2. Ortlieb Atrack 35

Selected as our choice for best waterproof backpack

Price: £220
Weight: 1560g
Best for: Hiking in wet weather, canoe/kayak adventures
Key attributes: waterproof, durable

The Ortlieb Atrack 35 is a fully waterproof backpack ideally suited towards activities where you’re planning on taking a soaking, whether that be in rivers, lakes, oceans or just on hilltops. This is a pack that trekkers, bikepackers, ski-tourers, kayakers and packrafters can all genuinely rally behind.

A long waterproof zip is located on the back of the pack opens the bag up like a duffel bag, allowing you to get a look inside before picking out what’s needed. Internally, there are four zippered pockets on the Atrack while on the outside there are two net pockets perfectly suited for water bottle storage.

The adjustable back panel is simple, but effective, and means that no matter your height you’ll be able to create a setup that feels compatible.

During our tests, the durability of this thing really stood out – it feels extremely hardwearing. The carry comfort was good and the pack provided its promised wet weather performance. It’s a little fiddly in places and the main zip is quite stiff due to its waterproof design, but generally this is a pack that’s innovative and that comes across as being very well made and built for the outdoors.

Full Specifications

Tear resistant nylon fabric / 4 zippered inside pockets / adjustable back panel / ergonomic shoulder straps / two outside net pockets / daisy chains on the front / 4 compression belts

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – Here’s our full Ortlieb ATrack ST review

Buy the Ortlieb Atrack 35: £190 at Alpine-trek.co.uk 

The whole pack is cut from a toughened 210 denier Cordura fabric to help it resist any abrasion, while the lid has an integrated ‘Weather Vault’ to provide waterproof storage. Further water resistant protection comes from a DWR treatment that covers the whole pack.

It’s a premium pack and a premium cost but, from our experience, it’s extremely well made and built to withstand testing environments. If you want something that can help you to manage very heavy loads then this is worth considering if you have the budget.

Full Specifications

210 denier Cordura fabric / 65L capacity / ‘RotoGlide’ hipbelt / ‘Tegris’ (shatter-proof and recyclable) internal frame and aluminium stays / two access points for lid: drawcord under lid or via waterproof side zip / large ‘Kangaroo Pocket’ at front / stretchy mesh stash pockets on hipbelt / open side pockets / hydration bladder compatible / integrated ‘Weather Vault’ storage on lid / DWR water treatment.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2022/23. Read our full Arc’teryx Bora 65 review.

Buy the Arc’teryx Bora 65: £280 at Alpine-trek.co.uk

4. Highlander Ben Nevis 52

This is our pick as the best value backpack you can buy this year.

Price: £125
Weight: 1.46kg
Best for: multi-day backpacking, weekend wild camping
Key attributes: good value, durable fabrics, good warranty

Following our tests, we think this is well worthy of our pick as the best value backpack you can buy this year.

OK, £120 still isn’t cheap, but we think it’s pretty good value considering what you get from this. It’s a backpack that has a suspended back system that creates loads of airflow. There’s a sliding back panel too, so you can really refine the fit – and quickly and easily. It has large hipbelt pockets, stretchy mesh pockets and all the same details that other much more expensive packs have. 

The main material is a nylon with a 200D rating. We found this to be durable and  able to withstand the usual levels of abrasion a heavily loaded backpack will tend to face. Fortunately, if there happens to be a defect that causes the pack to break, you’re covered by a 282 year guarantee. That’s a year for every Munro in Scotland. 

Full Specifications

Available in men’s and women’s versions / also available in a 65L capacity / sliding back panel length adjustment / stretch mesh pockets / hydration bladder / side access / suspended back system.

Selected for our Outdoor 100 product guide. Read our full Highlander Ben Nevis 52 review.

Buy the Highlander Ben Nevis 52: £125 at highlander-outdoor.com 

5. Bach Molecule 45

Selected as the best ultralight backpack following our tests

Price: £190
Weight: 1190g
Best for: lightweight backpacking
Key attributes: volume variation, light but durable fabrics, use of recycled materials

If you’re looking for a pack that’s lightweight but still well-padded and capable of keeping you comfortable even when you’re bearing heavy loads then we’d recommend considering this pack from Swiss brand Bach. 

It’s made from an incredibly light but still very tough fabric and has lots of nice details, including stretchy mesh pockets on the sides, hipbelt and on the harness. We found that the rolltop and adjustment straps make this hugely versatile in terms of capacity. In fact, we’d say this can be used as a daypack as well as for multi-day missions. 

Another aspect that we liked is the fact it packs down totally flat. This means it doesn’t take up much space when you’ve got it stored away and you can also fit it into the bottom of a suitcase or duffel when you’re travelling. 

Full Specifications

Unisex / available in short, regular and long back lengths / back panel is fixed / three colourways / 30-litre version also available / 100% recycled Nylon ripstop fabric / non-waterproof / padded back panels / removable elements.

Selected for our Outdoor 100 product guide. Read our full Bach Molecule 45 review.

Buy the Bach Molecule 45: £163 at alpinetrek.co.uk 

6. Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60

The best multi-use backpack

Price: £180
Weight: 1.23kg
Best for: Backpacking and wild camping
Key attributes: expanding volume, lightweight, good carry comfort, lots of pockets

The Flex Capacitor is a lightweight backpacking rucksack with a genuine USP: a clever expanding gusset that allows the pack to expand in volume by up to 20 litres, simply with the tweaking of a few straps. You see, while most backpacks use top-loading designs, this one expands outwards, providing useful additional capacity in its main compartment without affecting load-carrying stability or comfort.

For any backpacker who’s ever needed to overstuff a pack in order to take on extra food, water or other supplies, this thing is a genuine game changer.

During our tests, we discovered that the Flex Capacitor does a lot of other things well too. First of all, it felt comfortable to wear, even when it was heavily loaded, and we loved all of the handy details, including the stretchy pockets on the sides and across the harness which give loads of extra space for snacks, maps, GPS devices and also extra layers. The durability was noteworthy too.

This thing’s made from a 100D nylon honeycomb fabric combined with an even tougher 420D fabric at the base, making it well capable of shrugging off sharp branches and any rough rock.There isn’t a base zip or side zip to help you access things buried in the pack, but the opening at the top is nice and wide, so you can see right into it and pull out your kit easily. 

We found that the main downside to this pack is that it isn’t waterproof and doesn’t come with a waterproof cover, so you’ll need to carry everything in drybags if you’re heading out into conditions that could be wet. 

Full Specifications

Capacity: 40-60L / available in two sizes: S/M and M/L / hydration sleeve doubles as a removable small bag / 2 stretch mesh side pockets / zipped pockets on hipbelt / trekking pole loops / 100D and 420D fabrics.Selected for the Outdoor 100 2023/24.

Read our full Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60L review.

Buy the Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60: £160 at Amazon.co.uk 

Best of the Rest

7. Osprey Talon 55

Price: £200
Weight: 1442g
Best for: backpacking, travel
Key attributes: packs flat, excellent load bearing and balance, recycled fabrics

What we like most about this pack is its body-hugging fit. It stays very close to your back, keeping the weight of your load centred to make you feel very stable. Fortunately, we found that there’s no trade-off with ventilation either as we found this to be breathable and comfortable with no noticeable problems with sweat build up.

There are packs of all shapes and sizes in the Talon and Tempest range from Osprey. This, the Talon 55, is the best for multi-day hikes (the nearest women’s equivalent would be the Tempest 50). It’s not the lightest of packs but it’s not heavy either, which is actually quite surprising given the durability of the fabric and also all the nifty features and details. The Talon 55 has three-points of access to the main compartment, big stretchy mesh pockets which can swallow a heck of a lot, trekking pole attachment points and a bladder sleeve. The only thing we think it’s lacking is a waterproof cover. Apart from that it’s a very useful, functional and comfortable pack that feels built to last.

If you’re wondering how the Talon differs from the Osprey Kestrel, which we’ve also included here, it’s a bit lighter and also versatile enough for fastpacking and even cycling. The Kestrel, on the other hand, is very much hiking-specific. 

Key Specifications

Available in a women’s version called the Tempest 50 / bluesign approved recycled fabrics / top, side and bottom entry / foam back panel / packs down flat / sliding back panel / available in S/M and L/XL sizes. 

Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Osprey Talon 55 review.

Buy the Osprey Talon 55: £200 at osprey.com 

8. Lowe Alpine Cholatse 42:47

Price: £140
Weight: 1.77kg
Key attributes: Excellent carry comfort, feature-packed
Best for: Summer wild camps, hut-to-hut trekking, winter day hikes

Lowe Alpine’s Cholatse 42:27 is a tough old bag. With its high denier ripstop nylon throughout, you don’t need to worry about it ripping on a stray branch, that’s for sure.

What we really love about it, however, is its versatility. It’s the kind of pack that’s ideal for weekend wild camps or hut-to-hut treks, but then it’ll also serve well as a day pack – whether that’s in winter or summer.

During our tests with this in Snowdonia, we found the carry system to be very comfortable and capable of balancing out heavy loads, keeping the weight distributed between your hips and shoulders well. It involves a thermo-moulded back pad, slightly raised mesh, soft foams across the hipbelt and shoulders and a supportive PU sponge lumbar. There’s also around 6 inches of length variation, giving you the potential for what’s pretty much a custom fit. This coupled with the sliding back panel, harness adjustment and forward pull hipbelt, makes for a backpack that can be tweaked for a real custom fit.

When you’re working with different volumes, you’ve also got adjustment straps across the bag to help it grow or shrink depending on the load you’re carrying.

As for access to the main compartment, you can either dive in through the drawcord sealed top, or you can open up the buckles and big U-zip across the front of the pack to have duffle bag-like access, thus saving you having to dig around for items. There’s plenty of pocket space too, including a large overlid one, an underlid pocket, the stretchy zipped pockets on the hipbelt, the stash pocket and more.

Full Specifications

High-denier ripstop nylon / stretch mesh side pockets / thermo-moulded back pad / supportive PU sponge lumbar in the hipbelt and shoulders / drawcord sealed top lid access / duffle bag-like access / hipbelt pockets / water bladder pouch / big stash pocket / multiple size options / men’s and women’s options.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2021/22. Read our full Lowe Alpine Cholatse review.

Buy the Lowe Alpine Cholatse 42:47: £247 at Amazon.co.uk 

9. Gregory Focal 48

Price: £180
Weight: 1.22kg
Best for: wild camping, ultralight hiking, 
Key attributes: Lightweight, venting back system

From our experience testing out this pack (our full Gregory Focal 48 review is here), we found it struck a really good balance between being lightweight but also comfortable and well-specced.

At just 1.22kg the Gregory Focal 48 sits within the lightweight category and will really suit any long-distance hikers, particularly those who like to count grams. Its floating lid, volume adjustment straps and stretch mesh pockets make it particularly suited for any thru-hiking where your pack is going to grow and shrink in size depending on the supply availability ahead of you. You can actually strip a little extra weight off this thing too, that’s by removing the top lid and using the Weather Flap to cover the top of the pack instead.

The whole back system is lined by a suspended mesh/net, with the ventilation spreading right throughout the harness and hipbelt too. There’s plenty of padding across the straps, around the hipbelt and at the lower back too where there’s a slight curve for lumbar support.

Around half of the materials used for the main fabric of the pack are made from recycled nylon. Inside, the lining is a 40% recycled polyester. Overall, the fabric feels light but it’s actually surprisingly tough, with a tough fabric throughout and an even tougher one across the base. You can also rest assured that the water repellent treatments Gregory have used here are all completely free from those nasty, eco-hazardous PFCs that are all-too-often used on backpacks.

Full Specifications

100D fabric at top and 250D fabric at base / PFC-free water-repellant treatment / 40% recycled polyester inner lining / Polygiene anti-odour control in mesh back panel / floating removable lid / volume adjustment straps / medium or large back length options.

Buy the Gregory Focal 48: £197 at Alpine-trek.co.uk 

10. Fjällräven Keb 52

Price: £275
Weight: 2260g
Best for: wild camping, backpacking
Key attributes: durable, eco-friendly, built-to-last, timeless

If you’re one of those people who appreciates careful design and timeless styling then you’re going to really like this pack. It’s a real thing of beauty. It’s only real downside is the fact that its traditional materials put it a little on the heavy side compared to packs with modern fabrics and frames.

As we found out during our tests in Wales, this thing is built for outdoor performance – it’s made by designed used to the Swedish wilderness after all. The eco-friendly G1000 waxed polycotton fabric provided excellent water resistance and gave a sense of long term durability, you’ve then got the Bergshell fabric which is made from recycled nylon to further boost the Keb’s eco credentials and there’s the wooden frame which, according to Fjällräven, reduces CO2 emissions during the bag’s production by 90%.

This unique wooden frame is easily adjusted to suit a variety of back lengths and its complimented by padding and a touch of ventilation lining the back panel.

There are open side pockets for a water bottle or other small items you need access to quickly, two fairly sizeable zipped pockets on the hipbelt which provide a decent amount of weather protection, one big U-shaped pocket on the front, and then a zipped overlid pocket and small underlid one that stores the detachable rain cover.

Full Specifications

Durable G-1000 HeavyDuty Eco S / recycled polyester and organic cotton / base and sides in waterproof Bergshell fabric made from recycled nylon / unique wooden frame reduces CO2 emissions by 90% / attachment points for skis and ice axes/poles.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – read our full Fjällräven Keb 52 Backpack review

Buy the Fjällräven Keb 52: £275 at Alpine-trek.co.uk 

11. Vaude Assymetric 52+8 Backpack

Price: £160
Weight: 1.60kg
Best for: wild camping, backpacking
Key attributes: Eco-friendly touches

Not only does the Vaude Assymetric use a PFC-free durable water repellent treatment but a large proportion of the pack is made from recycled plastic bottles. The second face fabric, for instance, is made from 50% recycled polyester and there’s a recycled PU coating featured throughout. It’s not flimsy either. These materials all feel quite light but they’re still durable enough for the demands of life on the trail.

Related: Best Hiking Boots
Related: Best Three-season Sleeping Bags

The internal frame is tennis racquet shaped – wider at the top of the pack and narrow at the bottom – to channel weight from the shoulders down to the hips and it can actually be removed if you’re being really strict with your gram count, bringing the pack’s weight down from 1600g to about 1300g – firmly in ultralight territory then. The sliding sternum strap is also removable, as well as the floating top lid.

The main compartment can be accessed underneath the floating top lid, through the base or via a big U-shaped zip across the front of the pack. There’s also a zipped internal divider at the base, daisy chain webbing on the front, bungee cords for trekking poles, an overlid compartment with a large internal mesh pocket, one long pocket on the front of the pack, and two on both the hipbelt and the sides of the pack.

Selected for the Green Gear Guide 2021 – Read our full Vaude Assymetric 52+8 review.

Buy the Vaude Assymetric 52+8 Backpack: £161 at Amazon.co.uk 

How to Choose a Backpack for Hiking and Trekking

The first thing to consider when choosing a pack, as we mentioned in the intro to this article, is the volume. Does it match up to the load you’ll be carrying? If you’re going into the wilderness for a long period then you’re going to want a pack that can manage the amount of supplies you’ll need – something usually that’s over 50 litres. For hiking something like a national trail, I tend to look for a backpack that’s around the 40-litre mark, while if it’s summer and I want to take a lightweight approach I might carry something smaller, perhaps at around the 35-litre mark. You do see quite a few packs these days that are designed to handle varied loads, giving you adjustment straps and gussets to help the pack expand or shrink to your preference. These can be really handy and essentially give you two (or more!) packs wrapped up in one. The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor pack is a very good example of this. As is the Fjallraven Keb.

Fit

Backpacks often come in different sizes as well as different volume. The size can usually be found on a little tag at the bottom of the back panel and brands normally state the back length in their product descriptions and usually guide to understanding their sizings. If you’re buying a pack online, most good brands will provide guidance on back lengths and corresponding sizes.

If you’re trying a backpack on in a store, once you’ve picked out the right volume and back size, make sure all the straps are done up – the hipbelt of course, and also the sternum strap across the chest – they all make a surprising difference to fit and weight distribution. Make sure there are no bits that poke you or have the potential to be sore, and that you feel your movement isn’t impeded when you walk. I personally think that a pack should sit on my hips with the straps on the shoulders taking some weight but certainly not the bulk of it. The back panel should be totally flush with my back and, with the pack on, I should be able to stand with a straight posture without difficulty, even with a full load.

Back System and Harness

Some packs have complicated adjustable back systems designed to make heavy loads more manageable and to allow for airflow too. These packs, more often than not, can be on the heavier side. Other packs can have very simple back systems, with minimal padding and ventilation. These tend to be found on some of the lighter, more minimalist packs on the market.

Choosing the right kind of back system for you depends on your needs. If I’m going minimalist and care about the weight of the kit I’m carrying then I’ll favour a simple back system. Conversely, if I’m not too bothered about weight and would prefer the heavy load I’m carrying to feel comfortable then in that instance I’d opt for a backpack with a suspended and well-padded back system. You can read more on this subject in our ventilated packs buyer’s guide.

Pack Access

Access is perhaps the next most important thing to think about. Larger packs (45-55L) benefit from an access point at the side or bottom, rather than just the top. The lid too needs to be easy to access and open.

Pockets are increasingly scarce on pack models these days – I’m not a fan of superfluous features – but one or two of them are useful to keep wet clothes or food separate and the like.

Rain Protection

Backpacks are rarely waterproof (though there are exceptions, the Ortlieb Atrack being a good example there). Many will have some kind of water-resistant treatment and the fabric will stand up to a fair amount of moisture. Several will also come with rain covers or you can buy covers separately to use with them. These are of limited use in very bad wind and rain. In those types of conditions, it’s much better to pack your items in dry bags within the pack first.

For more info on the above, check out our in-depth buyer’s guide to backpacking backpacks which was composed by record-breaking long-distance trekker James Forrest.

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