Different Kinds of Hiking Backpacks

Many people have several hiking backpacks so that they have one to suit each type of camping or backpacking trip. Some of the smaller daypacks consist of a pouch and a belt. This locates the weight of the pouch and its load in the center of your back. This kind of back pack is very easy to carry because you do not have a lot of weight on your back or straps on your shoulder. It is very well-suited to short day trips where you only need a snack, something to drink and maybe a change of socks. Some of the newer versions of these backpacks do have shoulder straps and are a bit bigger allowing you to carry more gear.

A necessary backpack for hiking, if you are only going on a short trip, is a hydration pack. This type of pack holds a drinking tube so you always have water handy when you need it. Some of these bags consist only of the water container, while others have pockets on the side so that it looks like a small version of real backpack gear. The larger travel backpacks that have a place for a water container usually have a compartment where you can fit the container and a hole at the top where you can insert the straw.

Some of the other types of backpacks that are on the market are:

• Day Packs. These packs have the same style as the larger models with shoulder straps, but no hip belt. Some day pack models may have a chest strap so that you back does not take the weight of the gear.
• Mid-Size backpacks. This gear is designed for those occasions when you only want to travel for a few days and do not need to take a lot of equipment with you. They are also ideal for those people who want to go hiking for the day, but also like to take along cameras or sketch pads.
• Expedition Backpacks. This is where the variation in the type of backpacks really starts to expand. Within this range of larger packs you have more options available to you. You can choose backpacks with internal or external frames, different numbers of pockets, dual access, and splash covers.