Your rucksack carries your home, your bed, your food, your clothing, your first-aid kits – everything that you need to thrive on your adventures. Why risk a cheaper, budget solution? A serious trekker needs a serious rucksack – not out of any luxurious desire, but out of necessity.
Because of its importance, it's worth taking time over your rucksack decision. You need to assess your needs and come to decision informed by an understanding of your adventure's climate, season, terrain, and trip duration.
Duration of your trip dictates the capacity of your pack. A standard weekend pack needs to be about 50-litres. Your longer trips, up to seven days, will require a 70-litre solution. We’ve brought together some of the best options from across this range, all from renowned and reliable brands.
All the packs have harnesses, breathable constructions, and adaptable comfort options. Why? Because these are necessities also. They will remove all the unnecessary strains and discomforts from your travels, letting you focus on what is important: the experience and the joy of trekking.
Worth considering a one day pack for example from reputable Canadian brand Arc’Teryx. While this won’t be suitable as your only solution for a weekends trekking, if you are setting up camp somewhere as a base from which to walk, a good day pack will be required to carry your supplies.
The best trekking backpacks
The headline for this backpack is the Active Spine Technology, which uses shoulder and hip contact points and a glass fibre rod to allow the bag to roll and flex with your natural walking movement, even with the heaviest loads - the result is unparalleled support and comfort. The main compartment is front access with two zips running the height of the pack to allow you access to all equipment quickly and easily. Internally and externally there are a number of pockets, loops and attachments offering up storage, organisation and accessibility solutions. These all have dual uses, depending on whether your application is trekking or mountaineering.
5.11 is a US brand specialising in military, tactical and survival equipment. The 1050D nylon is super tough and will last you years. As the name suggests, the RUSH has a 72-litre capacity – but thanks to its MOLLE capability, it is infinitely expandable. The bag's exterior is lined with nylon loops which accept additional pockets which are attached via straps. There is a plethora of pockets and pouches packs that can be purchased separately (like the 5.11 6x6 Pouch or Wynex Admin Pouch) allowing you to build a custom backpack that works for you.
This 75-litre pack is thoroughly designed. The suspension system works in tandem with a hip-belt and shoulder harness to evenly distribute weight, helping you to conquer any terrain. Thanks to the aluminium frame the bag weighs only 2.25kg. In addition to the main compartment, there are two organising pockets, two stretch-mesh pockets, and one sleeping bag store. The top lid has a pocket for a solar-panel charger (like the RAVPower Solar Charger). There are loads of easy-access features which'll be welcomed by any seasoned trekker, like the dual-pocketed hip-belt, a quick access rain cover, an easy-reach bottle holster, a quick stow sunglasses pocket and pole clips.
The Grand Tour will support you on yours. The pack's body is constructed from tough-yet-light tear-resistant RAPTOR ZERO fabric, and the base panel is given extra protection from abrasion with ultra-tough RAPTOR UTL fabric. The back panel, shoulder straps and hip belt and lined with CONTACT Mesh, which ventilates and wicks away moisture. Compression straps provide extra stability, while gear, hip-belt and buddy pockets offer extra storage options. A thoroughly lightweight (1.6kg!), reliable and versatile pack.
For backpackers, who spend just as much of their time walking through airports and train stations as they do mountain regions and forests, the ability to lighten the load with ease will come as a real gift. The Terrane Adapt is a backpack first and foremost. The 70-litre capacity is vast, and internal and external compression straps allow you to stabilise the load. The C3 Adapt harness evenly distributes the pack's weight, and external pockets provide ample organisation space.
It's the smallest backpack on the list, but it's made it for a reason. The Brize 25-litre daypack is an ideal hill-walking pack that can take over from your expedition pack on shorter excursions from base camp. It's front access, so two zips run the height of the pack allowing you to get at your stuff regardless of how the bag is packed. The pre-shaped build of the pack makes it very comfortable to wear for extended periods and there's a dedicated hydration pocket, and ice pick straps (though poles fit in just fine). It is simply a very good backpack.