Choosing A Backpack - Usage
What you'll be using the backpack for helps make the right choice
When it comes to making a choice in what kind of backpack to buy, the options are varied and personal. Knowing what you'll be using it for will make it easier to choose.
Like most decisions about choosing outdoor gear, finding the right backpack depends on what you intend to use it for. Just as you wouldn't take a family-sized tent on a solo backpacking trip, or wear sandals while hiking through the snow, there are decisions to be made about choosing a backpack that's right for your planned activity. If you're like most backpackers, you'll find yourself eventually owning different backpacks to use for different purposes.
This article begins the series "Choosing A Backpack", with general guidelines for beginner backpackers and others about how to pick the right backpack. The series articles will also include:
- Choosing A Backpack - Personal Fit
- Choosing A Backpack - Climate Concerns
Usage - If you're planning to hike short distances during a day, starting at a fixed point or base camp and returning, then a daypack will meet most needs. Small, lightweight, sturdy and able to hold the items you'll need throughout the hike, daypacks are excellent choices for beginners trying to get a feel for the activity and those who enjoy short hikes that comprise a few hours. If you're planning overnight or thru hikes, your choices increase exponentially and some come down to personal preference.
Size will be an important consideration as you decide how much gear you'll be taking. A medium sized (3,000-5,000 cubic inches) pack will suffice for overnight or multi-day hikes, while a large sized (5,000 cubic inches and over) pack will be called for if you're planning a hike of more than a week or a thru-hike that may last months. Gather all the equipment and supplies you plan to take in one spot. Will it all fit? Approximately how much does it weigh? Remember, you have to carry all that weight, so make sure you get a large enough backpack to comfortably do so. Just be sure not to choose a backpack bigger than your needs, or you'll just be carrying extra, unneeded weight and will find it almost impossible to properly distribute the weight of the gear you'll be carrying in the pack because it will be loose.
While we're on the subject of size, medium and large backpacks will have either external or internal frames. If you hiking over easy terrain, external frame backpacks work very well, don't lie against your body which makes them cooler if you're in hot or humid weather, make it easier to carry heavy loads and are good choices for beginners. Internal frame backpacks are designed to carry the weight on your hips, easing the burden on your back and shoulders, and because their design causes them to hug your body, they provide the best option in balance and freedom of movement, which is extremely helpful if you're on rough trails or climbing.
Choosing the right backpack can be a challenge, but knowing how you'll be using it can help you to meet that challenge.
Next to come in the Choosing A Backpack series: Personal Fit.
