Hiking and camping require you to carry everything you need on your back, from food and water bottles to extra clothes, toiletries and equipment. Backpacks are the perfect solution for carrying all your necessary items while hiking or camping. They are the best way to transport everything you need on the trail without adding too much weight or leaving everything uncovered and exposed to the elements. But choosing the right backpack depends on several factors including the purpose and the type of use you will be using the backpack for. Hiking backpacks come in three varieties; internal frame backpacks, external frame backpacks and frameless backpacks. A good Hiking Backpack Ireland company such as Basecamp can give you advice on the best ones to choose.
Internal Frame Backpacks: Internal frame backpacks are made up of heavy duty, waterproof polyester with a padded back or waist belt and rigid nylon webbing for support and comfort. Internal frame backpacks are great for day hiking because they are extremely lightweight, making them great for hiking long distance. However, internal frame backpacks are also not very comfortable to sit in for hours at a time. They lack the padding to relieve your tired feet or the suspension system to keep your body in the same position for hours. And if you are planning to go on day hikes lasting a long time, an internal frame backpack may not be the best choice. Because it is heavy and bulky, it is difficult to haul and it will wear out or damage quickly.
External Frame Backpacks: These backpacks feature a long thick shaft, which is designed to carry heavier items and have an external tube style bottom opening. The external frame has two large pockets at the front and two smaller pockets on the back of the pack. They usually feature a chest belt for comfortable support and a hip belt for added stability and mobility. This type of hiking backpack has more durability than its internal frame counterpart and is great for heavier hikers or hunters.