Hiking backpacks

A hiking bag, yes, but for what purpose?

Whether you're doing a day hike or going on a 5-day trek in the high mountains on your own, your needs won't be the same. For a day hike, you'll only need to take your water bottles, a rain jacket, warm clothing such as a fleece, sun cream and a meal or snack. For an active stroll or walk, a 15-30 litre bag should suffice.

On the other hand, if you're going to spend several days trekking in the mountains in total autonomy, you'll need to carry all your equipment, such as your tent, a mattress, a duvet, a stove and enough to eat, without neglecting comfort. In this case, you'll need to opt for long-distance bags with a much larger volume, i.e. 50, 60, 70, 80 or even 100 litres. For added practicality, some hiking bags offer a wide range of pockets for storing your belongings.

Choosing a hiking bag that's right for you

As mentioned above, quality hiking bags are adapted to your body type. Whether you're a man, woman or child, backpacks not only adapt to the size of the wearer, but also have a structure designed to fit your body type. Women's hiking bags generally have shorter backs and shoulder straps than men's bags. The shoulder straps are also designed not to cross the chest for women. On the other hand, women's hiking bags have a wider waist belt to sit better on the hips.

No two people will choose the same bag, depending on their size. A 1.50m woman will not choose the same hiking backpack as a 1.80m woman, and a 1.60m man will opt for a different bag to a 1.90m hiker.

How heavy should a hiking bag be?

The weight of your hiking bag should be adapted to your size, shape and physical condition. It's important to know that a long-distance hiking bag alone can weigh between 2 and 3kg. Next, you need to adapt the weight of your bag and load to your own weight and physical capacity. It is generally recommended that the weight of the bag should not exceed 15% of the weight of the wearer for an adult. If you weigh 60kg, this corresponds to a bag weighing 9kg, if you weigh 79kg this corresponds to a bag weighing 10.5kg. If you're an athlete, you can increase the load to 20% of your body weight. For children's bags, the weight of the hiking bag must not exceed 10% of their weight.

You should therefore pay attention to the equipment you are going to take on your trip to ensure that the bag is as light as possible.

Discover our blog article on how to prepare your trekking bag