What Are the Criteria for Choosing the Best Trekking Backpack?

by Tarun Sharma Web Blogger

The choice of the best trekking backpack must be made according to your needs and the type of excursion you plan to do. For example, if the backpack is purchased for a simple hiking route, such as a walk on a hilly path, you can opt for a compact backpack.

The situation is different if you have to face a more arduous path, along trekking routes for expert hikers. In this case the advice is to buy a backpack that has a more tapered shape, perhaps that develops vertically.

A choice of this type is useful to prevent the body from becoming unbalanced during the journey. By now all manufacturers of hiking backpacks are putting on the market trekking backpack items for men and women.

This type of strategy also includes the need to marry the physical characteristics of the person wearing the backpack.

The Trekking Backpack Suitable for Your Needs

Often then those who approach trekking do not know which backpack is best suited to their needs. The choice is dictated by aesthetic factors or by lack of knowledge of the technical functions.

It may happen that you buy a backpack and load it with many useless items that will only make the journey more uncomfortable.

The choice of the weight of the backpack is also important when buying it: usually it must be around 20% of the weight of the person who will wear it.

The volume of the backpack must be considered: it is not measured in kilos but in liters. If the article is used to carry the essentials for an undemanding trip, perhaps an excursion of an hour or two, a backpack with a volume of around 10 liters will suffice.

If, on the other hand, the goal is a multi-day excursion, with various overnight stops in tents or shelters, you can get backpacks with a volume of 100 liters.

The weight of the backpack depends on the material used to build it and a series of elements such as the padding of the ventral band and shoulder straps, the characteristics of the bottom, the straps, the backpack cover, the pockets and the hooks.

The best trekking bags in India are those with few external accessories. The simpler it is, the smoother the excursion will be.

Trekking backpacks can basically be divided into two categories:

1) Trekking backpack for easy or medium difficulty excursion:

volume of 25/50 liters; it has a weight ranging from 1,200 to 1700 grams; in addition to carrying everything you need for a day trip; it must also contain what is needed for the children participating in the excursion.

The back usually consists of a single piece, with a curvature such as to leave a space between the backpack and the body; in this way it allows ventilation and prevents sweat from stagnating on the lumbar area.

2) Trekking backpack for a multi-day experience:

It is ideal for overnight stays in shelters or tents. Its volume is around 50 liters and the weight is about 2,000 / 2,500 grams. It also has zones that cushion the weight on the body so as not to affect the back too much.

The backrest and the saddlebag

These two elements must be combined so that the weight of the load is distributed evenly.

If the saddlebag and the backrest are not up to their function, the whole structure of the backpack will suffer and consequently the trekking will be more tiring.

The shoulder straps of the backpack must be ergonomic and equipped with padding, so as not to be painful to carry the load during the excursion.

The ventral band must also be padded and the two elements must be shaped according to each other. Obviously, the padding will be breathable to avoid sweat stagnation.

It should be added that the shoulder straps, in addition to being padded, must be adjustable and adhere to the collarbones correctly.

The chest strap helps with the work of the shoulder straps so that they do not slip outwards.

Why the back of the trekking backpack is important?

The back of the trekking backpack is important and must have certain characteristics. The back is an element that is placed between the back and the backpack. It is usually produced with breathable materials. Physical exertion causes the hiker to sweat.

The sweat that stagnates on the back can cause discomfort in the following days especially if the damp back has been exposed to cold temperatures.

For this the back material must be constructed of hyper-breathable material. It must also have been designed with a closed cell: it is a technical definition and means that it prevents the backpack from absorbing moisture and sweat.

The need for transpiration is primary; for this reason, the padding of the backpack is not always a positive element. The back must allow the passage of air.

It is one of the reasons why some backpacks on the market are equipped with a mesh that separates the backpack from the back while allowing the sweat to perspire so that it does not accumulate.

The backrest should also be adjustable, to adapt it to the hiker's height. Most of the backpacks on the market adapt to the physical characteristics of the person.

For volume over 40 liters

In the event that you purchase a trekking backpack with a volume greater than 40 liters you should make sure that the item is equipped with recall straps. These are two adjustable buckles that are located between the shoulder straps and the bottom.

By adjusting the length of the straps, you can intervene on the pressure that the load exerts on the shoulders. For less bulky backpacks, those of about 30 liters in volume, a good practice is to check that the ventral band is present and that it is adjustable.

It will thus be possible to unload the weight of the backpack on the legs rather than on the back, so that the load does not create problems during the excursion.

Modular trekking backpack

Another kind of trekking backpack is the modular one. They are large items, designed for multi-day excursions. They consist of two parts: the central one, which has an internal volume of over 70 liters. The removable module, on the other hand, can turn into a backpack of about 10 liters in volume.

Obviously, these are not very practical backpacks because they are gigantic; however, they allow you to detach the module and, in the case of a stop in a tent or a refuge, to carry out reconnaissance for several hours without the need to wear the backpack in its entirety.

Apart from the usefulness of the modular backpack, in cases of need for reconnaissance, the compactness and simplicity of the backpack are the two characteristics that must affect the choice at the time of purchase. In general, it is good to avoid having too many elements dangling along the way.

Everything you need should be kept inside, except for the pockets that hold the water bottle, a map and other tools that need to be close at hand. Also, in this case the tern pockets should not be too many because they risk creating an imbalance. Concealed ones are preferable.

On the other hand, it is important to pay attention to the bag cover of the trekking backpack. At the time of purchase, it must be ensured that it is waterproof.

Another element to pay attention to is that the backpack is equipped with an extension, so that it is possible to increase the internal volume as needed.

And finally, we must pay attention to the quality of the materials with which it was built. So, it is good to check every part: the padding of the shoulder straps, the hinges, the frame, the hooks and above all that the seams are strong, especially in the area of attachment of the shoulder straps.