A backpack is a type of bag that is used for outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, camping, and traveling. Additionally, at Snowcountry, you can also find backpacks designed specifically for touring, splitboarding, and climbing.
Before purchasing a backpack, it's essential to determine the specific activities you'll be doing. Are you going for a short day hike, or planning longer multi-day treks? What items do you want to carry in your backpack?
If you're going on a day hike for a few hours and want to carry food and water for the journey, you'll probably be fine with a backpack of about 20 to 25 liters. If you're not only carrying food and water for yourself but also for your whole family, you'll need a larger backpack. For longer day hikes with more gear, consider a backpack of around 35 liters.
If you plan to carry a lot of weight, it's essential to know that many of these smaller backpacks are designed to comfortably carry around 7 to 9 kilograms. Carrying significantly more weight can affect comfort. Heavier backpacks generally offer more features to distribute the load effectively on your back.
If you're going trekking, you'll typically need a backpack with a capacity of over 40 liters. The exact size you need depends on your trip and personal preferences. When trekking in a warm climate, you may need less clothing than when trekking in the mountains. Additional items like a tent, sleeping bag, or cooking equipment also take up space. The more gear you require, the larger your backpack should be.
It's always a challenge because some people need more gear than others. Our advice to determine the size of the backpack you need is to check if you have a backpack at home for which you know or can find the volume in liters. Gather the items you want to take on your trip and put them in the backpack. Make an estimate. How much space are you lacking, or how much space do you have left? This way, you'll know how many liters more or less you need.
For example, if you have a 20-liter backpack, and only half of your items fit inside, then you should be looking for a backpack of around 40 liters. If you have a 60-liter backpack at home, and you only need half of it, then you can consider a 30-liter backpack.
A 60-liter backpack has literally twice as much space as a 30-liter backpack. So, pack your items and make an estimate based on what you need. When in doubt, it's better to choose a backpack with a bit more capacity.
Why not simply go for the biggest backpack available? That way, you'll be sure to have enough space, right? This is not recommended. The construction of a backpack is designed to provide optimal carrying comfort for a certain number of liters. If you fill an 80-liter backpack with only 40 liters of gear, the backpack will be unbalanced, and you'll never achieve a comfortable fit.
If you plan to travel by plane, train, or bus, it's a good idea to consider a travel pack. The travel pack is similar to a trekking backpack but is specifically designed to efficiently stow the carrying system. This allows your travel pack to smoothly go through baggage claim or fit easily in limited storage space, such as on a train or bus.
If you don't have a travel pack and are traveling with a regular backpack, it's wise to protect it from damage during transport. This is especially important for the shoulder straps and hip belt (the carrying system). You can easily do this with a flight bag or transport cover. A flight bag is a cover that zips around your backpack. Using a flight bag ensures your backpack is always lifted as a whole and not by, for example, one of the shoulder straps. Moreover, a flight bag usually comes with a lock, providing better protection against theft.
The size of your backpack depends on your torso length, which you can easily measure at home using a tape measure. Measure the distance between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) to where your hips are at their widest.
Find the protruding vertebra in your neck; this is your seventh cervical vertebra.
Place your hands under your ribcage, with your thumbs pointing towards your back and the other fingers pointing forward. Lower your hands until they reach your hips.
Measure the distance between the C7 vertebra and the imaginary line between your thumbs. It's essential to keep your back straight while doing this. Having a friend's assistance can be helpful in the last step, as it can be challenging to keep your spinal column straight when measuring on your own.
Each brand uses its own sizes and fits. If there's no information about the backpack's size on our website, you can assume it's a size M or Regular. If you'd like more information about sizes and fits from a particular brand, many brands provide information on their websites. To make it as easy as possible for you, here's an overview with direct links to the relevant pages:
Beware the centimeters of your torso length are not the same as the length of the backpack's back panel.
Many backpacks have versions designed for both men and women. Women's backpacks are typically more compact in shape and intended for shorter torso lengths. Additionally, these backpacks have an ergonomically designed carrying system perfectly shaped for a woman's body. For instance, the shoulder straps are S-shaped, curving outward. The angle of the hip belt is slightly different to optimize comfort. Lastly, women's backpacks usually have slightly thicker padding on the hip belts.
The specific features your backpack needs depend on its purpose and your personal preferences. You can consider storage and comfort. Here are some key features to consider:
Storage
Comfort
Properly adjusting your backpack is crucial for a comfortable journey. An improperly adjusted backpack can lead to irritation, sore muscles, and even injuries. Below is a concise step-by-step guide to adjust your backpack. For a more detailed guide, read our article: How to adjust a backpack.
Note: Always lift your backpack by the loop between the shoulder straps, at the height of the buckle, to prevent damage to the carrying system.
At Snowcountry, we offer a wide range of backpacks. You can find:
