Which size of backpack would you chose for your alpine style journeys? The 60L / 25kg load with comforts on the left or the 30L / 5kg with essentials on the right? The question is less relevant when hiking in the plains but becomes essential when traversing steep (and challenging) terrain. Carrying a light / compact backpack in the Himalayas will make your journey so much more enjoyable and you can more easily take on the steep mountains and high altitudes (low oxygen) than being dragged down by a heavy backpack with city comforts.
Once you get a large backpack the mistake has been made. You’ll automatically start filling it up completely with “nice to have” gears. Only when you start with a 30L bag you’ll make a conscious effort to start prioritizing and focusing on the “must have” gears.
Backpack Size / Weight
As an alpine style minimalist fast hiker I use a 30L bag to fit my essential gears within 5kg:
30L – backpack (1200ms) filled up as:
12L – sleeping bag (700 grams)
5L – bivy tent (500 grams)
5L – puff jacket, rain jacket (400 grams)
1L – electronics (power bank, charger) (400 grams)
3L – food (1-2 days of food) (1000 grams)
Following gears are attached to the outside:
sleeping mat (250 grams)
hiking poles (300 grams)
empty water bottle (50 gram)
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30L – total gears (4800 grams)
If you carry extra gears (not in the list above) then you should think carefully if you really need them. The above gears have gotten me across 300 Himalayan passes so far.
If your gears are heavier and you hike regularly then you should consider buying lighter alternatives which will not drag / slow you down in the mountains. Remember – the heavier your bag, the slower you are, the more weight (food) you will have to add further increasing load / discomfort.
Backpack design
There are two major backpack designs – frameless (below left, lighter) and frame (right). I have used both designs on my months long ultra journeys. The frameless ones are lighter (e.g. 700 grams vs 1200 grams) so as a minimalist fast hiker you would expect me to chose a frameless design and save a good 500 grams (10%) of overall bag weight. Still, based on my experience, the bags with built-in metal / aluminum frame provides much better support to carry the 5-8kg load on your back. The frame, curved bag and large hip straps distribute the weight between shoulders and hip and provides extra ventilation for your back.
Packing
A good quality backpack additionally has several straps on the outside allowing you to attach certain gears on the outside – sleeping mat, hiking poles, ice axe. A good bag also has several stretchable pockets on the outside to keep additional things without using up precious internal space – water bottle, rain jacket, etc. To protect your gears from getting wet in rains the bag usually comes with a rain cover that can be (de)attached. Additionally I keep important gears (sleeping bag, puff jacket, electronics) in a separate dry bag to keep them save from water as the outer cover cannot keep your things dry during prolonged rains.
While packing it’s important to keep the heavier items (tent, electronics, food) near the bottom of the backpack or close to your back (towards the inside). Lighter things (puff jacket, rain jacket, …) can be kept higher up or on the outside. This will improve stability as you hike across challenging terrain. Frequently accessed items (water bottle, cap, fleece, rain jacket…) can be kept on the outside for easy / quick access. The bag shown in below photo – Decathlon Quecha MH500 30L is my current preferred frame-based backpack.
Assignment
Acknowledge your understanding of the importance of a good backpack design for your alpine style journeys by answering and submitting the Qs below: