Best Backpacking Backpacks (2026)

Weights, volumes and list prices are the makers' published figures; each product page links the maker's page. The ULA Equipment Circuit is the second-lightest here at 1,092 g (38.5 oz) as ULA lists it, with 68 L and a list price of $299.99, and it comes in four torso sizes. The Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 is the lightest at 885 g (31.2 oz) as Gossamer Gear lists it. The Gregory Baltoro 65 has the highest published load rating, 27.2 kg, and the Naturehike Rock 2.0 45L the lowest list price, $99.99. The Osprey Atmos AG 65 and Exos 48 come in two sizes, each with an adjustable torso, which helps if you fall between sizes. Fit decides more than any of these figures; the next section says why.

The six packs in this guide run from 885 g (31.2 oz) to 2,230 g (78.7 oz) as their makers publish them. Those figures are worth comparing, but fit decides more than any of them: a lighter pack whose hipbelt sits off your hip bones carries worse than a heavier one that fits. Figures are the makers' published specs. RidgeNote has not carried or tested these packs; the fit advice is general practice, not a test result.

Below: how to choose by torso length, volume, frame and load range, then the six packs, each with a reason to skip it.

Start with torso length, not height (how to measure is under Getting the fit right). The Circuit comes in Small 15–18 in through X-Large 24 in and over; the Gorilla 50 in Small 16–18 in through Large 20–22 in; the Atmos AG 65 and the Exos 48 come in two sizes, each with an adjustable torso. The hipbelt should wrap the top of the hip bones and take most of the load. If its padding stops short of your hip points, the size is wrong.

Volume: everything here is 45 to 68 L, a common range for three-season trips of one to five nights. Bulkier gear needs the top of that range; a compact kit fits 48 L. Makers count volume differently. ULA's 68 L for the Circuit includes the pockets and extension collar, with 39.3 L in the main body. Gossamer Gear's 50 L for the Gorilla includes 32 L of main body. Compare the breakdowns, not the headline.

Frame and load: every pack in this guide has a frame (the Gorilla 50's is removable), because a frame moves weight from the shoulders to the hips. Frameless packs suit light total loads and need careful packing. Whatever the frame, stay inside the published load range: Osprey publishes 11 to 14 kg for the Exos 48, Naturehike 12 to 15 kg for the Rock 2.0, and Gregory a 27.2 kg load rating for the Baltoro 65. A light suspension loaded past its range is uncomfortable.

ULA Equipment Circuit (1,092 g, 38.5 oz, MSRP $299.99, 68 L total): a carbon-fiber and Delrin hoop with a single aluminum stay and a foam frame sheet, with 400 Robic fabric on the bottom panel and side pockets, where packs wear first. Skip it if weight is the deciding figure: it is 207 g heavier than the Gorilla 50.

Osprey Exos 48 (1,255 g, 44.3 oz, MSRP $265.00, 48 L in S/M): the AirSpeed suspended-mesh backpanel holds the pack body off your back for ventilation, on a 4 mm LightWire frame with 4 in of torso adjustment. Osprey publishes a 25 to 30 lb (11 to 14 kg) load range. Skip it if you often carry more than 14 kg, or need every liter: the curved backpanel takes some room from the main compartment.

Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 (885 g, 31.2 oz, MSRP $275.00, 50 L total, 32 L main body): the lightest pack here, with a removable closed-shape aluminum frame and a pivoting hipbelt, in 70D and 100D recycled Robic nylon. Taking the frame out saves weight, but only suits a light total load. Skip it if your loads are heavy or long food carries are common: the lighter fabric and suspension suit a smaller load, and the Circuit gives more volume for 207 g more.

Gregory Baltoro 65 (2,230 g, 78.7 oz, 65 L): the heaviest pack here, with a perimeter alloy frame, a fiberglass cross-stay, top and front U-zip access, and a published 27.2 kg load rating, the highest published rating in this group. It is built for bear canisters, winter kit or shared group gear. Skip it if your total load stays under about 14 kg: you would carry 2,230 g of pack for capacity you do not use.

Naturehike Rock 2.0 45L (1,200 g, 42.3 oz, MSRP $99.99, 45 L): $165.01 below the next-cheapest pack here by list price, with a pre-curved aluminum frame, a published 12 to 15 kg recommended load, and a main fabric Naturehike states as 94% aramid fiber and 6% UHMWPE. It suits a first pack or a loaner. Skip it if you need an adjustable torso: it has none, so check your back length against Naturehike's size chart before ordering.

Osprey Atmos AG 65 (2,092 g, 73.8 oz, 65 L): the Anti-Gravity suspended mesh runs from the backpanel into the hipbelt, the torso adjusts while you wear it, and 65 L takes bulky gear. Skip it if your kit is compact: it weighs 1,000 g more than the Circuit, which has similar total volume.

Measure your torso (C7 vertebra to the top of the hip bones, with a helper and a soft tape) and your hip circumference at the top of the hip bones, not your waist. Brands size on these two numbers and do not agree with each other, so your size in one brand may not carry over to another.

If you can try a pack, load it with 10 to 14 kg, center the hipbelt on your hip bones, snug the shoulder straps until they touch without carrying weight, and walk stairs for ten minutes. Small pressure points get worse over a full day.

What size pack do I need? For three-season trips of one to five nights, 45 to 65 L covers most kits, with bulkier gear at the top of the range. Size for your usual trip, not the rare long one.

How much should the pack weigh? Less than fit and load range matter. Start with packs that fit your torso and hips and whose published load range covers your total weight with some margin, then compare weight among those. A pack used inside its range carries better than a lighter one pushed past it.

Can I use a 65 L pack for weekends? Yes. Compression straps take up the empty space. The reverse is the harder problem: gear strapped outside a pack that is too small shifts the balance.