$400 for a backpack feels like robbery when all you want is 2 nights in the woods. You almost never have to pay it. The same packs people rave about on the trail sell for $70 to $150 if you buy them used, buy last season’s colour, or catch a trekking backpack sale.
This guide covers what a first pack should cost you for 1 to 3 night trips, which budget-friendly packs hold up once they’re loaded, and how to check a second-hand pack before you hand over your money.
Buy used before you buy new
Pack design has barely moved in a decade. A 5-year-old Osprey at $120 will carry a heavy load better than a brand new $80 pack, and it will last longer too.
There’s also a practical reason to go cheap on your first pack. You might hate backpacking. Plenty of people buy the gear, do 2 trips, and never go again. Spend $100 to find out, then upgrade once you know what you actually want.
Before you buy any used pack, check these:
- Zippers. Run every one. Sticky is fine, missing teeth is not.
- Hip belt padding. Squash it. If the foam has gone flat and hard, the weight lands on your shoulders.
- Stitching at the load lifters. These are the straps running from the top of your shoulders to the frame. Loose stitching here is the most common failure point.
- Frame stays. Pull them out. Bent is fine and you can straighten them. Cracked is not.
- Smell. Some things don’t wash out.
Geartrade hand-inspects and grades everything, which takes most of the guesswork out. Gear swaps, pawnshops, and local marketplace listings work too, they just need more caution. One backpacker picked up a pack at a pawnshop for $60 and used it for nearly 10 years.
What size you need for 1 to 3 nights
Somewhere between 40 and 60 litres. Go to the smaller end if your sleeping bag is down and your tent is light. Go to 60 or 65 if you’re carrying a synthetic bag and a heavier tent, because bulk fills a pack faster than weight does.
Skip the 80 litre packs. You’ll fill the space, and then you’ll carry it.
6 budget packs worth your money
- Granite Gear Crown2 60L — Retails around $200 and turns up used near $100. The frame moves up to 30 lbs onto the hip belt, and the whole pack weighs just over 2 lbs.
- REI Co-op Flash 55 — $229 new, and it shows up used well below that. The lid, hip belt, and frame sheet all come off, so you can strip it down for a fast overnight.
- Osprey Rook 65 — One of Osprey’s cheaper packs, with a ventilated back panel and a sleeping bag compartment. 3.5 lbs, so it’s no ultralight, but it carries.
- Deuter Aircontact Lite 60 + 10 SL — Heavier than the rest and worth it for the comfort. These last. People are still hiking Deuters they bought in 2017 with 500 miles on them.
- Gossamer Gear Gorilla 40 — 20.5 oz, carries up to 30 lbs, and 40 litres is right for 1 to 3 nights. The cheapest way into ultralight.
- Kelty Redcloud — Big, tough, cheap. Older Kelty models get clearanced hard, and one backpacker’s clearance Redstone at $75 is still their favourite pack.
Teton Sports comes up in every budget pack discussion, and opinions split hard. One trip leader bought 3 Tetons for a student group and then bought 3 more. Other hikers say the shoulder straps are too wide and the hip belt stops doing its job once there’s real weight in the bag. Fine for a first overnight, worth loading up and walking around in before you commit.
Fit matters more than the brand
A $300 pack that doesn’t fit your torso will hurt more than a $90 pack that does.
Measure your torso length first, from the bony bump at the base of your neck down to the top of your hip bones. That number picks your size, and your height has almost nothing to do with it. Then load the pack with 25 to 30 lbs, tighten the hip belt so it sits on your hip bones rather than your waist, and walk around for 10 minutes.
If your shoulders are carrying most of the load, the pack is wrong for you.
FAQ
Can I rent a pack for my first trip?
Yes, and it’s a smart move if you’re unsure about the hobby. REI rents packs, and many local outfitters do too, usually for $20 to $40 a weekend. Rent once, learn what size and fit you want, then buy.
Are women’s specific packs worth it?
If you have a shorter torso or narrower shoulders, yes. Women’s packs use shorter frames, narrower shoulder straps, and a hip belt shaped for a different hip angle. Try both. Some women fit men’s packs better and some men fit women’s, and the label matters less than what sits comfortably.
What about army surplus packs?
Military bergens are built to survive almost anything, and Dutch and German surplus packs sell cheap. The tradeoff is weight. A surplus pack can weigh 6 to 7 lbs empty, which is 3 or 4 lbs you’re carrying before you pack a single thing.
How long will a budget pack last?
A used mid-range pack from Granite Gear, Osprey, Deuter, or Gregory will give you 300 to 500 miles easily, often far more. The sub-$50 no-name packs are where things go wrong, usually at the hip belt or the shoulder strap seams within a season or two.
Should I buy the pack first or last?
Last. Your tent, sleeping bag, and pad decide how much volume you need, so buy those first and size the pack around them. Buying a 65 litre pack and then discovering your gear fits in 45 is a common and expensive mistake.
