Camping

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How To Choose The Best Hiking Backpack For Your Backpacking Adventures

Backpacks have come a long way since someone first decided it would be a good idea to carry all of their belongings on their back to leave their hands free for other stuff . . . yes, backpack and backpacking is rather scientific these days. Backpacks are scientifically designed by experts for extra comfort and durability, and there are lots of different types of backpacks for different types of backpackers.  It’s been proven that if you have a well fitting, well padded backpack which sits correctly on your back then you’ll be able to carry more weight comfortably over a longer period . . . that’s what my other half tries to tell me anyway, it’s his excuse for offering to buy me a new made to measure super duper back pack, so that I’ll carry some of his beer for him . . . what a cheek, like I’m gonna fall for that one! He can take a hike if that’s what he’s thinking, although I won’t say no to a new backpack . . . I’m not stupid you know!

Backpack Features

Did you know (well, I’ve already told you on another page but you might not have got that far yet) that these days backpack designers have even designed backpacks specifically for women. I don’t mean that they come in 3 different shades of pink and have a lovely flower motif, I mean that they are actually designed to fit a womans body, the boobs, the waists and everything (well, some women have waists anyway, and hiking is very good for the figure so I’m still working on mine).

What features might you get a choice of when you’re choosing your new backpack to make your hiking and backpacking adventures more comfortable and convenient.

• adjustable torso – so that you can make sure that your backpack fits you perfectly, and that you’re carrying the weight on your hips so that you can carry more weight for longer in more comfort
• sleeping bag compartment – good idea for those people who go on overnight hiking or backpacking trips (or for those who like an afternoon nap)
• raincover – some backpacks do have a raincover included which is a really great idea. You don’t want all of your worldly goods getting soaked through, that’s not a nice way to spend your hiking trip at all
• wide-mouth opening – reminds me of the joke about the “wide mouthed frog” but I won’t bore you with it, I’m sure you’ll have heard it before anyway, but a wide mouth opening on your backpack makes it much easier to pack, and to find and retrieve the energy bar which you’ve hidden from the rest of your hiking buddies but need to nibble on occasionally. It’s bound to be right at the very bottom of your backpack so a nice wide mouth opening makes back pack searching a little easier
• hydration compartment – ensuring that your backpack has a supply of lovely fresh drinking water whenever you want it
• big bite valve – for easy drinking of that lovely fresh drinking water direct from your backpack
• lots of pockets – so that you don’t have to route around in your backpack (even if it has a wide mouth opening) for your secret energy bar stash
• suspended mesh panels – are a really handy backpacking feature too, but no good for your secret energy bar stash (everybody would spot them)
• some backpacks even have a pocket for your laptop

 So there you have it. Backpacks are made and designed to carry a maximum weight safely, so when you go to the hiking equipment store to choose a new backpack you need to think about:

• what type of hiking do you do . . . do you need a large backpack for overnight trips or will a smaller backpack suffice for day hikes
• cyclists have their own backpacks too . . . if you want to carry your backpack on your bike then this needs to be taken into account
• how much weight will you realistically need to carry in your backpack
• are you a man or a woman
• will you need to take your laptop . . . really, can’t you live for one single hiking day without it . . . come on, get a life

That’s clever . . . pardon me for being a little slow but I’ve just twigged about the names of these backpacks, after all, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Wow, those backpack designers are a really clever bunch aren’t they?