Hiking Backpacks

A hiking backpack should carry the things you need without becoming the thing you notice all day.

That is really the test.

Once the bag is loaded, the weight should sit close to your body, the shoulder straps should not dig in and you should be able to reach the things you use regularly without unpacking half your kit.

Our hiking backpacks sit within the wider Backpacks collection, but this category is specifically about packs that work when you are actually walking for hours rather than just carrying a laptop across town.

Start with what you carry

It is tempting to start with litres.

We would start with your normal kit.

For a day hike that might be water, food, a shell, an extra layer, sunglasses, sunscreen and a few small essentials.

In summer that can fit into a surprisingly small pack.

Add cold-weather clothing, camera gear or food for a long day and suddenly you need more room.

The useful question is not “how big a backpack can I get?”

It is “what is the smallest pack that carries everything comfortably?”

Too much empty space usually just encourages you to bring more stuff.

What size hiking backpack do you need?

As a rough guide, somewhere around 15–25 litres works well for many straightforward day hikes.

Move towards 25–35 litres and you get more room for winter layers, longer days, extra water or more technical equipment.

Once you start carrying overnight gear, the conversation changes again.

Those numbers are only a starting point.

Two 25-litre packs can feel completely different depending on their shape, opening and how efficiently the space is used.

A pack with good external pockets can also feel much more useful than a larger bag where everything disappears into one compartment.

Fit matters once there is weight in it

An empty backpack can make almost any carry system feel comfortable.

Put eight kilos inside and things get more interesting.

The shoulder straps should follow your body without cutting into your neck. The back length should make sense for your torso and, on larger packs, the hip belt should actually sit on your hips rather than somewhere around your stomach.

A proper hip belt is not decoration.

Once you are carrying more weight, it lets your hips take a meaningful part of the load instead of hanging everything from your shoulders.

For a tiny daypack, that may not matter much.

For a full pack on a long day, it matters a lot.

Do you need a ventilated back panel?

Depends.

A suspended or heavily ventilated back panel creates more airflow and can be very comfortable in warm weather.

The trade-off is that it can move the load slightly further away from your body.

A simpler back panel often sits closer and feels more stable when the trail gets steeper or more technical.

Neither system is automatically better.

If most of your hiking is on normal trails in warm weather, ventilation can be brilliant.

If stability and a close carry matter more, we often prefer a simpler construction.

Hip belts and sternum straps

On smaller packs, these can look more important than they really are.

A sternum strap is useful because it keeps the shoulder straps positioned properly and can make the pack feel more stable.

A hip belt starts making a real difference when the load gets heavier.

The key is that both should actually fit you.

A huge padded hip belt on a lightly loaded 18-litre pack is unnecessary. A thin webbing strap on a heavily loaded 35-litre pack may not give much support.

Again, match the feature to the job.

Access matters on the trail

We like simple backpacks, but hiking does require a few things to stay easy to reach.

Water is the obvious one.

Side pockets that you can use without taking the pack off are genuinely useful.

The same goes for a quick-access pocket for snacks, gloves, sunglasses or sunscreen.

A jacket is another thing you regularly take in and out.

That is why stretch front pockets or an easy main opening can be more useful than complicated internal organisation.

The things you need once a day can live at the bottom.

The things you need every hour should not.

Is a hiking backpack waterproof?

Usually not completely.

Many hiking packs use water-resistant fabrics and coatings that handle showers perfectly well, but seams and zippers can still let water through during prolonged rain.

If the forecast looks rough, we would protect anything important inside the bag.

A pack liner or dry bag is extremely reliable. A rain cover can also work well, although wind is not always its friend.

The backpack itself does not have to be completely waterproof if the system keeps your sleeping layer, electronics and other important gear dry.

Pair it with one of our Rainproof Jackets and you have the same idea for the rest of your kit: protection where you actually need it.

Hiking packs for day trips

Most people do not need an expedition pack.

For day hikes, we like packs that remain fairly light, carry close to the body and have just enough structure to stay comfortable when loaded.

Something around the 20-litre mark can cover a lot of normal days outside.

You have room for food, water and weather layers without carrying a large pack through every kilometre.

That also makes these bags much easier to use for travel or everyday life.

We like equipment that does more than one thing well.

Longer days need a little more structure

The further you walk, the more small comfort issues start to matter.

A shoulder strap that is slightly annoying after twenty minutes can be properly irritating after six hours.

More food and water also means more weight.

For longer days we pay more attention to the harness, hip belt, load stability and whether the pack still moves naturally with you.

This is where a purpose-built hiking backpack starts separating itself from a normal everyday backpack.

Don't forget the rest of the setup

The pack gets a lot of attention, but your feet will normally decide whether the day was enjoyable.

Choose your Hiking Shoes with the same care.

Then pack clothing around the weather rather than around every possible scenario.

A shell, a useful insulating layer, water and a small number of essentials will cover a surprising amount.

Our Hiking & Outdoor Gear collection brings the rest together.

Hiking Backpacks at Behind The Pines

We like hiking backpacks that carry properly and stay uncomplicated.

A comfortable harness, enough room for the day and pockets where you actually need them usually matter more than an enormous feature list.

Shop hiking backpacks online or visit Behind The Pines in Amsterdam to compare size, fit and carrying systems in person.