What qualities should a Hiking Backpack have?

You’ve mapped the trail, filled your water bottle, and laced up your hiking shoes. Whether you’re headed out for the day or going on a multi-night adventure, a good quality backpack is key for carrying your gear.

Hiking backpacks are designed specifically to enhance your equipment-hauling experience and keep you comfortable on the trail. The main qualities to look for can be packed into 3 simple topics.

1. Capacity: How much stuff do you want to carry?
2. Size & Fit: It’s gotta be comfortable in all the right ways.
3. Features: The functional things that define how a pack meets your needs.

Before we dive in, let’s start by saying that a hiking backpack needs to be durable and dependable. The good news is that most packs on the market today live up to this standard. After all, your backpack is responsible for reliably carrying all the gear you need to have a safe and successful adventure into the great outdoors! If you’re super eager to load up a new pack and hit the trail, check out our carefully selected picks for the 16 Best Hiking Backpacks in 2025 to help you decide on what to buy.

Without further ado, on to the qualities to look for in a hiking backpack.

Hiking Backpack Capacity

From sleek daypacks to mega-load haulers and everything in between, there’s a hiking backpack with the right amount of space to fit all the essentials for your adventure.

Hiking backpack capacity is commonly measured and described in liters or cubic inches with corresponding suggested uses. Depending on the type of hiking you’ll be doing, try choosing a pack with enough volume that hits the sweet-spot of your space needs.

Let’s take a look at three categories of hiking backpack capacities and what they’re best used for.

Day Hikes (Single-day adventures: 8 – 45 liters)

Hiking daypacks are built to comfortably carry all your essentials for a day’s worth of adventuring. Don’t let their size fool you, this isn’t your childhood school backpack. Intentionally designed features and a variety of capacity options handle much more than your Geometry book and PB&J sandwich. When your cargo pants pockets just won’t cut it, choose a daypack such as the all-around Osprey Talon 22 to reliably haul everything from energy bars and a water bottle to extra clothing layers, binoculars, and activity-specific equipment like climbing rope. 

Multi-Day Hikes (Weekend backpacking trips: 30 – 75 liters)

Calling all weekend warriors and backpackers! Reach for a pack with enough capacity such as the Osprey Aether 65 or budget-friendly Teton Sports Scout 3400  and load it up with everything you need to enjoy a few days out on the trail. Hiking backpacks in this range are built tough with strong suspension systems that comfortably carry the extra weight of camping gear like a sleeping bag, shelter, backpacking stove, a travel camp chair, and enough food for overnight excursions.

Expeditions (Extended journeys and/or guiding: 70 – 110+ liters)

Big and burly, these packs and their capacity mean business! Designed for long journeys into the backcountry or mountaineering expeditions that demand a lot of gear, this class of backpack is specialized to meet the needs of professional guides and long-term wilderness travelers alike. That said, load hauling packs like the Osprey Xena 85 aren’t only reserved for the most ambitious and serious adventurer. Anyone needing to haul extra gear into the family campsite will appreciate the cavernous space and construction of this size backpack.

Hiking Backpack Fit

Proper fit is a key quality for ensuring a hiking backpack comfortably carries your gear. Two main features that help guarantee the pack is a good fit are torso length and waist size.

Torso Length

Torso length is a critical measurement when sizing a backpack. Selecting the right torso size ensures a glove-like, comfortable fit that feels like you’re wearing the pack, not carrying it. Not to be equated with your height, torso length is measured from the ‘knob’ at the base of your neck straight down to the highest point on your hip bone. For the techies in the room, these points are known as the C7 vertebrae and Iliac crest.

Hiking backpacks come in a range of sizes designed to accommodate a variety of torso lengths. You’ll also find packs with adjustable suspensions like the Jack Wolfskin Highland Trail 55 which can be a great feature for growing kids or if you’re between sizes.

Waist Size

Most hiking backpacks feature adjustable hip belts designed to fit a variety of body shapes and they help stabilize the gear you’re carrying. Some hip belts are even removable and can be swapped out for a different size altogether. The key here is ensuring the hip belt feels comfortable when securely snugged down around your waist.

Hiking Backpack Features

Technical features and their implementation are what makes different hiking backpacks stand out uniquely from each other. Let’s call out a few must-have qualities you’ll want to consider when picking out a hiking backpack.

Frame Type

Hiking backpacks come in three main frame designs: Internal frame, external frame, and frameless.

The most common style today is the body-hugging, streamlined internal frame backpack. Internal frame backpacks like the Gregory Zulu 55 feature a rigid structure hidden inside the bag’s main compartment. This provides structure and efficiently transfers gear weight to your hips, reducing fatigue on your shoulders. The compact design also enhances your balance and helps stabilize your load on uneven terrain, making it a great all-around choice for just about any outdoor adventure.

External frame packs are built on an exposed frame structure that the backpack body attaches to. Perhaps considered “old-school,” external frame backpacks typically feature modular storage made up of multiple compartments that can be fun to pack and make gear organization easier to manage. They are also great at handling and evenly distributing heavy loads for those trips where no creature comfort is left behind.

Rounding out frame types are frameless backpacks, which all but do away with any structural support. Essentially a lightweight, single-compartment rucksack design, packs like Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest 40L fall into this category. Capable and durable enough for ‘minimalist overnighters,’ frame-less backpacks typically feature simplified storage options and are best suited for trips where you’ll be carrying lighter loads.

Suspension & Support

The suspension and support system includes core components that ensure a fully-loaded backpack rides comfortably on your body. Adjustable shoulder straps with thick, cushy padding allow you to dial in the pack’s fit while keeping your shoulders feeling cozy and free of pressure points.

A rigid back panel and/or stiff struts provide structure and transfer gear weight off your shoulders and onto your hips. This is super-effective in helping keep you comfortable while hiking and not bogged down by the equipment you’re carrying.

You can also look at packs that feature load-lifter and sternum straps. Adjustable load lifters connect the shoulder straps to the top of the main pack body, effectively “lifting” the weight off your shoulders while keeping the backpack snug up against your body. The sternum strap connects across your chest, securing the shoulder straps in place and providing an extra level of balance and support. Both of these are great options that help you dial your pack in for maximum comfort, letting you hike farther with confidence.

Rounding out a hiking backpack’s support system is the ever-so-important adjustable hip belt. In fact, a well-fitting, comfortable hip belt with good lumbar padding like the one available on Gregory Paragon 58 effectively supports up to 75% of the total pack weight! This drastically reduces shoulder and back aches from carrying heavy loads and increases comfort helping you safely reach your destination.

Organization & Access

Most hiking backpacks include features like accessory pockets and dividers that make it easy to organize and access your gear. A prime example is the Mystery Ranch Glacier backpack. In addition to the main bag, two big zippered pockets and a separate storage compartment conveniently store items like sleeping bags, a tent, or your wind jacket.

Backpacks with hip belts will oftentimes feature small pockets on the belt for quick and easy access to snacks, your phone, and other essentials you’ll frequently be reaching for while on the go. A cool feature to consider indeed.

Some hiking backpacks also have a “floating lid” pocket attached to the top that can be removed and used as a daypack when venturing out from camp. It also provides an additional storage spot for your smaller items like lip balm, a headlamp, or sunglasses.

You’re bound to get thirsty while out on your hiking adventure, so look for a pack with a water bladder hydration pouch or easy-to-reach side pockets that accommodate water bottles.

So while there’s no single right way to load up a hiking backpack, consider packs with qualities that deliver flexible gear storage options and easy access to your essentials while out on the trail.

Compression & Attachment Points

Need to strap items to the outside of your hiking backpack? Features like gear loops and daisy chains (a series of small sewn webbing slots) make it easy to lash accessories like carabiners, trekking poles, a climbing harness, or even alpine skis on the pack’s exterior when your adventure calls for it. Conversely, compression straps allow you to cinch the pack down and reduce the overall usable volume when you’re traveling light, with less gear.

Weather-Readiness

A good hiking backpack should be ready to handle the elements and keep your gear dry. Some packs are designed with waterproof or water-resistant fabrics but don’t count on that alone. A waterproof pack liner or individual dry bags work wonders for protecting the items inside your pack. If precipitation is in the forecast, consider using a rain cover over your pack for an added layer of weather protection.

Summary

Whether you’re going out for a casual day hike or embarking on an epic adventure, a hiking backpack ensures you and your gear safely get from the trailhead to your final destination in style and comfort.

A good quality backpack will fit like your favorite hoodie, with enough structure and supportive padding to keep you comfortable and ache-free when fully loaded up with all your gear.

It should be constructed of durable materials, big enough to fit all your stuff, and have features that make packing and carrying your gear feel effortless as you cruise down the trail.

Hiking backpacks with these qualities help ensure you’ll reach that beautiful vista, letting you focus on enjoying the adventure without worrying about what’s strapped to your back.

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