Pros & Cons of Hiking With Backpacks

Many backpacks are made specifically for hiking. Hikers have a wide variety of backpack sizes and styles to choose from. Sizes range from small backpacks, with just enough room to carry the bare necessities, to backpacks big enough to hold camping gear. While there are obvious benefits of hiking with a backpack, there are also unpleasant side effects on the body which can be prevented by selecting a good-fitting and quality backpack.

  1. Food and Water

    • Hiking with a backpack means you can easily carry food and water. Pack a water bottle inside the backpack, use a backpack with a side pouch that holds a water bottle, or use a backpack with a hydration system. In a hydration backpack, the water is contained in a bladder system within the backpack; hikers access by sucking on a valve at the end of a connected tube. Hydration backpacks allow you to hydrate yourself without stopping.

    Other Supplies and Necessities

    • Carrying a backpack also means you can store other essential items and tools that come in handy for emergencies. A wallet, keys, compass, pocket knife, flashlight and a whistle are some items that easily fit in a backpack. Camping backpacks, which have internal frame designs that strap in sleeping bags and tents, allow you to hike to your base with all your gear. For multi-day hikes, some camping backpacks have detachable tops which can be used as daypacks, so you do not have to carry the entire load. At night, stuff the backpack with clothes and it becomes an instant pillow.

    Back Pain

    • Hiking with an ill-fitted backpack may lead to soreness and pain. When purchasing a backpack, carefully choose one with sturdy and strategically-placed straps that keep the backpack in place and evenly distribute weight. There should be padded straps and a back pad for alleviating pressure. For the best fit, choose a backpack with a frame size that corresponds to your torso length. Torso length is measured from the shoulders to the top of the hip bones. Someone with a torso length of 16 to 17 1/2 inches should get a small frame backpack, while someone with a torso length of 20 inches and more should get a large frame backpack.

    Sweat

    • Besides placing stress on the back, hiking with a backpack may also cause sweat build-up on the back. Backpacks with internal frames cause more sweat build-up because the pack is strapped close to the back. To alleviate this problem, you can purchase a backpack with a ventilation system. Some backpacks have a tension-mesh suspension system that allows for air space between the back and backpack.