There’s a lot to learn when you’re buying a camping backpack, as there are 3 main distinctions between them, and it’s up to you to decide what you will be using the backpack for.
Camping is a general term, do need a Day Pack, which is used for day trips or small hikes. However are you going on a longer trip, such as a long haul, then the bigger pack is right for you, if you’re going on a general camping trip, an overnight pack is your best friend.
Fortunately for you I have put together a list of the 6 top rated camping backpacks, so you can avoid making the mistake of buying a small day pack when you actually plan on going for a week-long haul.
My 2 Favorite Day Packs (For day hikes/trips)
The New Outlander
Product: New Outlander
Price: $16.32 – $17.62
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 20L – 33L
My Rating: 9.5/10
Item Weight: 0.5 Pounds
Guarantee: Lifetime warranty
What I Love About This Day Pack
No matter what you need for the entire day, this will hold it! This comes in 2 sizes, 20 Liters and 33 Liters.
I recommend you get the 33 Liter just in case you decide to take extra items. Even after been crammed to the teeth with luggage, the zips were never an issue.
Go hiking through the jungle with this backpack, but what if it starts raining? No problem, this was able to keep all my belongings completely dry. The most I loved about this day pack is that it is highly durable, which will last you for many years to come.
Pros
- Multi-Colored (Yes there’s a pink one for the girls, too)
- Highly compact
- Multiple compartments
- Lightweight (0.5 pounds to be exact) and lots of room
- Extremely durable (Created from non-rip and water-resistant fabric)
- Lifetime warranty
- Great to use on day hikes
Cons
- Possible but highly unlikely that your bag will start ripping early or fray at the straps. The great news is that this comes with a lifetime warranty
Final Conclusion
Although there is a small chance that your bag can deteriorate early, that is unlikely to happen. However this is on my #1 recommendation of day packs
See It On Amazon!
HikPro Day Pack
Product: HikPro
Price: $13.89
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 20L
My Rating: 9/10
Item Weight: 0.5 Pounds
What I like About This Day Pack
The backpack breathes. So far it seems that it’s well built and durable, and i also love how it looks small on the outside but when you open it up there’s a lot of hidden space and a lot of hidden compartments throughout the bag.
It can easily carry 2 water bottles in the side pockets, even when the backpack is filled right up. What I liked the most out of this day pack is that it’s extremely comfortable and lightweight.
Pros
- Incredibly comfortable
- A lot of compartments and spacious
- Inner pockets great for valuables such as cash, cards and passport
- Great to use for hiking and day trips
Cons
- Not entirely waterproof, but will protect your items in light rain
- There’s an off-chance you may experience early fraying or ripping
My Conclusion
In essence, it holds everything necessary, it’s durable, lightweight and can be used for basically ANY day trip.
See It On Amazon!
My 2 Favorite Camping Backpacks (For camping/overnight trips)
Mountain Top Camping Backpack
Product: Mountain Top
Price: $39.99
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 40L
My Rating: 9.7/10
Item Weight: 2.3 pounds
Guarantee: 90 Day Warranty
What I Liked Most About This Camping Backpack
My favorite camping backpack by far, this has never let me down. Most backpack companies stick to the usual neutral colors (Black, grey, Dark green etc). However this comes with a variety of colors so your girl can also choose to have a pink or purple bag 🙂
It contains attachments for camera tripods and laptop sleeves. There are so many zips and access areas that you can actually access the bottom of the main compartment without opening the top and trying to find your way to the bottom of the bag (While throwing everything out of course).
Pros
- The extra zip on the bottom of the bag makes for an incredibly useful feature
- 6 adjustable straps
- Incredible padding. Cushioned comfort for your back, while also getting the necessary air circulation.
- More padding for your shoulders, and a hip-belt for extra support
- A lot of pockets
- Water-resistant polyester
Cons
- Zippers aren’t the greatest
- The advertised 40 liters is incorrect, it is roughly 30 Liters if you include the small pouches at the back
My Conclusion
Although there’s a couple of cons here, the pros and the longevity of this backpack heavily outweigh the cons. By far the best camping backpack I have ever owned and plan on getting more when I need one.
See It On Amazon!
Vanture Pal Camping Backpack
Product: Venture Pal
Price: $68.99
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 35L
My Rating: 9/10
Item Weight: 0.7 pounds
Guarantee: Lifetime warranty
What I Liked The Most
Certainly not my favorite camping backpack, but it does come 2nd on my list, because of the reasons outlined below. I bought this backpack about 2 years ago, and after unwrapping it and checking it out, I was surprised by how much room this thing has.
It’s not the biggest camping backpack, but it was certainly pleasant to see how much items I could fit into it. The only real issue I had with this pack was that it’s not very good at protecting valuable items (Laptops, phones, IPad’s) as the material is thin.
However you need to remember this is to be expected because of how lightweight the bag is.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight (Only weighing 0.7 pounds, makes it a great hiking backpack)
- Has a lot of straps to help lock the bag in place securely
- Was designed to give you durability and high quality while still maintaining the lightweight that comes with it
- Extra padding to help release stress on your shoulders
- The main compartment is 35 Liters, however by using the extra pockets you can get more out of it
Cons
- It’s a thin bag, so not a good idea to hold fragile items
- The zipper on the 2nd compartment is only 1 way
- Sometimes the zipper can get caught on the inside of the bag
Conclusion
While this isn’t the best bag to buy, for the price you pay and the quality of the product, it’s definitely worth it and something I would consider if I was in your shoes.
See It On Amazon!
My 2 Favorite Long Haul Backpacks (If you plan on camping for weeks)
TETON Sports 3400
Product: TETON Sports 3400
Price: $129.99 $59.47
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 55L
My Rating: 8.8/10
Item Weight: 4.5 pounds
Guarantee: Limited Lifetime warranty
My Thoughts On This Backpack
Uhhh the TETON 3400, my favorite long haul pack by far. Here’s why:
Absolutely great pack for beginner campers who are just trying out backpacking.
It’s a little bit on the small side which is why it’s good for newbies that still need to get use to the environment and nature life without having to worry too much about the amount of luggage they have to carry, while still having enough room to take all items needed for the trip.
Pros
- Nice and light (Especially for beginner campers)
- Fits comfortably
- A ton of pockets
- Has a comfortable support pad for the belt and lower back
- Adjustable frame so you can sit the bag according to your height
- Great product for the price you way
Cons
- Zippers aren’t the greatest (Could possibly break)
- Doesn’t come with a rain cover, equipment may get wet
Conclusion
Definitely one of the best hauler backpacks for beginner campers, and I wish I tried this backpack when I first started camping, so get it now if you’re new to the camping game and looking to try out a week-long (Or longer) backpacking trip.
See It On Amazon!
TETON Sports 4000
Product: TETON Sports 4000
Price: $68.00
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Size: 65L
My Rating: 8.5/10
Item Weight: 5 pounds
Guarantee: Limited Lifetime warranty
My Thoughts
This is a great long haul pack, and the extra sleeping bag compartment makes for an outstanding feature, something the 3400 TETON doesn’t have. One thing I really loved about this bag, the support is rather pleasing, with no movement or sliding whatsoever.
There was no rubbing at all (Something common in cheap backpacks), however I wish there was some way to adjust the chest strap position.
I have to mention it might be best to use the rain cover to prevent any of your gear (Potentially) getting soaked.
Pros
- Extra compartment for sleeping bag
- Great attachment points on the outside
- You can load this backpack up to the max with no problems
- The bag is bigger than you’d expect it to be
- Overall, really comfortable
- Lots of hooks to hang items from
Cons
- The extra sleeping bag compartment is only good for small bags. Still good to put a tent and cover in though
- The side compartments are not the same size (Although not a biggy)
- Plastic clips seem pretty cheap
Conclusion
Such a great bag and good for anyone that’s use to the outdoors. With the extra hooks to hang items on and the lifetime warranty there’s no reason to pass this great deal up.
See It On Amazon!
My Final Conclusion
Camping/Hiking and Travelling is an amazing activity to embark on, choosing the wrong backpack that doesn’t fit your needs will leave you in a very, very stressful position as you will find out. Don’t be “that guy” that takes a long haul backpack when he’s going out for a 1-day hike. Also don’t be the man/women that takes a day pack out for a 3 day camping trip.
Here is a rule of thumb for you to follow:
1-2 Day Hike/Trip = Day Pack
3-5 Days camping = Camping backpack
6+ days camping/hiking = Long haul backpack
Thanks for reading my top rated camping packs. If you have any questions regarding any of these backpacks, like which one will you need for your camping plans, I will be happy to answer 🙂 Leave a comment below.
I used to camp when I was younger and want to get back into it. I usually just took my school backpack because I didn’t really care if it got dirty, but now I am wanting to get a backpack specifically for camping. All of these look great, what would you recommended for a newbie camper?
Hey Kevin, your best bet would need to be a pack not too big and not too small. The Mountain Top Camping Backpack is screaming out at me as my number 1 recommendation for any newbie camper. It’s lightweight and secure for any outdoor adventure.
Hope you make the right decision, thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the feedback Brandon!
I will check out the Mountain Top Camping backpack.
Whats your advice for keeping annoying bugs like mosquitos away?
Cheers Kevin. I like to be as simple as possible, mosquitoes hate fire and garlic, so I keep the fire burning all day long and when you eat garlic, this is released from your pores which acts as a barrier from the pesky insects. Lol, this is enough to keep them away for me. If they’re still annoying (which is hardly ever) I’ll just resort to a simple bug spray. Good luck 🙂
Hi Brandon, you made me remember my childhood when I was a boy scout, I was 10 and went to camp many times in my homeland Chihuahua, Mexico.
These backpacks are fabulous, probably buy the “TETON Sports 4000” but here in Mexico these days is dangerous to camp. There is no security.
I loved your post and you see you’re an expert in these matters.
Congratulations
Thank you so much for the kind words Alberto, I try my best and I’m glad you found my blog helpful. Really, Mexico dangerous to camp in? Everywhere’s dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Check out this article about camping safe and you should be completely fine in the outdoors.
Good luck.
Great article. This explained really well what kind of backpack to take depending the length of the trip. And I’m happy that they make pink and purple backpacks for gals like me! Seriously there would be nothing worse than some guy to accidentally take my backpack by accident. 😉
I’m just wondering why aren’t all backpacks waterproof/water resistant…I mean when you go camping in the woods or hiking in the mountains, you can’t always predict the weather …nor always rely on the weather channel too.
Haha, yeah that’s pretty cool how they make girl backpacks too – because girls like to go camping/hiking as well 🙂 I have always wandered about the water resistant bags but I just figured that not everyone can afford higher quality bags so they make low quality backpacks and sell them cheaper.
Nice article! I like the prices. I am mostly interested in the day hike bags and possibly an overnight bag. We live in hiking country here in the North GA mountains. This looks like a great place to share with my friends. Very nice information on the larger bags also. Your rule of thumb is pretty easy to remember.
I think prices are a huge impact on bags, which is why I always get a cheap bag but one that is also high quality. Yes, you should go ahead and share this page with your friends 😀 I thought the rule of thumb was pretty easy to follow as well, glad someone found it helpful. Thanks for the comment Kathy.
-Brandon