The best men's backpacking backpack overall
The Osprey Atmos AG 65 focuses on providing absolute comfort no matter how far you're hiking or how much cargo you're hauling. Its 65-liter capacity may be too much for anyone setting out on an overnight trip, as it's meant more for a weekend or longer excursions. Even when it's not completely full, the pack never feels as though it's flopping around on your back or creating a poor fit.
It features a top-loading design in its main compartment, as well as several exterior pockets designed to hold water bottles, ice climbing tools, or trekking poles. The Atmos also has a zippered bottom area designed to hold a sleeping bag, as well as removable exterior straps which are used to secure a sleeping pad.
For load management, Osprey's LightWire frame connects the upper part of the pack to the hip-belt and central core to help distribute weight. Compression straps located on both the upper and lower part of the pack also reduce the pack's bulk and balanced out heavier loads during our tests.
Its best feature is the Anti-Gravity ventilated mesh back panel which contoured to our back to create a snug fit. This helped evenly distribute weight, specifically taking it off our shoulders, hips, and back. This allowed us to carry more weight without feeling bogged down.
At $270, the Osprey Atmos AG 65 is one of the best values among any picks on this list. Being uncomfortable can quickly ruin any backpacking trip, so investing in a pack like this one is always well worth the money.
Pros: Osprey's Anti-Gravity mesh back panel molds to your back to create a comfortable, custom fit, included FlapJacket fly helps protect against rainy weather, and its upper and lower compression straps reduce load weight
Cons: Size could be bulky for smaller people or short, day trips
The best men's backpacking backpack for short trips
Backpacking trips don't always need to be grueling multi-day treks, so when shorter daytrips or overnighters are on the agenda, REI Co-op's Traverse 35 is the pack you'll want. Small enough to avoid slowing you down but with enough cargo space to support you for one or two days on the trail.
Even for a smaller pack, it's loaded with features geared toward making backpacking easier. REI designed its back panel to provide extra lumbar support while remaining breathable and flexible. It has a contoured hip-belt with foam padding throughout which sits snug against your body to create a custom fit.
On longer trips when we had more cargo, the pack's Uplift Compression tech helped raise its load while pulling it toward our center of gravity. This helped with pack stability which left us better balanced, and the pack better supported, while we hiked.
Other features include compatibility with a hydration pouch, an included rain fly, and external tool keepers for trekking poles or ice axes. It also has conveniently-placed bottle pockets which allow you to easily remove and place back water bottles.
The Traverse 35 retails for just $139 and is a great option for anyone just getting into backpacking but not interested in investing in a larger, more expensive model.
Pros: Smaller capacity perfect for day trips, compatible with hydration pouches, contoured foam hip belt provides a snug and comfortable fit, UpLift Compression tech raises the load to improve stability, and it's inexpensive
Cons: Not suitable for anyone planning on spending multiple days off-grid
The best men's backpacking backpack for durability
It's not just your body that's able to take a beating on backpacking trips -- your gear inevitably will, too. If you plan on backpacking in dense wooded areas or you find that your gear tends to get more scratched and scraped than you like, then Hyperlite Mountain Gear's 2400 Southwest Pack is your answer.
Constructed out of durable Dyneema fabric, the pack can be taken into the harshest environments with confidence. Dyneema's light weight also helps reduce overall pack weight, something that proved to be beneficial when this 40-liter bag was packed to the brim. Its size is perfect for three-day treks and can even be an option for ultralight backpackers setting out for four or five days.
Its roll-top closure system is easy to secure, though it did make it slightly difficult to reach gear in the bottom of the pack while we were on-the-move. There are a few external pockets to store gear that we could quickly access, but these are limited to the front of the pack. Vertical and horizontal compression straps along the sides of the pack help properly secure loads, which was especially useful when the pack wasn't completely full.
Its interior houses a mesh hydration sleeve that's separate from the main compartment, so it won't take up valuable gear space. Other features include fully-seamed seals to keep water out, as well as ice axe loops. The pack is a little expensive at $310 but it's durability more than validates the investment.
Pros: Constructed out of durable and lightweight Dyneema fabric, 40-liter volume offers enough cargo space for weekend trips, specific hydration pack pocket, and features seamed seals to keep rain out
Cons: Only offers a few external pockets that can fill up easily
The best men's backpacking backpack for heavy cargo
Every backpacker knows that despite their best-laid plans to keep their pack light, they often end up bringing much more gear than anticipated. With Gregory's Paragon 58, those heavy loads become much easier to handle, no matter how long the trip might be.
The pack achieves this by way of an incredibly lightweight frame and suspension system that clocks in several pounds lighter than any other pack on this list. Though it may not seem that crucial, every pound counts when you're hiking 10-plus miles for days on end and living solely out a backpack.
Along with its matrix ventilation system which promotes increased airflow, the Paragon 58 is best-suited for trips anywhere from three to five days long. The final days of any backpacking trip can feel as though food, water, and clean socks are at a minimum but we took its lower weight into consideration and packed extra. This let us get through even a five-day trip with ease.
One of its highlight features is its hydration sleeve which also doubles as a removable daypack. If we had camp setup, this allowed us to not have to haul our big 58-liter pack on short treks to a nearby river just to tote along water or food. The daypack's stitching wasn't the most durable and although it didn't come undone on our trips, we could see how it might when used often.
For $230, the Gregory Paragon 58 is a great backpacking option with incredible value. It's best-used for longer backpacking trips, or for anyone who has a hard time deciding on what to bring or what to leave behind.
Pros: Lightweight frame and suspension system makes heavy loads easier to haul, matrix ventilation system allows for increased airflow to keep your back cool, adjustable hip-belt makes it easy to customize the perfect fit, and its hydration sleeve doubles as a small daypack
Cons: The stitching on the daypack isn't very durable
The best suspension system men's backpacking backpack
A backpacking pack's suspension system has the ability to make or break a backpacking trip. Not only are they responsible for distributing the weight of a pack to make it more manageable for the wearer, but they help promote range of motion and establish a comfortable fit. Right now, no pack does suspension better than the Arc'teryx Bora AR 50.
Thanks to the brand's RotoGlide hip-belt, its suspension system is designed to completely rotate side to side while also offering free movement up and down. What this does is that with every step, the pack slides in either direction to allow for a natural stride, even when its packed full. This also reduces chafing and helps wearers maintain balance.
Though this is helpful for any length of trip, we found it to be especially useful during weekend trips where our pack needed to carry the most gear. Whether crouching underneath a fallen tree, or stepping up onto a high rock, the suspension system helped the pack remain stable through a wide range of motion.
The pack also features a number of internal and external pockets which helped keep gear organized. Its exterior kangaroo pocket was great for storing snacks we could access quickly, and would also function well for stashing wet gear. There are also side pockets sized for water bottles, as well as loops for trekking poles.
Arc'teryx designed the Bora AR 50 as a top-loading pack but included side zippers to make it easier to access gear stored at the bottom. The pack is also compatible with hydration pouches and features external storage loops for ice axes.
It's the most expensive pack on this list at $500, but no other model offers as functional a suspension system as the Bora AR 50.
Pros: Best suspension system on the market makes heavy loads feel lighter and promotes a wide range of movement, pivoting hip belt helps avoid the displacement of pack weight, constructed out of weatherproof materials, and large enough capacity for weekend trips
Cons: Expensive