backpack reviews

A backpacker hiking the Dawson Pass Trail above Pitamakan Pass in Glacier National Park.

The Best Ultralight Backpacks of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

Do you need an ultralight backpack? Many backpackers might answer “no” when, for many reasons, their answer should logically be “yes.” These packs aren’t just for thru-hikers. Typically weighing roughly from under two pounds/0.9 kilos to under three pounds/1.36 kilos (empty), ultralight packs have support for carrying 25 to as much as 35 pounds—making them ideal for more than just ultralight backpacking. For many or even most backpackers, that represents the range of pack weight they either carry on most trips—or could carry on most trips, with smart packing and reasonably light gear.

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A backpacker above Macon Lake and Washakie Lake in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.

The Best Backpacking Gear of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

The Wind River Range, Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, and the Grand Canyon (all numerous times now). The John Muir Trail. Glacier National Park and the Tetons. The Canadian Rockies. Southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons, Buckskin Gulch, and Paria Canyon. Utah’s High Uintas Wilderness, Montana’s Beartooths, and Colorado’s Weminuche. New Hampshire’s Presidential Range. Iceland’s Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails and New Zealand’s Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

These are just some of the places where I’ve recently tested the backpacking gear and apparel that I’ve reviewed at The Big Outside—so that I can give you honest and thorough, field-tested opinions that help you find the best gear for your adventures.

And that’s exactly how I came up with the following picks for today’s best backpacking gear.

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A backpacker descending from Texas Pass into the Cirque of the Towers in the Wind River Range, Wyoming.

The 10 Best Backpacking Packs of 2026

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By Michael Lanza

Backpacks come in many sizes and designs for a reason: so do backpackers. Some of us need a pack for moderate loads, some for heavy loads, and others, increasingly, for lightweight or ultralight backpacking. Some prefer a minimalist pack, others a range of features and access. Everyone wants the best possible fit and comfort, and almost everyone has a budget. But no matter which type of backpacker you are, this review covers the best packs in each of those categories.

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A backpacker hiking over Park Creek Pass in North Cascades National Park.

5 Expert Tips For Buying the Right Backpacking Pack

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By Michael Lanza

If you’re super fit and strong, hike with a pack of any weight 50 or more days a year, and have never known any sort of injury or ache in your body, then don’t bother reading this article. But for everyone else, knowing how to find the right pack for backpacking and other outdoor activities—and for your body—will make a world of difference in your enjoyment when carrying that pack for hours a day on a trail or up and down a mountain. This article will lead you through five steps to accomplish exactly that—helping to ensure that you spend your gear money smartly.

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The Mystery Ranch Radix 57 on New Zealand's Routeburn Track.

Review: Mystery Ranch Radix 57 Backpack

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Backpack
Mystery Ranch Radix 57
$299, 57L/3,635 c.i., 3 lbs. 11 oz./1.67kg (men’s small)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L
backcountry.com

With the Radix 57 backpack, Mystery Ranch challenges backpackers with this thought experiment: How light is just right? I had plenty of time to ponder that question, carrying the Radix 57 on backpacking trips in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and southern Utah’s Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, plus two classic New Zealand hut treks, the Routeburn and Milford tracks. While I confess a bias toward ultralight backpacks (and I’ve used many), I found criticisms as well as much to recommend about the Radix 57.

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