There are many reasons to buy a pack but perhaps the two most confusing choices can come from trying to find the right pack for travelling or hiking. Depending on your planned usage, there are a few basic considerations that can help you quickly narrow down your choices.
Features
Hydration ports, silnylon, cordura, aluminum stabilizers, ice-axe loops, thermoformed panels, and hypalon are just a few of the features and fabrics that are to be found on the myriad packs in your favorite gear shop. Which ones do you need?
Travel: It is quite likely that you will want to go for the convenience factor here. Most people want to look for heavier fabrics that and stow-away harness designs that allow for easier handling when checking on a plane or storing in your train compartments luggage rack. Think panel rather than top loading. Having this large zippered flap on the front gives easy access to your clothing when the pack is lying on your hostel bed, and with a few internal pockets to keep your gear organized. Your typical travel pack may not have the most comfortable harness system, but then again, you likely won’t ever be carrying it very far. In fact, if you know you are doing a package tour where you won’t ever be carrying your bag farther than from the airport to your taxi to your hotel room, then consider a rolling suitcase with wheels and an extendable handle.
Hiking: Comfort is key! While our travel bag is being tossed around by airport throwers and spending most of it’s life riding in tuk tuks, a pack we take hiking doesn’t really come into its own until you’ve had it on your back for several hours. Unless you know yourself to be the type of person who has no troubles with heavy loads and thin straps digging into your shoulders, spend the extra money to get a pack that is going to sit well on your back. This means modern thermoformed hip belts and adjustable harness systems. You can also generally get away with lighter fabrics here to save weight on low-abrasion areas of the pack. Common features include hydration ports or side water bottle pockets, compression straps, external pockets for easy access to common use items, sleeping bag compartments, and specialty features like ski straps or ice axe loops. Try to limit yourself to the features you will be needing most often. It doesn’t make sense to buy a ski touring pack if you don’t even own back-country skis but are ‘planning on buying them one day.’
Fit
If you’re buying any of the more advanced packs on the market today then you are about to drop a large amount of money on something that can mean the difference between an enjoyable trip and a complete nightmare. Good staff should be there to help you and show some concern that you are leaving their shop with the right product. If you don’t feel as though you’re getting decent service then take your business elsewhere or complain to the management.
Travel: As mentioned earlier, you likely won’t be carrying your travel pack for long periods of time. Even the most intrepid of travellers generally don’t walk around all day with their fully loaded bag. For this reason, most travel packs on the market have a more basic harness system. This means thinner padding and a smaller or less precise range of adjustability. If you are leaning more towards adventure travel and know that you will be shouldering your load for long periods of time then plan as for a long hiking trip and move into a pack with more support.
Now, just because you’re not carrying your pack all day long doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider a proper fit. Many packs come in different sizes, often something along the lines of Small/Medium/Large or Short/Tall. This indicates the range of back sizes the pack fits properly. A single style of pack which comes in S/M/L may have respective volumes of 52/56/60Liters. A common mistake is for someone with a S or M back size to choose the larger pack so that they can squeeze a few extra belongings in there. It’s not worth it! Unless your pack has rollers and a handle, stick with the size that fits you best even if it means losing out on a measly 4L of space. If the space is that important to you then look for a style of pack with larger volumes across the size range.
Hiking: Having your hiking pack fit to you properly is about the most important step in buying a bag that will be riding on your back for days at a time. While there are general guidelines for fitting and adjusting a pack, there is no replacement for the service of an experienced staff person helping you find a product that is right for you. What I can do here is suggest a few things that a GOOD staff person should be doing when helping you select and fit a pack:
-Asking questions. When encountered with “I need a pack,” staff should reply with something along the lines of “Great, mind if I ask what you’ll be using it for?” Staff that don’t ask you questions about what you’ll be using the bag for can’t possibly know which product will suit your needs.
-Full pack adjustment and demonstration. Provided the store isn’t overrun with customers all looking for the staff’s attention, you should be getting help trying on the pack and some explanation of what adjustments or inspections are being made. Staff should be looking at how the harness sits on your hips, space that appears between your back and the pack, the angle of the shoulder and top stabilizer straps, and in general, how the pack looks when you’re wearing it. If the pack fits then they should be telling you why, if not then they should offer to make adjustments for you and explain why and what they are changing.
-Adding weight to the pack and encouraging you to spend time wearing it. It is very difficult to know how a pack will fit or perform without throwing some weight in there and walking around in the damn thing. Beyond walking around the store in it, most businesses should offer a full return/refund if you take the pack home and wear it around the house with weight in it for a while and decide that it’s not for you… provided of couse that you’ve kept all your tags/receipts and haven’t damaged or dirtied the bag.
Size
This is where things get tricky. How much is too much? Everyone has their own preference when it comes to how big of a pack they’re willing to lug around but my theory has evolved along these lines: If you take it with you, you’ll find a use for it. If you leave it at home, you almost definitely won’t miss it.
Now, this obviously won’t work for our West Coast Trail hiker and her sleeping bag, but does she really need five shirts for a four day hike or can she get away with two? I personally prefer to stay as light as possible when hiking and even lighter when travelling. Carry-on only allows you to move through airports quickly, keep your items close at hand on less-than-reputable buses, and generally stay less tired from carrying a heavy load on your back. This doesn’t work for everyone but keep in mind that whether you plan on using a 20L, 50L, or (*shudder*) 90L bag, you will most likely keep loading it until it is full! The old plan about not filling it all the way is good in principle but rarely works out in practice. My best advice here is to be realistic in what you really need to be happy and comfortable and try to slowly cut back where you can. Your shoulders will thank you for it in the long run.
If you haven’t spotted it yet, the common theme here is being realistic about your needs and ensuring that you customize your decision to your activity. A general rule of thumb is to buy for what you’ll be doing 70-80% of the time. A $400 hiking backpack works just fine for bumming around South America and your travel pack with zip up back panel will work for that one mellow overnighter you do in your local national park each year.
Taking the time to ensure you’ve purchased a product that is right for you will save pain and suffering down the line and give you one less thing to worry about when you land in Delhi at 2:00 in the morning and are trying to maneuver your jet lagged self to a hostel you neglected to book in advance.
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