| The Best Backpack For Long Distance Hiking | Product Image | Rating | Get It Here! |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Gear Blaze 60L Backpack 2019 |  |  | Check Price |
| Osprey Atmos AG 65 Men's Backpacking Backpack |  | | Check Price |
| Osprey Xenith 105 Men's Backpacking Backpack |  | | Check Price |
Hiking gives you almost instant rewards if you’re trying to lose weight, relieve tension, or clear your head and get out into nature. Assuming you haven’t led a completely sedentary life, you can take a few easy steps and start hiking right away. Before you begin hiking, do you have the best backpack for long-distance hiking?
The Benefits Of Hiking
If you’re looking for a boost to get off the couch and on the trail, consider these reasons to start hiking.
Hiking Is Very Safe.
Is that ever! Although there is an increasing number of hiking-specific studies, studies of the advantages of walking are equally relevant to hiking. According to the American Hiking Society, hiking has a remarkable variety of health benefits with relatively few risks. By using hiking as a means of remaining physically active, you will potentially lose weight, reduce heart disease, reduce hypertension, and slow down the aging process. It also provides mental health benefits by reducing stress and anxiety.
Hiking Is Simple.
If you hike more often, you can begin to gain additional strength, skills, and comfort on the trail. But let’s face it, what kind of behavior is more inherently human than walking upright on two feet? The uniqueness of hiking is that, unlike land luge, it’s an extension of something that we all do naturally and every day. You’ll progress over time, but the initial learning curve is almost non-existent. It’s easy to keep up with hiking since the level of discomfort for beginners is low, and you can monitor the strength of your workout and find the speed that works for you.
Hiking Is Cheap.
Compared to just any other sport, your upfront hiking spending is small. Nice boots, a few pieces of the right clothes, a comfortable bag, and you’re pretty ready to go. Overall, it’s not a gearhead sport — and you don’t have to think about paying $275 for a tee time.
As you get more on hiking, you may decide to try a hiking vacation halfway around the world. But most of us have easy access to parks and nature trails, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money (or time) on a hike.
Hiking Is The Real Thing.
Many spend so much time on screens and indoors under fluorescent lamps. Or texting and watching TV (sometimes texting while watching TV). Hiking encourages you to get away from your desk and get back into nature.
It’s a chance to observe the world directly and without a filter, to rediscover the rhythms of the day and the seasons. Hiking is an unwritten activity where spontaneity is the law. Even a trail that has been hiked several times before can offer surprises that hold boredom in the bay.
You Can Go Hiking Forever.
Just as hiking is a perfect way to expose children to the natural environment, it’s also a sport that they will enjoy their whole lives. Oh, so can you.
Many events and sports have short lifespans for the participants, either due to accidents or logistical problems (when was the last time you brought 18 people together for a softball game at the last minute?). But since hiking is a low impact and you can predict and regulate your workout’s pace and length, it’s something you can keep doing long after your rugby days are done.
You can not get up the mountain as easily as you get older. Or cover 20 miles a day. Yet, in many ways, you’re going to be a great hiker. Your perception of the area will increase, and you will pick up more information and nuances along the trail.
Things To Consider When Buying The Best Backpack For Long Distance Hiking
It’s vital to have the right equipment for hiking or long camping trips, and one of the most important pieces of equipment has to be your backpack. After all, it’s what makes it possible for you to carry it all!
If you intend to spend six days in the mountains or go for a one-day walk in the forest, the main aspect of your packing should be your ability to bear weight comfortably on your back.
Because everyone wants to minimize the weight they carry, lightweight backpacks have become much more popular, especially as so much effort has gone into their designs to make them more comfortable, making them easier to wear when moving around.
Several considerations need to be considered when purchasing a new pack, such as weight, length, style, and these days it’s hard to find the right backpack because there’s such a huge variety.
But we’re here to help you with a few ideas on what to expect when you’re shopping for the best backpack for long-distance hiking.
1. Weight
A tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, and a backpack will be the four heaviest pieces of equipment you’ll have on your next hiking trip. That’s why it’s so important to have a light backpack so that you can and your total weight.
2. Price
The backpack will last for several years and hiking miles if you take good care of it, so it’s probably wise to invest in a high-quality backpack. The value doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to break the bank, you’re sure you can find luxury backpacks and pay a lot for them, but you can also browse around, wait for sales and check for good offers.
And if you pay ‘full price’ for a decent bundle, it’s a good investment if you have one between $200 and $500. It’s going to last you for years.
3. Inside Of The Frame
Because you want a smaller backpack, you should look like it has a less bulky frame, modern materials, and a nice design. Basic backpacks have easy frames and can accommodate a load of up to 35 lbs.
If you’re preparing to bear a heavier load, you can look for one with a stronger frame, and this will eventually increase your weight. When you start moving into big packs, they’ve got extra padding to keep them secure for big loads, and they’re usually made of stronger materials because of the extra stress and wear they receive.
4. Materials
Strong, lightweight backpacks are also made from two main types of materials. Cuben fiber is lighter but much more costly, and ripstop nylon, which is heavier but cheaper. You’re not going to go wrong with either option because the materials are very robust and practical, and there are some great lightweight packs made of them.
5. Volume
You know what size pack you need is always a hard decision unless you have something particular in mind, and you can pack all your stuff in to see if it’s the best size for you. If you have more practice, you will usually know what will work and what size is ideally suited to your needs.
About a pack of 40 liters would be fine for a couple of days, and a larger pack if you’re going to hike longer or if it’s winter and you’re bringing bulky gear. Be careful; you don’t want to buy a large bag because you tend to fill it, which can get cumbersome.
6. Plan
A backpack aims to hold your equipment in a convenient and not damaging manner to your body. If you have a particular need to have zippers, compartments, belts, and clips all over your bag, that’s great, that’s what you want, don’t have those stuff if you can avoid it, keep it easy and clean.
7. Comfort
It’s hard to know if the backpack you’re looking at suits you before you get a chance to load it with your gear. If you’re going to a store to take your gear with you or ask them to give you some so that you can try the pack loaded up, you must be comfortable wearing it.
Backpacks come in different capacities, and even with different back lengths, many of them are adjustable so that you buy the nearest size to your back length, and then you can fine-tune it. Also, make sure your hip belt is secure since much of the weight in your pack should be on your hips.
Most good outdoor stores will help you find the best pack to make sure it’s the right size for you, so it’s worth asking to get the pack fitted correctly if you have any doubts.
The Best Backpack For Long Distance Hiking
Each pack is special, and we’ve been able to decode all the complexities of these packs to simplify your research experience. Here is the best backpack for long-distance hiking!
Granite Gear Blaze 60
Thanks to its beautiful nature, the Granite Gear Blaze 60 is our study’s best overall backpacking kit. This pack somehow easily pulls off, supporting up to fifty pounds of weight but weighing just three pounds. We really liked the many features in this pack because of their practicality and usability. Stretchy mesh stuff-it pocket, large hip pockets, adjustable top lid, breathable back panel, long front access zipper, nine compression belts, this thing has it all. Ideal for both weight and weight capacity. Being such a light pack helps you keep your base weight low, but since it has such a sturdy suspension, it will allow you to easily carry a few extra luxury pieces, winter clothing, or extra food for longer sections of the trail.
Although this pack does many things right, it’s hard to satisfy everybody. Some of the buckles are thin, making it hard to use with gloves in exchange. It’s not a high-tech, innovative pack, but part of this pack’s appeal is its basic and functional nature. Granite Gear keeps things basic and keeps them light and solid by using the lightest and most robust materials possible.
Osprey Atmos 65 Ag
Osprey Atmos 65 AG is one of the best all-around backpacks due to its outstanding design and overall comfort. It’s filled with functionality, has incredible ventilation, and weights at a modest 4 lbs 8 oz. However, the most distinctive characteristic of this kit is its innovative anti-gravity (AG) suspension. This function helps distribute the pack’s load equally around the hips and shoulders. The pack feels light, and the polka-dotted, breathable foam shoulder straps are dreamy. For average trips with loads at or at 40 lbs, this is one of the most convenient packages in our study. Every pocket is of a good size and is in the right place. In addition, Atmos provides an excellent match with its efficient ergonomic-focused adjustment capabilities.
While this is a great pack, you should suggest a different model if you expect to carry loads of more than 45 pounds or more regularly. This pack does not handle heavy loads very well. Although the vast majority of users have a good experience with Amos 65 AG, some have found the waistbelt to be restricted and too hug-like, particularly when you’re trying to change layers around the waist.
Osprey Xenith 105
If you’re someone who also goes on prolonged technical outings or trips that require you to bring a lot of gear, the Osprey Xenith 105 will be the perfect pack for you. The Xenith is Ian Nicholson’s favorite pack for Denali expeditions, where he’s out for 22 days at a time in the arctic cold, pulling heavy loads. This pack has an outstanding combination of sturdy suspension, over-average padding, ergonomics, and a range of great features.
In particular, the disadvantages have to do with the inevitable realities of any pack of this size. Any pack of this size will be heavy, which was one of our study’s heaviest. In addition, when you’re searching for something in this bag, its enormous size makes it hard to find gear deep down if you haven’t thought to keep whatever you’re searching for easily available. This, too, will not be our advice to any new backpackers, as some may find it tempting to fill it up!
Best Backpack For Long Distance Hiking: Main Design Features
Here are the main design features of the best backpack for long-distance hiking that you should look out for.
– Compartment Maine
Most light backpacks have a top-loading compartment for storing most of your gear. That’s what you really need. Extra compartments and zippers add an excessive amount of weight and difficulty. Carry things that you won’t need until the camp (tent, sleeping bag/pad, stove) is at the bottom of your carry, and you’ll be set.
– Front Mesh / Stretch Pocket
Most light packs have a wide mesh or stretch material pocket on the front (the side facing the hikers behind you). This feature is handy on the trail. It’s perfect for gear that you want to carry fast or easily available, like a rain jacket or a water purifier. It’s nice to air out wet gear, too. A man in a red shirt bent down will get something out of his HMG Southwest 2400 backpack.
– Hip Belt
A good hip belt is a key feature of any backcountry bag. Your hip belt will bear much of the weight of your pack on your legs, which prevents your shoulders from getting sore. Hip belts should be secure and bear weight without slipping. Every pack on this list has a strong belt of hips.
– Shoulder Straps
The shoulder straps can also bear a large amount of your pack weight. You’re going to want them to have soft padding and be well spaced to prevent chafing and unusual pressure points. Each pack on this list has comfortable shoulder straps.
– Hip Belt Pockets
With a lightweight bag, you won’t have to take breaks just as much, so you’ll want to have some easy-to-access things like snacks, sunscreen, lip balm, a camera, etc. Most of the packs that we recommend are fitted with hip belt pockets, but if they don’t come standard, we recommend buying the hip belt pockets that suit your bag.
Final Words
Planning your first trek and wondering which pack is better suited for long-distance backpacking? Here are three lightweight backpacks built for this purpose, which, in our opinion, you really can’t go wrong. They have been around for years and have gained several favorable reviews and industry awards, and you’ll see a lot of them on long trails.
Lightweight backpacks are built for base weights of less than 15 lbs and can accommodate a maximum load of 25-40 pounds. This is ideal for 5-7 days of stretching between resupply stops. If you can’t fit your stuff into one of those lightweight bags, you’re probably packing too much.
