Looking for a good hiking backpack?

OK. Hello Heidi, my track name is Cptn Buzz Lightyear, and I am a relatively experienced trekker, hiker, climber, and trudger. I have done both dedicated tracks and bushbashing, across terrains even I couldn't have imagined till I saw them, from beach to desert to mountain to cliff to dunes to many a variety of forrest or bush environment, and every environment is different so it is helpful of you to mention he is planning walking in Appalachian country. I have never seen the Appalachian Mountains, but I'm told it is cold, wet, and snowy, which means your boyfriend will need a pack that is waterproof and high density. The problem is that packs that have these qualities are well made by definition, and therefore relatively expensive. The good news is that your boyfriend is only going for a few days, so a super big pack is not neccessary, which brings the price down.

You do not mention the fitness level of your boyfriend, so I can't advise you regarding precisely what size pack he will need, but roughly 80 litres should suffice.

I don't know how your currency relates to pack value and quality, but $100 doesn't sound like a lot for a hiking pack, and since the pack is the second most important piece of equipment (after footwear) a hiker can own, I would personally suggest not buying your boyfriend any pack without him present. If you want it to be a surprise, get a gift voucher, and tell him to spend it on a new pack.

Every person's spine curvature is different, and a pack that is blissfully comfortable to one person can be torturous to another, so trying them on is essential before purchase. DO NOT buy online, unless he's tried on that exact same model in a store.

The harness is the most important component of a pack, because it is the way the pack is attached to the body. A 2:1 waist strap is a sign of comfort and quality, adjustable internal support beams that your boyfriend can manipulate to match his shape is essential. I would personally much MUCH prefer a pack with no pockets at all (like a giant sack), and with the best harness available, than lots of pockets, attachment points and other accessories and a harness from the 99c store. The purpose of the harness is to redistribute the weight of the pack (which will probably be between 15kg and 25kg) away from the shoulders and chest (preferably 100%, which good harnesses do), and onto the hips, where the load is then absorbed through the muscles in the legs, mostly by the quadraceps. External frame packs cannot do this (not to mention that in the cold an external frame becomes like the frozen light post in "dumb and dumber". Touch it with exposed skin and it sticks like superglue). The secondary purpose is to keep the load as close to the body as possible, which makes movement easier by maintaining your normal centre of gravity and sense of balance as best as possible.

I have heard stories regarding hikers being under threat by locals when walking the Appalachian Trail, which I believe has something to do with poverty and desparation in the area, so the advice I heard was never travel in groups of less than 10, and being alone at any time should be completely out of the question.

The link I've supplied below is my one stop shop for shopping advice of all things equipment regarding backpacking. I was even an employee for them for a short period, testing and reveiwing equipment in outback bush environments. Fun to do but very time consuming. I did however learn that when it comes to advice on backpacking, the experienced backpacker knows his equipment better than any salesman, and even most manufacturers LOL. I direct you here because the entire site is written, operated, and managed by people who live for the track. Every tester, every review.

The last piece of advice I can offer is that if your guy is tall, get a tall narrow pack rather than a squarish shape. I say this because although the depth will be the same (thereby making no difference regarding balance and centre of gravity, provided of course he knows to pack his load evenly and balanced inside the pack), his width will be narrower with a tall narrow pack, making it easier for him to move through the environment. It also means on long trudges he can hang lots more stuff on the outside for easy access. The only downside to narrow packs is that you need long arms to get what you need from the depths of the inside of the pack when in camp.

Anyway, good luck to you and your boyfriend, and happy thanksgiving to you too (whatever thanksgiving is, it sounds nice).

An external pack is better for heavier loads. If you have bulky and heavy gear that is the way to go, if he has lighted gear such as a down sleeping bag, small canister stove, light solo cookware, then I would suggest an internal backpack. They will fit closer to the body, easier to travel in thick forested areas, and are typically lighter and quieter. I would recommend a top-loading backpack, the last thing you want is a bad zipper while you are out in thee woods.

Recommended backpacks: Gregory G pack(100-130), Rei UL 45,60. These are all very light weight packs, so you would need very light gear to not overload, also try the REI ridgeline, very comfortable and is a hybrid external/internal frame.

Try the REI outlet website for some good deals. The problem is that he needs to be sized by his torso, even at that ever backpack will feel a little differentespeciallyy when loaded. You might try giving him a gift cardunlesss you want to give him something that he might have to exchange. Fit is most important thing, I have owned 10 different packs, the gregory and REI are going to beconsistentt is quality and reliability. Osprey are great but are a little more expensive, and Arc'teryx are the best waterproof but way out of most budgets. Hope this will help.

Molle compatible components are numerous. You must already realize that you can use the external straps to attach carabiners or webbing to your backpack. Suggestions: Molle waist pack; riflemans vest set; magazine pouch; canteen utility pouch; canteen cover; or first aid insert.

Without knowing if he's one of these gotta have new stuff, kind of guys, You might try an army surplus store, they're relatively inexpensive. I use a LRRP pack, and I think I only paid $30.00 for it, and then I've got a standard alice pack that is about half the size for about $20.00. they have lots of pockets , that's what I like about them

try this company...very affordable gear http://www.campmor.com/