What’s the Best Hiking Backpack?

At around 30 litres, a medium hiking backpack offers more space than a smaller hydration backpack, but isn’t necessarily designed for more than one-night stays. That said, the right medium backpack (or “day pack”) is probably the most versatile hiking bag you’ll find — a perfect example being Osprey’s Hikelite, recommended by two of our experts. “It’s been my go-to backpack for almost three years now, and I’ve used it for everything from overnight woodland camping trips through to big mountain summits in Scotland,” says Camping With Style’s Shell Robshaw-Bryan. “It’s the ideal size for day hikes and is big enough for extra layers, lunch, maps, and much more.”

Another keen user of the Hikelite is Dwayne Fields, explorer, naturalist, and co-founder of the WeTwo Foundation. Fields used the bag on a fundraising expedition where he walked the length of mainland Britain, a journey of over 1,300 kilometres “in almost every imaginable weather condition.” “Although this bag is designed as a day pack, I found it very useful,” Fields says. “On cold, wet days, the large, elasticated side pockets meant I could securely store my snacks and drinks and still have easy access to them without removing my gloves.”

Fields also praises the single-clip lid, allowing easy access to dry clothes or waterproofs without other items falling out, as well as the mesh-back system which allowed sufficient airflow during days covering over 30 kilometres on foot. “Out of all of my backpacks I would say this one gets the most use, due to its convenient size,” he says. While Robshaw-Bryan opts for the 26-litre option, Fields recommends the 32-litre Hikelite “to anyone going on a slightly longer walk and needing to take more gear.”

Mini and small hiking backpacks are best suited to short trips out, for extreme sports, or for times when all you need is to store minimal kit and benefit from built-in hydration. The eight-litre Thule Uptake, for example, is built for cycling — but with a hands-free hose and a cooling foam-back harness, it’s useful elsewhere too. “It’s my go-to pack for mountain sports,” says Robshaw-Bryan, who takes the pack snowboarding. “The smaller size means it doesn’t interfere with using chairlifts, but there’s plenty of space in there for all of your vitals — plus it’s cleverly designed to make it easy to hydrate on the go.”

If you’re looking for something slightly bigger, inov-8’s Adventure Lite pack has almost double the space without too much of an increase in size. “It’s perfect for moving fast and light in the mountains,” says adventurer, hiker, and author James Forrest, who praises the pack’s “ultralight” and “comfy” feel. “There’s just enough space for my gear, snacks, drinks, and waterproofs, and the large stretchy mesh pocket is really handy. It’s my go-to pack or adventurous day hikes.”

While the Ariel is specifically designed for women, Osprey does offer a dedicated men’s equivalent in the Aether. However, if you’re looking for a more tried-and-tested men’s pack, Berghaus’s Ridgeway model gets two glowing recommendations from adventure athletes the Turner Twins. “It’s the perfect pack for longer hikes, campaign trips, and expeditions,” says Hugo Turner, who relied on the pack when he and brother Ross climbed Russia’s 5,642-meter Mount Elbrus. “It’s got super-supportive adjustable back padding, multiple pockets, side mesh for quick-stashing and useful hip pockets for endless snacking.”

For extreme expeditions where tougher kit is needed, seasoned adventurer Will Copestake has long been using the Crux AK70. “There are absolutely zero bells and whistles — it’s a Kevlar sack with external tie-down straps and a zippered floating hood,” he says. “That said, it’s lightweight, unbelievably comfortable despite zero padding, and, frankly, invincible.” With the AK70 in tow, Copestake has climbed all 282 Munro mountains and all 222 Corbett mountains, and weathered four Patagonian seasons.

“It’s been thrown 400 meters off a cliff, stuffed with snow for tent anchors, crammed in a salt kayak, and dragged up just about everything I’ve dragged myself up,” Copestake says. “It will fit up to six days of food and kit no bother, a week if packing extra under the floating hood.” And while it doesn’t come cheap, the AK70 benefits from a level of durability that makes it well worth the cost. “I bought it as a student in 2012, and it’s still going,” Copestake says. “If I could own one pack for the rest of my life it would be this — and probably will be.”

At a lower price point, Ness Knight trusts the “very affordable” and “extremely durable” Aquapac Heavyweight to keep her belongings dry in waterlogged conditions. “I’ve used Aquapac for nearly a decade now, and always come back to them for outfitting my water-based adventures,” she says. “These backpacks have been submersed more times than I can count, seen me through near-hypothermia on the river while tornadoes touched down all around me in a wild electrical storm, and stood up to many short ocean explorations along the raw and remote Scottish coastlines, battered by salt water and tempestuous weather.” If that isn’t enough to prove its durability, Knight also wore the Heavyweight as she stand-up-paddleboarded over 1,000 miles down the Missouri River, then cycled 2,000 miles across the USA.

When taking a backpack out on an expedition, space is just as important as durability — especially in a day pack. For Holly Budge, the most spacious medium hiking backpack on offer is another Osprey product, the Tempest. “I love this pack because it’s versatile and compact, but it’s like Doctor Who’s TARDIS inside,” she says. “It fits a large amount of stuff in it and all the different compartments make equipment easy to access wherever you are.” Budge used the pack while day- and night-patrolling with an all-female wildlife ranger team in Africa. “It got put through its paces with sweltering heat, dust storms, and spiky undergrowth, but it’s still going strong,” she says.

For an equally spacious backpack on the larger end of the spectrum, James Forrest swears by Gossamer Gear’s Mariposa model. “The weight-to-space ratio is incredible,” he says. “A 60-litre capacity for 814g is perhaps unbeatable.” Forrest used the pack on a 14-day expedition up all 214 of the Wainwright mountains in the Lake District, where he benefited from its “highly customisable” elements and supportive frame. “It’s an all-round gear-hauling workhorse,” he says. “For multiday trips when carrying camping kit and food, it’s a reliable choice.”

If you’re hoping to hike with a baby or toddler in tow, the right backpack is everything. For Mary-Ann Ochota, adventurer, archaeologist, and author of Secret Britain, that perfect pack is another from Osprey — the aptly named Poco. “It isn’t a cheap piece of kit, but it’s an astonishingly well-designed one,” she says. “You can get your littlest one out on the trails from around seven months until they’re some 18kg, and it’s got space for all your — or their — stuff, too.” Ochota utilised the pack during a five-day expedition along the St. Cuthbert’s Way on the Anglo-Scottish borders with her mum and her 9-month-old son, Cole. “On our final day we walked across the sands to Lindisfarne Island following the pilgrim route, and it was magical,” she says. “Three generations, one big adventure!”

“Often for my trips I need a bag that is both versatile and suitable for carrying lots of filming gear,” says Lizzie Daly. Her go-to is the ProTactic BP, a “small, compact” bag which she says is perfect for travelling internationally but also for taking on hikes when in the field. “It fits a surprising amount of kit in, and it has additional pockets for my camera batteries, binoculars, and even room for nature guides in the lid,” she says. Will Copestake is another Lowepro fan, describing its bags as “great, tough, and well-designed.”