Whether you’re embarking on a long-distance hike, traveling by rail across Europe, or simply going on a local trail walk, it’s undeniable that a great backpack is essential for every hiker. A hiking backpack serves much more than just providing comfort and convenience; it forms the base of your entire hiking gear, carrying vital items such as food, water, first aid supplies, and other essentials.
We have gathered the most renowned backpacks in the hiking world and carefully evaluated and examined them to create a compilation of our preferred choices.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55
Among the various options of ultralight packs available for thru-hikers and minimalists, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 55 stands out as our top choice. What distinguishes the Southwest is its complete construction using Dyneema, which provides remarkable strength and water resistance while remaining exceptionally lightweight. In terms of minimizing weight, it is difficult to find a design more streamlined and durable than the Southwest. Furthermore, compared to another popular ultralight pack, the Zpacks Arc Blast, the Southwest offers significantly greater durability due to its thicker body fabric (5.0 oz/sqyd compared to 3.1 oz/sqyd). Additionally, the Southwest features a sturdy foam backpanel and aluminum stays, making it capable of handling heavy loads with relative ease. It is no surprise that this ultralight pack is highly favored on the trail, considering all its features weigh just under 2 pounds. Hyperlite also offers a range of alternative options, primarily differing in the fabric used for the external pockets. For example, the Windrider includes mesh pockets and is an excellent choice for those who prefer the convenience of drying their gear on the go.
The Southwest, which is also available in 40 and 70L sizes, is a popular choice among thru-hikers due to its large capacity of 55 liters. This pack has been used by us for extended trips, as well as for overnight and multi-day backpacking outings, and as a dry bag for packrafting. Its design is simplistic, featuring the main compartment and a few external pockets for organizing belongings. However, the backpanel, which is lined with Dyneema, does not provide adequate breathability.
Gregory Baltoro 75
Gregory has built a reputation for providing comfortable backpacks over time, and their flagship models, the men’s Baltoro and women’s Deva packs, continue this tradition. These packs are designed to carry heavy loads with sturdy suspension, padding that is both firm and supportive, and excellent organization. The latest version of these packs features a fully mesh backpanel, which provides the best ventilation yet, and the suspension system and shoulder straps that hug the hips and pivot help maintain stability while hiking on uneven terrain. We also appreciate the well-thought-out storage layout, which is perfect for carrying multi-day loads. This includes nine external pockets, U-shaped front access to the main compartment, and large hipbelt pockets (which have been made even bigger in the most recent update), making it easy to store a large smartphone.
During our trek in Patagonia, we put the revamped Baltoro 75 to the test and found that it remained faithful to its purpose as one of the most comfortable and feature-filled designs available. In addition to the mentioned alterations, the latest edition offers a greatly adjustable hipbelt and shoulder straps, which are ideal for finding the perfect fit, eliminates the incorporated Sidekick daypack (which we didn’t consider a significant loss), and incorporates a higher usage of recycled materials.
Osprey Exos 58
Osprey is well-known for producing high-quality backpacks that are well-organized and comfortable, and this reputation is evident in their flagship model, the Atmos/Aura. The Exos (and women’s Eja) was their initial foray into the ultralight pack market over a decade ago and continues to be a popular choice in this category. While it may not match the streamlined weight of competitors like the Hyperlite Southwest and Gossamer Gear Mariposa (both weighing just under 2 lb.), the Exos compensates with extra weight that provides more organizational features, enhanced carrying comfort, and improved ventilation. With the latest update in spring 2022, the newest version of the Exos includes a convenient torso-length adjustment and reintroduces hipbelt pockets to the design, which were surprisingly absent in the previous iteration.
If you are used to a typical backpack and interested in exploring the ultralight realm, we suggest that the Exos is an excellent starting point.
Arc’teryx Aerios 30
The Aerios 30 is positioned as an intermediate option between a running pack and a lightweight alpine bag, offering a comprehensive range of features, ample storage capacity, and a front harness in a vest-style design. In a time when athletes are constantly seeking new challenges, this backpack caters to a specific group of individuals who engage in demanding day missions.
The Aerios 30 stands out as different for most people. It is a lightweight and sturdy bag that surprisingly has numerous pockets and features in its small size. However, its lack of padding on the shoulders and a strong backplate may be unexpected for those who are used to weight distribution systems in other, less specific models.
Gregory Zulu 65/Jade 63
Across different manufacturers and styles, modern hiking packs adhere to a fairly standardized size, shape, and feature sets. Although significant efforts are made to distinguish themselves from others, the results are often mixed. However, Gregory takes a different approach with their Jade 63 and men’s Zulu 65, as they do not attempt to stand out and instead offer hikers a safe and standardized starting point for a reasonable price.
Similar to Gregory’s Paragon, the Zulu 65 and Jade 63 are designed to cater to the weekend hiker group. However, the Zulu and Jade have a slightly more laid-back style. They have a slightly higher weight, lower cost, and possess a more traditional “backpacking” pack shape, unlike the Paragon’s sleek shape. These packs do not bring any unexpected features, which can be advantageous if you desire reliability and uniformity.
Granite Gear Blaze 60L
The Blaze 60 is highly respected among various hiking communities as it is known for being lightweight and comfortable over long distances. Additionally, it excels at carrying heavier loads, which is unusual for a pack that falls into the ultralight category. Its semi-modular design allows for the removal of straps and padding according to individual preferences, making it suitable for a wide range of trips and hiking approaches.
The Blaze 60 is positioned nicely between ultralight packs such as the Hyperlite’s 2400 Southwest, popular among long-distance hikers, and the more equipped backpacks like Osprey’s Aether 65. Despite this seemingly challenging position, the Blaze 60’s weight is sufficiently light and its carrying abilities are secure enough for both groups to benefit.
