Which backpack to choose

Italiano

Whether you will be walking from one point to another according to a predetermined route, or you are planning a trip, you will need a storage bag, which is more comfortable to have on your shoulders to have your hands free and distribute the weight. The backpack is a travel companion, in fact you can't help but bring personal effects, spare clothing or to cover yourself, which you will become attached to if you choose the right one. You also need to store the clothes you are wearing that are too many when the temperature starts to rise. Which backpack to choose depends on how long you will be away and on the equipment to face the natural difficulties of the route and the distance from inhabited centers. You will choose your hiking backpack for its size and technical characteristics. After numerous times you have left at home what you need and carried unnecessary things on your shoulders, which have slowed down your path, you will learn what to put in your hiking backpack.

How long does the excursion last

How many things will fit in the backpack essentially depends on its volume, i.e. its capacity, expressed in liters. The duration of your excursion is the first aspect to consider when choosing the right backpack because the necessary things grow as the days increase.[^] For a day trip you will choose a small backpack, if you believe that you just need to have only your personal effects, a towel and a spare shirt (and one or two external water bottles) one of the size between 10 and 15 liters is sufficient, otherwise one up to 25 liters. The weight of the empty backpack varies between 300 and 600 grams. Another parameter is the length of the bust, adjustable to your height. The growing popularity of fast and light hiking, trail running, has been satisfied (and possible) with the creation of minimalist, absolutely comfortable backpacks. The means of transport with which you travel also influences the choice, in the car you can leave items of clothing that are only useful for the journey, otherwise you have to carry them with you in a larger backpack.

On a two-day hike or a one-day winter hike, where a spare sweater and jacket take up space, you need a bigger backpack than a summer day hike, with a volume of up to 35 liters. The larger ones are for three day, one week excursions. Whoever goes on via ferrata or climbs, the "vertical world", brings with them a rock helmet, harness, lanyards and carabiners that take up a lot of space.

Technical backpacks

A backpack for walking in the mountains has many more features than a normal backpack. They are made of nylon, Cordura or polyester, but there are other materials as well.[^] The backpack has at least two compartments that open with a zipper from the top, the largest can have a divider. In the outer ones there are pockets where to divide small objects that must remain hidden, keys, telephone, wallet, and closed with a zipper. Outside a technical backpack there is space for bottles or flasks and attachment points for specific equipment, such as telescopic poles,[^] crampons and ice ax. For the comfort of the hiker, you need soft, breathable and adjustable shoulder straps, a waist strap to stabilize the load, an adjustable sternum strap, a reinforced base, and, for longer ones, an ergonomic structure for the lower back. Even in the rain, the precious internal load does not have to get wet, and an integrated waterproof backpack cover is better than one that you forget at home.

How much do they cost

The cost of a backpack often depends on the quality of the materials used, as well as on its characteristics. A small ultralight backpack can cost as much or more than a technical backpack of over 35 liters, which can weigh as much as 1 kg. A reasonable price range for hiking backpacks is between 70 and 100 euros. The advantage is that most of the backpacks, used with good manners, without overloading them, are almost indestructible.

Mauro's backpacks

The backpack I wear on my shoulders is much more than a highly specialized bag that houses and carries useful objects for the excursion, it identifies me and lasts many seasons, like the shirt for a footballer who always plays on the same team.

A couple of years ago for my birthday my mother gave me the Salomon ADV Skin 12 backpack, so light and close to the body that it feels like a shirt worn on the back, the stabilizing straps have become an elastic cord. The new product made me realize once again the continuous progress in sports materials. In summer it is ideal for running towards the Grignone and climbing from Barzio to the Piani di Bobbio, more than enough for the essentials, a towel and a vest, in addition to the house keys, the telephone and the wallet. When I was leaving Milan by public transport towards the Lombard Pre-Alps, I needed a little more space because I was forced to change clothing from traveler to hiker. The North Face Animas 12[^] red backpack was and is oustanding for the mountains, so resistant and long lasting. The backpack is equipped with a three liter plastic bag for drinking from a tube. I then removed this tank due to the need for space and because the water stored in this type of plastic, as well as in water bottles, is not good and not easily digestible. My faded The North Face Animas 12 is still useful today to carry what you need for a trip.
In winter, I walk trails with a The North Face Borealis on my back, the model now called Classic, which is good anywhere and for various purposes, in the city, in the mountains, for school and for a laptop. Like the other two, it is not waterproof. Its 29-liter capacity fits heavier clothing, a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of water and even a windbreaker; I appreciate the numerous pockets and breast pockets, the resistant bottom, that allows a balanced load, and the stabilizing straps. If necessary, I push in the boots that I will use in deep snow.

References

1. "How to choose your hiking backpack". Salomon. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
2. "Backpack Material". In Backpack Construction. White Mountains. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
3. "How to Choose and Use Trekking Poles and Hiking Staffs". Rei. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
4. Bresler, Neal (30 April 2012) "Gear: Personal review of The North Face Animas hydration pack". Tech Trail Runner. Retrieved 22 March 2022.