The Best Backpacking Packs of 2025: Staff Picks

Backpackers seeking a perfect sack for one-night trips that can do double duty for day hikes love the Gregory Jade 43 (women’s) and Zulu 45 (men’s) for their just-right size and versatility. The capacity and feature set (more on this later) allow wearers to adapt the packs to a range of uses, from carrying extra toddler gear on a day trip to quick overnights and even multiday treks if you pack ultralight. Tim Bird, a department manager at the REI store in Farmington, Utah, recommends the Jade and Zulu to members who want a pack that works for several types of adventure.  

A large U-shaped zipper on the front of the pack offers fast access to items stashed inside—even gear on the bottom, which can be tricky to see and grab with a traditional top-loaded design. Other organizational details include a stretch-mesh outer pouch (perfect for stashing a wet rain shell), a strap on the shoulder harness for sunglasses and zippered pockets on the hipbelt to keep snacks and a smartphone within reach.  

The pack’s dynamic suspension design (which incorporates a lower back panel that moves independently from the bag) also earns props from backpackers who like how the hipbelt shifts with their body, not the load. Women report improved comfort with the Jade’s sculpted shoulder harness (the straps curve inward more than on the men’s version), says Erica Schiller, a sales specialist at the Denver, Colorado, REI store. “When other packs may pinch or press in the wrong spots around our shoulders, the Jade often provides alleviation as it is designed specifically for female upper-body shapes,” Schiller explains. 

The men’s version provides similar comfort with its wider straps. Says one customer-reviewer: "I bought this pack for my son’s 15th birthday, and we just finished a 37-mile backpacking trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington state. He said the comfort was amazing even under a 40-pound load, and he loved how simple but well-built it is."  

Backpackers also appreciate the lower price point: At $200, it’s the most affordable pack on this list. Buy women's. Buy men's. 

One surefire way to identify a good pack: Take note of what you see on the trail. The beloved Osprey Aura AG 50 (women’s) and Atmos AG 50 (men’s) are about as common as dandelions, and for good reason. Devotees praise the innovative AntiGravity (or "AG") suspension system, which makes bigger loads feel—get it?—almost weightless during multi-night trips. In lieu of a thick foam back panel, the Aura AG 50 and Atmos AG 50 use a trampoline-style 3D-suspended mesh all the way from the perimeter and through the lumbar and hipbelt. This allows for complete contact across your back to mitigate pressure points (important when carrying a load over several days) and provide superb load transfer to your hips. It also gets the bag off your back to encourage airflow.  

“The suspended mesh molds to your body and conforms to your movement and posture,” says Carlos Rodriguez, hard goods department manager at the REI Co-op store in Wichita, Kansas. That conformability appeals to hikers such as Atlanta REI store senior sales specialist Elizabeth Nguyen, who has scoliosis. “The mesh back of the Aura makes it the pack for me,” she says. 

Two easy-to-reach side pockets hold 32- to 48-ounce water bottles, loops on each side of the pack can stow trekking poles and a packable rain cover is included. All the Aura and Atmos’ materials are  bluesign®-approved, made with 100% recycled materials and have a nonfluorinated durable water repellant (DWR) finish. Buy women's. Buy men's. 

Yes, the Baltoro 75 (men’s) and Deva 70 (women’s) from Gregory weigh more than some large-capacity packs, but what they lack in weight savings they make up for in comfort—a detail that matters on weeklong epics. “The hipbelt, shoulder harness and back panel are extra cushioned, and the frame is sturdier, allowing the Baltoro/Deva to comfortably carry loads of up to 50 pounds,” says Tim Bird, department manager at the REI store in Farmington, Utah. The ultraplush lumbar pad molds to your back and fills in the space between your lower back and the pack, preventing the hipbelt from sliding down as you hike (a drift that can transfer the load from the pack’s suspension to your body). “Many customers say that the extra cushioning makes the additional weight less noticeable,” Bird says. And because a patented FreeFloat suspension design features a hipbelt, lower back panel and shoulder straps that flex with your body, heavy loads also feel less blocky and cumbersome.  

The mostly mesh back panel also provides better ventilation than you might expect from such a padded pack. As with smaller-capacity Gregory packs like the Jade and Zulu, organizational features abound, including a U-shaped zipper on the front of the main body that lets hikers see the entire pack’s contents at a glance. One Baltoro/Deva feature even appeals to your nose: The fabric has a Polygiene® Stays Fresh Technology finish that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. And a cleverly angled water bottle holster makes it easy to grab and replace a 32-ounce vessel without removing the pack. Buy women’s. Buy men's.  

If you're the sort of adventurer who plans to use your load hauler for backpacking as well as climbing, backcountry skiing and more, look no further than the Aether 65 (men’s) and Ariel 65 (women’s) from Osprey. These packs, made with bluesign®-approved materials, can accommodate climbing gear, wet items, fishing equipment—virtually everything short of a packraft. Dedicated anchor points attach to the 13-liter Osprey Daylite Pack (sold separately), allowing summit-baggers to travel light with the smaller sack and leave their larger one and any unnecessary gear at a backcountry base camp. The stretchy outer pouch can fit a pair of fishing waders or wading boots or be used to store soggy items away from food and insulating layers in the main compartment.   

Finding the right fit is also easier with the Aether and Ariel, thanks to extended sizing. The packs come in multiple torso sizes and multiple widths. Look for an “EF” (which stands for “extended fit”) when choosing among XS/S, M/L, S/M and L/XL options—the extended XS/S, for example, adds between 14 and 25 inches to the waist and hip circumference. “This allows me, as a pack fitter, to accommodate larger body types more easily and provides those backpackers with a more precise and comfortable fit, which is a game changer for many customers,” says Tim Bird, a department manager at the REI store in Farmington, Utah.  

All that versatility comes with a weight penalty, though. The smallest size of either pack is nearly 5 pounds—about a pound more than many other 65-liter bags sold at REI.  Buy women’s. Buy men’s.

If fast-and-light adventures are your jam, then this sub-2-pound backpack could be for you. Offered in three sizes in both men’s and women’s versions, the Flash Air 50 from REI Co-op uses a lightweight spring steel frame and a sturdy, padded hipbelt to support loads weighing up to 25 pounds. Most of its weight savings comes from weaving ripstop nylon (a lightweight, sturdy fabric) with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (a fabric that is highly resistant to tears) for a pack that is light yet durable. The bluesign®-approved material has a nonfluorinated durable water repellant (DWR) finish. 

“I was a bit wary of an REI product that was so lightweight,” says one customer-reviewer. "Ultralight backpacking packs are hard to make well, but this was a goodie.” 

This pack's features might be few (as you'd expect from gear designed for ultralight adventures), but they're clever. Customizable compression straps can be reconfigured to adjust the pack shape to your unique load. Open-topped side pouches adapt to a variety of objects, from water bottles to tent poles (a cinch cord prevents skinnier items from sliding out). A roll-top closure instead of a top lid allows you to adjust pack size to your cargo while keeping rain out. One detachable mesh pouch comes included with the pack so hikers can decide where they want small-item storage. Additional accessories (sold separately) allow further customization. “If I were thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail today, the Flash Air Pack would be at the top of my list for a lightweight thru-hiking pack,” says Tim Bird, department manager at the Farmington, Utah store. “The biggest downside of this pack is that it lacks the adjustability of a traditional full-size pack,” Bird continues. “It fits the majority of folks who try it on, but if it doesn’t fit, there’s often very little that can be done.” Buy women's. Buy men’s.

The ultra-adjustable Aircontact Core 50 + 10 and Aircontact 45 + 10 from Deuter are impressively versatile for their price point, allowing backpackers to invest in one pack for multiple scenarios. This adaptability is in part thanks to an adjustable back panel that can fit most people, tall or small—it features a webbing “ladder” and sturdy hook-and-loop tab that lets backpackers quickly and easily adjust the distance between the hipbelt and shoulder harness for on-trail fit adjustments or even a pack swap among trail mates. (One backpacking couple with a toddler takes turns carrying the child carrier pack and the Aircontact Core.) While there are two other packs in this guide that feature an adjustable panel (the Osprey Ariel and Osprey Aether), what sets this Deuter duo apart is the range of modification: Users can tighten or elongate the Aircontact 45 + 10 SL to fit someone as short as 5-foot-1 and as tall as 5-foot-8. The Aircontact Core 50 + 10 can fit a person up to 6-foot-7. Adding to each pack’s versatility is an expandable collar that enlarges or shrinks the bag depending on the load (this is where the "plus-10" liters comes from).   

Other features to love: A cushioned belt cradles the hip bones and supports heavy loads. The packs’ organizational details rival the feature-forward Gregory Zulu and Jade with a large, stretchy outer stash pocket; a stow port for sunglasses on the shoulder strap; a side pouch to secure tent poles or a fly rod; and two zippered pockets on the hipbelt for easy-to-reach snacks. Our one gripe: While there’s a hydration bladder port, there’s no dedicated holster to secure a bottle.  Buy women’s. Buy men’s.