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In this report

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Hiking Backpacks: Ratings of Sources
Total of 14 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Backpacker Magazine
Mar. and Apr. 2008
2008 Gear Guide
by Editors of Backpacker Magazine
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This backpacking magazine tests more backpacks than any other publication we've found, putting dozens of models through rigorous field testing. The March 2008 Gear Guide provides brief, well-categorized… reviews, recommends the top backpacks for day, weekend and extended hikes, and includes a specifications chart that includes most backpacks currently available. A few women's backpacks are also reviewed here, but not ranked. The Apr. issue gives the 2008 Editors' Choice Award to the Gregory Baltoro 70 backpack. (Note that Backpacker reviews the newest backpacks each year, while quite a few earlier award-winning packs may be a still be excellent choices.)

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2. Outside Magazine
May 2007
Outside Magazine's Summer Buyer's Guide
by Editors of Outside Magazine
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Outside Magazine gives its 2007 Gear of the Year Award to the Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian, praising its comfort, durability and versatility - sized for extended trips as well as for weekend hikes. Seven other backpacks sized for weekend hikes also get brief reviews here based on field testing. Four women's backpacks get reviews, but all seem to have significant drawbacks.
3. REI.com
As of Apr. 2008
Internal Frame Backpacks
by Contributors to REI.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment The owner-written backpack reviews and ratings are especially easy to browse here, since the list of backpacks shows each model's average rating plus the number of reviews on which it's based. You can also filter the list to show just backpacks designed for day trips, weekend trips or multi-day trips - which REI terms "extended trips."
4. REI.com
As of Apr. 2008
Women's Backpacks – Weekend Trip, Extended Trip
by Contributors to REI.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

You can filter the owner-written reviews and ratings of backpacks here to show just the packs designed for women. The list shows not only the average rating, but the number of reviews on which it's based.… Three top-rated backpacks cover a good price range, with the least expensive of the three actually getting the best ratings at the time of our report. When you click on a specific backpack, a summary lists the pros and cons most often mentioned in the individual reviews (which are also available for more detail).

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5. BackpackingLight.com
Aug. 2006
Super-Ultralight Backpacks Review Summary
by Will Rietveld
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Backpacking Light editors review ultralight backpacks based on rigorous comparison tests, but the roundup reviews often lag a year or two behind the newest backpacks available. These new backpacks do get… previews and often very detailed, well-illustrated single-product reviews. But it's not always easy to compare backpacks here. Gear Guides with photos and specifications help fill this gap. Many of the backpacks tested for earlier separate roundup reviews have been superseded by later models, but in general, backpacks by GoLite, Granite Gear and Gossamer Gear rate well here.

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6. Lightweight Backpacking and Camping
2006
"Backpacks" and "Backpack Weight"
by Ryan Jordan and George Cole
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This book is aimed at people who want to try ultralight backpacking, so the two chapters on backpacks are key. The authors urge backpackers to keep pack weight to 25 pounds and wear lightweight boots… weighing no more than two pounds. The most popular backpack sizes for ultralight backpackers are 2,440 to 2,750 cubic inches for weekend hikes, and 3,355 to 4,000 cubic inches for longer hikes. (Note that all these packs fall in the "weekend" size in Backpacker Magazine's roundup review.) The book recommends lightweight frames even for ultralight packs, for the best ergonomics and since pack weight declines as the food supply is used up.

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7. BackpackGearTest.org
As of Apr. 2008
Internal / External Frame Pack Reviews
by Editors and contributors to BackpackGearTest.org
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Unlike most sites that publish owner-written backpack reviews, this one screens the reviewers and requires detailed reports of field tests. The reviews of backpacks are organized by model but not… consolidated in any way, so the site doesn't make it easy to compare or rank models. Once you've narrowed your choice to a few backpacks, however, this is an excellent site to check because the reviews are quite objective. Just note that manufacturers often improve a backpack model, so older reviews may highlight problems that have been resolved.

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8. Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail
1997
"Chapter 8: Packs, Tents, Stoves, and Guides"
by Roland Mueser
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The recommendations in this book are based primarily on a survey of 136 long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Backpackers proved much more satisfied with internal-frame backpacks than with the… external-frame packs typical of the time. Gregory backpacks were by far the most satisfactory (at the time this book was published), sharing a low repair rate with packs made by Lowe. JanSport backpacks rank lowest in the survey, with Kelty is the middle. While the product recommendations here are out of date, the general buyer's guide advice is valuable.

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9. National Geographic Adventure
Nov. 2006
Best of Adventure 2007 Gear: The Overnight Pack
by Editors of NationalGeographic.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This annual adventure gear guide issue picks just one backpack, recommending the Gregory Z55 backpack for its light weight, versatile size and tough durability. This is a respected publication in the adventure field, but it's not clear how many other backpacks were considered, and whether or not any testing was done.
10. Amazon.com
As of Apr. 2008
Internal Frame Backpacks
by Contributors to Amazon.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Only a few hiking backpacks have accumulated enough owner-written reviews here to make the ratings credible. However, this is a good site to check for budget backpacks.
11. Backpacking.net
Feb. 12, 2007
The 18-Pound, 3-Day Pack!
by Charles Lindsey
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This 18-pound list of clothing, gear and food for a weekend trip will interest anyone who wants to lighten the pack load. Another list at this site covers 27 pounds of packing for a seven-day trip. The main relevance for this report is that both lists use the same 4,000-cubic-inch pack, confirming the idea that if you can only buy one backpack, this is a good size if you can keep your gear light.
12. Moosejaw.com
As of May 2008
Backpacks
by Contributors to Moosejaw.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This list of backpacks sold here shows the average rating based on owner-written reviews, but you have to click on each backpack to find out how many reviews back up the ratings.
13. Trailspace.com
As of May 2008
Backpacks
by Contributors to Trailspace.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Owners rate and review a lot of backpacks here, but only a few have more than a handful of reviews. Two Arc'teryx Boro backpacks are an exception, clearly ranking at the top at the time of our report.
14. OutdoorReview.com
As of May 2008
Internal Frame Backpacks
by Contributors to OutdoorReview.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment You can sort the enormous list of owner-rated backpacks by average rating, but so many backpacks get positive reviews here that it doesn't help much to narrow the choice. Other sites that let you filter the backpacks by type or weight are more helpful.

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