In order to end up with the backpack best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of backpacks are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a backpack.
Research the market: Backpack essentials
Camping and hiking backpacks come in a variety of shapes and sizes and should be custom fit to the size of the individual who will be carry the unit. Once very basic, backpacks have reached the technology age and now provide the outdoor enthusiast an advanced system to carry some of the comforts of home.
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the backpack market. The range of options can seem overwhelming, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Type: Backpacks can be divided into two broad categories, those with an external frame or an internal frame. Internal frame backpacks are convenient on heavily wooded trails, whereas external frame backpacks allow for heavier loads to be carried over longer periods in relative comfort.
Subtypes: There are other distinctions amongst backpacks, with descriptions usually alluding to their intended use or how they are carried, including waist, hip, fanny and lumbar packs, also day or expedition packs, hydration packs and sport specific packs.
Size: Backpack sizes may refer to physical dimensions (of either the pack or the torso length of the person it is suited for) or the carrying capacity. Size selection depends on the size of the person carrying the pack and also the intended load.
Cost: A budget, generic backpack will cost about one fifth of the price of a name-brand backpack.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a backpack. For example, do you just want a convenient way to carry your stuff when you go shopping, or are you going on a four day hiking trip through the woods?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used a backpack before? |
| | If you have used a backpack, work out what you did or didn't like about the backpack. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| What do I want a backpack for? |
| | Perhaps you lead tour expeditions, or you are a novice hiker and camper. |
| What sort of backpacking will I be doing? |
| | Backpacks are designed for different uses. You may be venturing out for two or three days or even taking a 30 day camping and trekking trip. |
| How much can I carry? |
| | Try to calculate the weight of the gear you will be carrying. Keep in mind the length of time you are going for and in what season you will be travelling. |
| How much do I want to spend? |
| | Backpacks are available in a range of budgets; price increases with quality and additional features |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of backpacks and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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