Backpacks – 10Rate

Arcteryx Arro 22 Backpack

10rateadmin — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:07:52 +0000

Men’s Backpack

7.5/10

As soon as we put on the Arcteryx Arro 22 backpack, we noticed that it was built for comfort—which is great if you’re looking for an all-purpose hiking/camping backpack. This backpack rests high on the back and distributes the weight well so you barely feel it pulling down on your shoulders. The pockets are conveniently placed and the material is heavy and durable so you can carry bulky, heavy items with no worries. Available for $179, this Arcteryx backpack is a valuable choice even if it doesn’t offer all the fancy features of its pricier counterparts.

Key specifications:

Capacity: 1342 cubic inches
Weight: 2.06 pounds
Access points: Top only
Perfect for a trip to: The slightly-damp-on-a-dry-day mountains of Olympic National Park along the coast of Washington state.

Strengths

Offers a lifetime guarantee—so you can have it repaired for free at any time

Sits high on the back so you don’t notice the weight

Just the right size for mountain biking, hiking, etc.

Built to last a long time with durable materials

One size fits comfortably even for long periods

Weaknesses

Doesn’t carry as much gear as more expensive models if you plan to use it for long trips

^{As an avid golfer and tennis player for most of his life, he enjoys researching the latest in golf and tennis technology as well as analyzing his own game. He has been a writer and reviewer for a dozen years… See more about S. Dee Davis}

Prices

Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85 Pack

10rateadmin — Tue, 05 May 2015 13:35:40 +0000

Lightweight Backpack

8.5/10

By S. Dee Davis

The Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre is an excellent choice if you’re just getting into backpacking. Cost-effective, reasonably lightweight, and smaller than other models, it’s great for getting a taste of backpacking trips. We like that it has a fully adjustable back panel and includes a zipper divider between the main compartment and sleeping back compartment. That makes it much easier to organize your gear. You’ll save some cash up front, but the Alpine Cerro Torre is just as durable and well-built as its more-expensive competitors—but available for as low as $199.

Key specifications (for large-sized backpack):

Capacity: 1220 cubic inches
Weight: 5 lbs 12 oz
Exterior pockets: 5+ main
Access points: Top/front/bottom
Perfect for a trip to: Rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon in three days.

Strengths

Reasonably lightweight for beginner backpackers

Good value given the capacity and features

Includes an easy-to-remove rain cover

Easy to hook items to the outside of the pack thanks to strong lash points

Good storage space with convenient front pockets to reach important items

Weaknesses

Doesn’t hold as much as more-expensive backpacks

Prices

Best Men’s Backpacks

10rateadmin — Tue, 05 May 2015 10:51:57 +0000

Top 10 Rated Backpacks 2024

By S. Dee Davis

Following are some of the primary factors we considered when selecting our top 10 backpacks (for men) list. Please see our complete backpack buying guide for more information on how we chose, and you should choose the right backpack for your hiking or camping adventure.

1. Comfort and Wearability
2. Volume Capacity
3. Weight Efficiency
4. Compartmental Features
5. Hydration Capabilities
6. External Straps and Stability Features
7. Frame Support
8. Cost/Value

High Sierra Appalachian 75 Internal Frame Pack

9.5/10

Capacity: 75 liters
Weight: 6.54 lbs.

Available for $129.99, the High Sierra Appalachian 75 Internal Frame Pack offers a great value with its top-loading design and a generous capacity…
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Gregory Baltoro 75

9.5/10

Capacity: 4,760 cubic inches
Weight: 6 pounds 2 ounces

High Peak Everest

9/10

Capacity: 6,500 cubic inches
Weight: 5 pounds 5 ounces

With this pack, you’ll be able to stay out long enough that they’ll send search and rescue teams after you. When the teams get there, you’ll see that they use the same pack…
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Osprey Packs Atmos 50 Backpack

9/10

Capacity: 3000 cubic inches
Weight: 3 lb. 1 oz. (S), 3 lb. 4 oz. (M), 3 lb. 4 oz. (L)

A favorite among avid hikers and travelers, the Osprey Packs Atmos 50 Backpack combines a sharp look with super comfort on the trail. Its suspension system…
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Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 65:85 Pack

8.5/10

Capacity: 20 liters
Weight: 5.73 pounds

The Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre is an excellent choice if you’re just getting into backpacking. Cost-effective, reasonably lightweight, and smaller than…
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Gregory Denali Pro

8/10

Capacity: 7,000 cubic inches
Weight: 8 pounds

The North Face Terra 65

7.5/10

Capacity: 3950 cubic inches
Weight: 5 pounds 1 ounces

Arcteryx Arro 22 Backpack

7.5/10

Capacity: 1342 cubic inches
Weight: 2.06 pounds

Deuter Airconnect 65+10

7/10

Capacity: 3,950 cubic inches
Weight: 3 pounds 15 ounces

Backpack Buying Guide

How to Choose the Right Backpack for your Hiking/Camping Trip

There’s a reason why backpacking and hiking are considered two separate disciplines by outdoors junkies: The backpack. A day hiker can carry everything they need to get from trailhead to destination and back in the same pack that a fourth grader carries to school every day. But when it comes to multi-day trips with everything needed for human survival on your back, the pack becomes the integral piece of equipment that allows you to enjoy all your time away from the comforts of civilization.

With that in mind, it’s vitally important that you choose the right backpack for you and the expeditions you’re planning on taking. The right pack filled with the right equipment can be the difference between a comfortable, exciting trip and a miserable one (or the difference between a safe trip and a hazardous one). Use these rules when considering the pack you’re going to buy, and always be sure to put on a few packs at your local retailer as well to get a feel for their features.

The most important factor to consider when choosing a pack? Comfort, comfort, comfort. You’re going to be carrying everything you need to survive on your back; depending on the nature of your gear, you could have as much as 90 pounds in that bag. While every spine is unique in the way it interacts with a pack, one backpack fact is universal: The more points of contact between the load and your body, the less pressure on each individual point. Try lifting a loaded grocery bag with one finger sometime, then do so again using your whole hand. Much easier, right? Extend the same concept to a backpack. A multi-day pack will have a hip belt, which encircles your waist and transfers the weight of the load onto your hips; the ubiquitous shoulder straps and a sternum strap, which crosses from one shoulder strap to the other across your chest and takes pressure off your shoulder muscles.

Make sure you check those points of contact when you’re shopping around for a pack. Do the shoulder straps sit comfortably? Where on your chest does the sternum strap cross, and is that a spot that won’t chafe when you’re wearing the pack eight hours a day? And most of all, the hip belt. Backpacks are designed with a frame system to help transfer weight down the side closest to your body (hereafter referred to as the front), and eventually that weight is transferred onto the hip belt. This is good – the muscles in your legs and the bones in your pelvis and thighs are much stronger than your back and shoulders, and they are much better-equipped to bear weight for a long day of hiking. The hip belt should be able to fit snugly, resting just atop your hip bones on both sides. Again, test the belt for chafe points (although any good backpack is designed with ample padding in the hip area) and be sure that it doesn’t slide down below the crest of your hips (which will render its load-transfer feature worthless). All the straps should be adjustable; test the straps for the ease of adjustment as well.

Next, the frame. The front of the backpack can be shaped to the intricacies of your spine, which will further the comfort when carrying a load. If you’re buying from a retailer, be sure to ask them to help you custom-fit the pack. Some packs have flexible metal rods that run vertically down the front and can be bent to mimic the curves of your spine; some have removable pads that can actually be heated in an oven and then formed to your lumbar region.

Now that we’ve covered comfort, let’s turn to more of the bells and whistles of a multi-day backpack. Before you start looking at the features of individual packs, though, consider what you’ll be using your pack for. Where you go, what you do when you get there and how long you plan on staying out will have a vast impact on what you need your pack to do. You’re going to need a lot more gear for a week-long expedition in the Canadian Rockies than you will for a traverse of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the summer; select a pack accordingly. Here are a few of the key factors to consider once you know where you might be taking your pack:

Volume

The more space inside of your pack, the more stuff you can carry. Again, refer to the wide variance in gear you’ll need based on where you travel. A pack with 4,000 to 5,000 cubic inches is considered appropriate for a trip of five to seven days under summer conditions (bear in mind that in the mountains, it can get cold any time of the year).

Weight

You have to decide for yourself how much you want to carry. A larger pack with more bells and whistles can allow you to carry additional gear for a mountaineering expedition or a two-week backpacking epic, but that’s more weight on your back. Even the best load-transfer system can’t hide the fact that you’re carrying 30 to 40 percent of your own body weight on your back.

The Compartments

Some packs have a large aperture at the top through which all gear must pass; some are compartmentalized with a separate space at the bottom that opens onto the back side of the pack. Usually this compartment is designed to hold a sleeping bag. Many packs have side zippers in this area even if the pack has just one large compartment. There are also smaller pockets on the sides as well as pockets in the “brain” (a smaller component that covers the top of the main compartment).

Hydration capabilities

You won’t survive on a backpacking trip without ample water, so make sure that your pack can carry it. Packs typically have water bottle pouches on each side just above the hip belt; make sure that these pouches are large enough to carry your bottles. Also, many newer packs are designed to carry a water bladder on the interior, with a hose that hangs around your neck area for easy drinking while walking.

External Straps

Whether you’re carrying a bulky sleeping pad, extra pair of shoes or sandals or a bulky cookpot that doesn’t readily fit inside your pack, it’s helpful to have numerous tie-down straps on the back side of your pack. In addition to allowing you to carry more gear than the internal volume would suggest, these straps can also be tightened down to stabilize your load.

Remember, always keep in mind what you’re using the pack for. Also consider that extra features are generally easier to live with than live without; generally, the trade-off for additional features is extra weight and increased cost.

Featured Backpacks Articles

What to Take on a Backpacking Trip

More Backpacks Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Women’s Backpacks

Following are some of the primary factors we considered when selecting our top 10 women’s backpacks list. These packs vary slightly in construction to benefit a women’s different build. Please see our complete backpack buying guide for more information on how we chose, and you should choose the right backpack for your hiking or camping adventure… [more]

More Backpacks

Osprey Packs Atmos 50 Backpack

10rateadmin — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 13:52:26 +0000

3,000 Cubic Inch Backpack

9/10

By S. Dee Davis

A favorite among avid hikers and travelers, the Osprey Packs Atmos 50 Backpack combines a sharp look with super comfort on the trail. Its suspension system evenly distributes the weight over your torso, so you won’t feel strained after wearing it for long periods. It has a custom-fitted hipbelt with mesh and foam for comfort and breathability, and hydration ports on both sides of the pack so you can stay hydrated on the go. Not that it matters, but it’s also our pick for the sharpest-looking pack of the lot. This pack is available for $140 to $390.

Key specifications (for large-sized backpack, comes also in small and medium):

Capacity: 3000 cubic inches
Weight: 3 pounds 4 ounces
• Removable sleeping bag straps
Access points: Top/front/bottom
Perfect for a trip to: A peakbagging expedition among the White Cloud Peaks in Idaho.

Strengths

Extremely lightweight at just over 3 pounds

Water resistant pockets keep belongings mostly dry

Hipbelt provides good support and also breathes thanks to mesh material

Easy to attach mountaineering tools to the outside of the backpack

Harness is adjustable for perfect fit, and backpack is cushioned for long-term comfort

Comes with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty

Weaknesses

It’s important to select the correct size for best fit and comfort level

Because of the curved shape, it can be difficult to pack some items

Prices

High Sierra Appalachian 75

10rateadmin — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 13:32:25 +0000

Internal Frame Pack

9.5/10

By S. Dee Davis

Available for $129.99, the High Sierra Appalachian 75 Internal Frame Pack offers a great value with its top-loading design and a generous capacity. The backpack has a gusseted drawstring closure at the top and a drop-bottom sleeping bag compartment at the bottom. We liked that you could pack and unpack the sleeping bag separately from all the other gear. Comfort is another benefit of this High Sierra pack. While at 6.54 pounds it’s not as super lightweight as some other brands, it’s still designed for comfort. The straps and frame bar are easy to adjust to your height and weight, so it distributes the weight of the pack evenly. We were satisfied with the high-quality materials and durable zippers too.

Key specifications (for large-sized backpack, comes also in small and medium):

Capacity: 75 liters
Weight: 6.54 pounds
Access points: Top/bottom/front
Trip I’d love to take it on: Continental divide traverse through Glacier National Park.

Strengths

Contoured frame bar is adjustable so it rests against your back comfortably

Your back stays cool thanks to pack’s airflow channels

Sleeping bag fits in drop-bottom compartment

Good-quality materials and strong zippers

Lets you access water bladder without removing the pack

Holds plenty of gear with several pockets

Rain cover included in an easy-to-reach pocket

Weaknesses

Hip straps do not have an integrated pouch
Heavier than other high-end backpacks

Prices

More Backpacks

BJones — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:07:45 +0000

GoLite Terrono 90

8/10

Capacity: 5,490 cubic inches
Weight: 4 pounds 7 ounces

Wondering how you can help preserve the environment that you’re enjoying so much on your backpacking trip? Terrono helps …
read more

Back to Top Backpacks

Best Women’s Backpacks

BJones — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:14:08 +0000

Top 10 Rated Backpacks for Women 2024

By S. Dee Davis

Following are some of the primary factors we considered when selecting our top 10 backpacks for women list. Please see our complete backpack buying guide for more information on how we chose, and you should choose the right backpack for your hiking or camping adventure.

1. Comfort and Wearability
2. Volume Capacity
3. Weight Efficiency
4. Compartmental Features
5. Hydration Capabilities
6. External Straps and Stability Features
7. Frame Support
8. Cost/Value

REI Crestrail 65

7/10

Internal frame
60-65 liters
3,661-3,966 cubic inches
7 pockets + main compartment
Fits waist size 26-34 inches

The second offering from REI on the list, it’s a solid pack that just lacks some of the cachet of the bigger names. It features a slim width and shortened height along with accoutrements like dual ice axe loops and bottle locking side pockets. Unfortunately, it’s not as well-designed as the others on this list, with access problems stemming from small apertures and balky zippers.

Prices

Featured Backpacks Articles

What to Take on a Backpacking Trip

More Backpacks Top 10 Lists

Top 10 Men’s Backpacks

What to Take on a Backpacking Trip

10rateadmin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:38:33 +0000

By S. Dee Davis

As stated already in the buying guide, how much gear you’re carrying will have a huge impact on what kind of bag you use. Here is a rough list of essential things you’ll want with you on a backpacking trip. Depending on how many people you’re in a group with, you may need to carry most or all of this gear yourself, resulting in the need for a larger pack. This list was developed with a late-summer backpacking trip to… oh, let’s say Colorado in mind. Keep in mind that your personal gear requirements are going to vary based on your preferences of total pack weight, accessories you like to carry with you and again, the number of people in your party and the total amount of communal group gear necessary.

Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Tent with rain fly and poles
Small nylon tarp for use as a cooking shelter
Backpacking stove
Fuel bottle
Two cooking pots, or a pot and a frying pan.
Cooking utensils
Eating bowl and mug
Food (planning food for a backpacking trip is a whole separate list. If you’re willing to spring for freeze-dried ready-made meals, however, food can be very lightweight).
Rain jacket
Extra pair of socks and underwear
Midweight jacket
Long-sleeve shirt
Warm hat
Pair of tennis shoes for wearing around camp at the end of the day (not only are they vastly superior to hiking boots in the comfort department, lightweight shoes are much friendlier to the ground you’re treading on).

At the intersection of performance and cost lies this pack. A large one (based on torso size) carries enough gear for a full week of three-season trekking, and it’s as comfortable as anything on the market with its trademarked Response AFS suspension system and thermo-molded back padding that can be contoured to the exact curves of your back. It’s also tough as nails, with water-resistant zippers and ripstop nylon fabric. There’s plenty of bells and whistles too, like a hydration bladder sleeve and a lid that can be removed and converted into a fanny pack. It might not be a true expedition-level pack due to its lack of overall volume, but for the combination of price, comfort and functionality this pack can’t be beat. This pack is available for $226 to $319.

Key Features(for large-sized backpack, comes also in small and medium):

Capacity: 4,760 cubic inches
Weight: 6 pounds 2 ounces
Exterior pockets: 8+ main
Access points: Top/front/bottom
Trip I’d love to take it on: The Adirondacks in upstate New York.