backcountry’s website, available in bold, visible colors. We find this product to be an excellent option for the following reasons:
- It’s made of nylon and highly durable so that you can take it on numerous hiking trips and various terrain.
- There is a lot of capacity, up to 71 liters, so you can accommodate longer trips that last for a week.
- The top-loading compartment offers easy access to smaller items you may frequently need on foot to organize these essentials for greater convenience.
- You’ll find lots of great features included in this pack, such as a waist belt that molds to fit, excellent weight distribution, and it’s easy to carry
While this backpack is an excellent investment for serious backpacking enthusiasts, it’s also heavy, which may be challenging for some people, especially beginners. For this reason, it’s an excellent option to consider once you can safely carry a smaller backpack capacity.
Overall, the Mystery Ranch Glacier hiking pack gives hikers the best comfort possible for a heavier load, though it may take time to adapt to its size and shape.
Summary
Generally, packing a backpack requires planning, creativity, and choosing the right option for your hiking adventure. While day trips don’t require much capacity or space for camping and heavy-duty hiking gear, you’ll need to consider everything you need for a multiple-day trek or a week in the wilderness with family and friends.
With some practice and planning, you’ll find the process gets more accessible. Additionally, it will be more rewarding when you set off to enjoy your first expedition in the backcountry.
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Last update on 2022-12-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API