- The right backpack can often spell the difference between a comfortable or pain-inducing trek, no matter if you’re only out on a day hike or embarking on a longer backpacking trip.
- Since women’s bodies are different, so, too, are the backpacks that work best for them – thankfully, many brands understand this and design packs specifically to fit women.
- Some of the most significant differences are with the shape and contour of a pack’s shoulder straps and hip belt, along with a harness designed to fit shorter torsos.
- We tested several packs across various backpacking and hiking trips to find the best from brands like Mammut, Mystery Ranch, and Osprey.
Not all bodies are created equal and furthermore, women are not small men. Thankfully, backpack manufacturers get that. The days of brands deciding to just “shrink it and pink it” is over. Today, women’s backpacking packs are designed specifically to fit a female body – and they’re a game-changer.
There are a few key differences between the design of a men’s pack compared to that of a women’s. The shoulder straps and hip belt are shaped and contoured differently to accommodate a woman’s structure and anatomy while its harness is built to fit shorter torsos.
Though some gear categories see women’s products made from lower-quality materials and technical innovations compared to the men’s, the design and quality of women’s backpacks are top-notch. So, whether you’re on the trail for a quick overnighter or heading out on a multi-day expedition, here are a few of our favorite women’s hiking backpacks.
Here are the best women’s hiking backpacks:
- Best durable backpack: Mammut Trea Spine 50
- Best backpack for overnighters: Deuter Futura Pro 38 SL
- Best load hauler backpack: Mystery Ranch EX Glacier
- Best for travel backpacking: Osprey Fairview Trek 50
- Best affordable backpack: Kelty Redwing 50
- Best backpack for big trips: Granite Gear Blaze 60
- Best backpack for fast and light adventures: Salomon Out Night 28+5 W
- Best versatile backpack: The North Face Women’s Griffin 65
- Best value backpack: Gregory Maven 65
- Best everyday pack suitable for backpacking: Mountainsmith Mayhem 45
Updated on 7/28/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the copy for each recommended pack, checked the availability of all products, and updated the links and pricing where necessary.
The best durable backpack
If you scramble or squeeze through tight trees and rocks while hiking, there’s nothing better suited to resist wear and tear than Mammut’s Trea Spine 50L.
I typically use the Trea Spine for summer backpacking, though it didn’t sit just in my closet for the rest of the year. Ski-carry straps and ice axe fasteners also make it winter adventure-ready, allowing me to use it on a ski touring trip loaded with axes and crampons for a day of ice climbing.
This pack features a weather-resistant, water-shedding fabric and coated Cordura that showed no signs of damage even after scrambling through slot canyons in Utah. It's also one of the most comfortable packs I've worn.
The shoulder straps and hip harness move independently - a welcome feature for when you want your movement to be unrestricted. Regardless of how awkwardly I hiked up a hillside or rock slab, my load always felt stable, and I never felt pulled off balance.
I loved the flexible loading options, too. Its contents are accessible via the top collar or a full-length side zipper, and I felt there were just enough pack pockets (including an oversized hip pocket) to keep me organized. There's even a gear-racking harness loop on the right hip that proved handy on a rappel - it was also a great place to attach a dog leash.
Weight: 4 lb, 10.4 oz
The best backpack for overnighters
At 38 liters, Deuter's Futura Pro is best suited for warm-weather backpacking but it's plenty big to fit all the gear for a weekend in the woods.
Deuter's Futura Pro is a warm hiker or backpacker's dream, as its signature hammock back keeps the pack away from your body, allowing sweat to evaporate, creating a more comfortable overall fit.
It's a top loader with long, tubular side-zippered side pockets, as well as a stuff pocket that I used to carry lunch, a jacket, and a dog leash, to name a few. If you only need a bag for a quick overnighter, the Future Pro is your best choice.
Weight: 3 lbs, 8 oz.
The best load hauler backpack
When you need maximum capacity for carrying the heaviest and biggest loads, Mystery Ranch's EX Glacier manages it better than any pack we've tested.
Mystery Ranch makes packs specifically for hunters and military personnel who use their gear harder than anyone else, and they've used that experience in helping design the EX Glacier.
The pack is relatively heavy at more than 5.5 lbs. but with that extra weight comes an abundance of space. The top-loading design makes it easy to stuff all your gear, though we do recommend using packing cubes or stuff sacks to organize it all. The winged sleeping bag compartment at the bottom also has a divider to help separate part of the load, too. There's even a full side zipper to allow easy access to what's packed.
Its vertical torpedo pockets on the front are larger than they look, and front daisy chains let you clip on more gear. Water bottle pockets keep hydration handy, while side compression straps cinch in your load as it gets smaller.
The hip belt doesn't have side pockets but molle attachments allow compatible pouches to be added. Its hip belt and shoulder straps are a bit overbuilt, though that's to be expected with something designed for the military and hunting crowd.
Weight: 5 lbs, 9.6 oz
The best for travel backpacking
Osprey's latest Fairview pack is as good at peak-bagging as it is priority boarding, working well as both an adventure and travel pack.
Not every backpacking trip takes you through the backcountry. Sometimes you're moving from plane to train to rickshaw, with stops at a hostel or two before hitting the trail - and the Fairview pack can handle it all.
Inside the top lid in a pocket marked "Aircover," there's a duffel bag style cover that fully encases the pack when you need to check it, store it at a hotel, or stash it under a bus. It not only protects the pack from wear and tear but also serves as a theft deterrent of sorts. Plus, if you overshop at a local market, the cover doubles as an extra duffel.
This panel loading pack also has built-in compression in the main compartment to keep your gear from shifting. When that's full, the pack stands up thanks to an extra frame built into the bottom. The sturdy waistbelt, articulated shoulder straps, and venting are comparable to what Osprey uses on its most core backpacking packs.
As is the harness adjustment system, which lets you change the bag's torso length with a simple pull of a tab. Hip pockets, oversized stretch side pockets, and a hydration sleeve complete this travel-ready pack.
Weight: 4 lbs, 1 oz.
The best affordable backpack
Kelty's Redwing pack not only sports an inexpensive price tag but it's got the comfort, durability, and space of a pack that's typically much more expensive.
Not every backpacker needs all the bells, whistles, or brand name fabrics but the downside to shopping cheap is sacrificing the quality necessary for a successful trip. With the Kelty Redwing, you get high quality at an incredible value.
The bucket-style main compartment peels back to allow for hybrid top and panel loader packing, opening up halfway with a long zipper that makes the main compartment easy to access. Four large external pockets organize everything from food and cookware to toiletries and camp shoes.
Oversized daisy chains down the pack double as haul straps while its mesh side pockets are big enough to hold a sleeping pad and a lite Nalgene-style water bottle. The shoulders and back are comfortably padded and the back is also vented, for comfortable carrying. A universal Velcro torso adjustment system means one-size-fits-all.
Weight: 3 lbs, 11 oz.
The best backpack for big trips
A multi-week backpacking trip requires a strategic and specific setup, and Granite Gear's Blaze 60L is the bag you want to help you hit the trail with confidence.
Vermont's Long Trail is a two-week, 273-mile trek with nearly 70,000 feet of climbing. A trip like this requires a pack built for the challenge and Granite Gear's Blaze 60L is exactly that. Getting the pack fit perfectly to my body was a little complicated but after toying with the plastic pack frame and its tethered clips, I was able to set it and forget it.
When properly adjusted, it's one of the most comfortable and functional packs available. I packed it with a little over 30 pounds of gear and it rested comfortably on the articulated, well-padded hip belt and shoulder straps. Granite Gear says it's even able to carry up to 50 pounds and still maintain a high level of comfort.
The pack's custom nylon pack fabric is also extremely durable. I threw it, sat on it, and even scraped it and it survived. When I took a side excursion and didn't want to bring the whole bag, I appreciated its fully removable lid. The pack's organization was simple and practical, too. A big lid pocket held my headlamp, extra snacks, sunscreen, and wallet while a tip to tail front stuff pocket held extra layers.
Side pockets accommodated a tent and sleeping pad, leaving plenty of space in the main compartment for kitchen and clothing. The main compartment closes with a rolltop to ward off weather and when I accidentally packed my map at the bottom of the bag, I appreciated its hidden side zip access.
Weight: 3 lbs
The best backpack for fast and light adventures
Sometimes less is more, even when you're backpacking, and minimalists will appreciate Salomon's frame-free, fast, light, and streamlined Out Night pack.
The most notable and unique feature about Salomon's Out Night pack is the way it attaches to its harness. It's fixed, not adjustable, so it's important to figure out your exact size before buying. The harness is sewn to the pack bag but not to the edges, meaning that when the pack is stuffed to capacity, it won't feel like you're carrying something torquing on your shoulders or hurting your back.
Despite its minimum weight, it's able to carry everything you'd need for an overnight summer trip. It can also be used for day trips when you need more pack space than what a hydration or day pack provides - or technical features, like the ability to carry an ice axe or trekking poles.
Weight: 1 lb, 10 oz.
The best versatile backpack
With The North Face's Griffin, those on the fence about whether they prefer a top-loading pack or a panel loader will be happy because it offers both.
Loading your pack is an art, and experienced backpackers often have strong opinions about whether a panel loader (a pack with a front that fully unzips) or a top loader (a pack you load like an open-top barrel) is preferable. The North Face's Griffin makes it so you don't have to choose just one style.
A curving zipper gives full access to the main compartment for panel-style loading, or you can load the pack through its weather-resistant, cinching collar. Another thing I love about the Griffin is that instead of a removable lid that awkwardly converts to a hip pack, it has a quick-release "flying squirrel" daypack that clips off in seconds.
The pack also has an oversized four-pocket lid, big stretchy hip pockets, and on-the-fly harness adjustments that let you tweak your load carrying without removing the pack. The hip belt and shoulders pivot independently for unhindered movement, too and the back panel foam has a breezy channel that was particularly welcome on hot and humid summer hikes.
Weight: Not provided.
The best value backpack
The Gregory Maven 65 is a versatile pack that offers some of the best value of any pack on this list, featuring an adjustable harness, spacious side pockets, a hydration reservoir, and so much more for just $250.
It's hard to pigeonhole this top-loading, side-access pack because it does so many things right. It's light considering all it offers, from a stable and supportive frame to a sturdy, well-padded and easily adjustable harness. But most of all, this pack just feels great when worn, regardless of how heavy or light I packed it.
Where many backpacking packs have a few standout features, this pack's specs read like a wishlist of features such as its spacious side pockets, its roomy sunglasses holder, and multi-pocket lid. One of its most clever features is a hydration reservoir that converts to a fast and light daypack with a shoulder harness and accessory pocket. Another is how easy it is to adjust to find the perfect fit.
If you want to lighten the pack and leave the floating lid behind, the sleeping bag divider toggles in and turns into a lightweight top flap. Six pockets help organize gear, while a hidden rain cover helps protect against unwanted precipitation.
Gregory engineers designed this pack to have plenty of harness ventilation, too, and they did it without cutting into its capacity. The trekking pole loop worked just as well for a mountaineering axe and the pack itself has enough space to be used year-round. Thankfully, Gregory even made the zipper pulls and straps glove-friendly.
Weight: 3.37 pounds.
The best everyday pack also good for backpacking
Campus pack, crag pack, weekend bag, and backpacking bag, Mountainsmith's Mayhem 45 does it all.
This zip-top pack has plenty of space for the gear you'll need for an overnighter and clever features that let you overstuff it, including stretchy side pockets, an expanding front pocket, and sturdy lash points.
Side compression straps secure your gear in each of the side pockets, as well as a tent or sleeping bag you might have strapped to the outside. The Mayhem's Spectra pack fabric is unbelievably tough, too. Drag it, scrape it, and use it hard for weeks, months, and years - it'll hold up to almost anything.
But nothing about this pack, from fabric to subtly integrated ice axe holders, looks too tech-centric to not use it as your daily driver. The main compartment held books and a jacket as well as a sleeping bag and pots. The harness is fixed, so measure your torso before you buy to make sure you get the right size.
Weight: 3 lbs, 8 oz.
