How To Choose a Backpack or Rucksack

How to Choose a Backpack

A backpack is a wonderful thing—your ticket to the planet's most remote, off-the-grid wilderness treasures. The right backpack should fit your body, of course, but also your gear assortment and your personal approach to backpacking. This article is dedicated to helping you achieve a good match on all fronts.

Backpack Trends
Before we break down the basics of backpack or rucksack selection, here are a few notable trends you'll encounter when surveying current backpack choices.

Internal frames dominate: Body-hugging internal-frame designs have made traditional external-frame models nearly obsolete. The appeal of internal frames lies in their ability to keep loads stable and walkers balanced on unpredictable terrain. Their narrow profiles also allow arms to swing freely and minimize pack-snag when you're pushing through brush. External-frame packs, very good at transporting heavy loads on trails, still exist, but in small numbers.

Think in litres: Most backpacks (even daypacks) have a number embedded in their names—the Deuter ACt Lite 50+10, for example,  The number identifies the pack's carrying capacity (aka volume) in litres. Because they are brief and easy to recall, litres have supplanted cubic inches as the standard unit for gauging backpack capacity.

Lower weight: Weight-reduction—both in packs and the gear they carry—has been a game-changing trend in gear design. So consider your existing gear assortment when researching packs. Does your backpacking gear pre-date the engineering advances made in the "Lightweight Movement" of the late 1990s and 2000s? If so, the bulk of these older items can fill up modern backpacks pretty quickly. In that situation our advice is:

•Up size your litre count: If you're toting bulkier items from decades past, you'll likely need a pack with ample capacity.
•Revamp your gear: We know, we know—this tip may sound like a self-serving strategy from a cagey retailer just trying to sell you more stuff. But if you're a pretty serious backpacker, and one fondly attached to some vintage gear, consider assembling an alternative gear set-up built around lightweight gear. Most people who do are pleased with the results, particularly for weekend trips. We'll offer suggestions for doing so throughout this article.

Choosing the Right Backpack Size

Some questions to ask yourself:

Q: How many days is my typical backpacking trip?

A: In recent years we find the majority of backpackers opting for shorter trips—overnighters and weekenders.

Multi day Packs
These are generelly suitable for trips covering 2 to 4 days (and thus 1 to 3 nights of back country camping) in mild to moderate 3-season conditions. Packs ranging from 40 to 75 litres for men, and 40 to 65 for women, are appropriate for such trips; the right size depends on the gear needs (and gear-toting savvy) of each individual. The more days you're out, the more capacity you typically need.

Extended Trip Packs
These are for outings that last 5 days or more. Most people need a pack capacity of 65 litres or more for such trips, though savvy ultralight specialists can certainly go long distances with a smaller pack. An extended-trip pack is also usually the preferred choice for:

•Winter treks lasting more than 1 night.
•Adults taking young children backpacking (since mum and dad wind up carrying a lot of kids' gear to make the experience enjoyable for their young ones).
What if you take a wide range trips, from overnighters to extended trips? If you want to own just 1 pack, choose a larger model. This ensures that on most trips all your gear will fit inside the pack. It's a good practice to avoid attaching items on the exterior of a pack, reducing the chances that stray appendages on your load will get snagged on brush or a low-hanging limb. Lashed-on items potentially can negatively affect your balance.

Q: What time of year do I plan to backpack?

A: Summer? Stick with the guidelines outlined above.

If you explore in the chillier portions of spring and fall, or if you regularly spend extended time at high elevations (above 8,000 feet/2,434 meters), a larger-capacity backpack often comes in handy. Larger packs can more comfortably accommodate extra clothing, a warmer sleeping bag or a sturdier tent (which typically includes extra poles).

Winter camping, naturally, calls for a larger pack for the reasons just mentioned.

Q: How much room do I need for my typical gear assortment?

A: It depends. If you:

•Already own all your gear, choose a pack that can accommodate your existing assortment. If you can visit the Trailblazer Outdoors store, bring your sleeping bag, pad and tent with you to see how it all fits in various packs.
•Are gradually updating your gear collection, realize that it's no longer necessary to carry a cargo-jet-size pack. One benefit of gaining outdoor experience is know-how you acquire for choosing lighter, more space-efficient gear. You may replace a synthetic sleeping bag with a lighter down model, opt for a fleece vest rather than a full jacket, bring 5 energy bars instead of 7 sandwiches. Your slimmed-down load can fit into a light, more compact pack, and you'll travel lighter and feel better.
•Are building a backpacking system from scratch, aim for a lightweight or even an ultralight set-up. Choose gear that, as best you can determine, meets your comfort requirements while minimizing weight and bulk. Read further for guidance toward accomplishing that goal.

Q:What do I need to carry in order to remain safe and feel comfortable?

A: Start by eyeing our backpacking checklist.

Please realize that this checklist is intentionally extensive. Rare is the person who would carry every item on this list. A pack containing every item could weigh 50-plus pounds.

The goal of the checklist is to cover a wide assortment of items commonly carried by a variety of backpackers. You might not carry gaiters, for example, but other backpackers would not step out on a trail without them.

Below we offer some charts that show how much space some common backpacking items occupy inside a pack. We also apply 3 different gear philosophies—ultralight, lightweight and a kitchen-sink approach we call "deluxe"—to a trio of core backpacking items (tent, bag and sleeping pad).

These Trailblazer Outdoors-produced comparisons illustrate how your approach to gear choices can impact the bulk and weight inside your pack. Here's the mindset behind each methodology:

•Ultralight: Advanced gear for people willing to forego some conveniences in order to significantly minimize pack weight.
•Lightweight: The new mainstream—gear that offers a balance of features and spaciousness while incorporating weight-saving innovations.
•Deluxe: Gear that optimizes fit, convenience, spaciousness and comfort. The trade-off is more weight in your backpack.

Sample gear-toting approaches: 

Ultralight Gear	Packed Size (in.)	Lbs./Oz.	Litres Occupied*
Tent:	6.5 x 19	2/2	4.4
Bag:	7 x 10	1/7	3.7
Pad:	4 x 9	0/14	1.2
Total litres			9.3

 

 

Lightweight Gear	Packed Size (in.)	Lbs./Oz.	Litres Occupied*
Tent:	6 x 21	5/0	11.7
Bag:	9 x 20	2/11	13.1
Pad:	4.1 x 11	1/0	5.2
Total litres			30.0

 

 

Deluxe Gear	Packed Size (in.)	Lbs./Oz.	Litres Occupied*
Tent:	8 x 22	5/15	13.5
Bag:	11 x 17	2/15	15.1
Pad:	4.75 x 21.25	2/8	8.2
Total litres			36.8

 

 

Other Backpacking Gear	Packed Size (in.)	Lbs./Oz.	Litres Occupied*
Rain jacket:	6.5 x 4.5	0/13	1.5
Fleece top:	7 x 6	1/0.2	3.1
Water bottle:	7.87 x 3.62	0/6.2	1.2
Stove:	7.5x4.5x4.1	0/15.25	1.3
Cookset	6.4 x 5.9	1/4.7	2.5
First-aid kit:	7-1/4 x 5 x 2	1/4	1.3
Food canister:	12.7 x 8.7	2/9	11.8

 

* Exterior volume