The backpack should fit. Ideally, try it on in the store.

Decide on the ultimate pack volume and fill weight, including all your overnight shelter, clothing, gear, carried water and food.

For the lightweight backpack, fill to 20 or 30 lbs. If the store doesn't have stuff bags of measured weight, bring in your own hiking gear. If you carry 10 pounds, or less, and you are not ultralight backpacking using selected ultralight backpacking and hiking gear essentials, you cannot reasonably expect to have what you need.

The most common mistake is to purchase the backpack first. It has been my experience, those backpacks get given away. The backpacks I keep, and use, are purchased specifically for the stuff I want to carry with that backpack.

I recommend deciding where and in what season you want to backpack, to plan a special hiking vacation in the american southwest for example. Then, look over hiking gear lists at the backpacking hiking specialty websites I have listed for ideas. Purchase as wisely as you are capable, especially targeting dual use or multiple use of what you purchase, or for making your own hiking gear list to get started.

You might begin by making a huge pile, or list, of all the stuff you think you will need, and then have a look at other's backpacking gear lists that are based on experience.

Here is an aid to bookmark for making your own checklists.

Then, start looking over the likely packs, by carrying features and stated pack volume.

Then, take your stuff into a store that has the packs you want to try on or can be packed with "stuff bags" of measured weight, and volume, matching your pack weight, plus food and water carried.

First, the shoulder straps should fit in front of the roundest part of the shoulder joint, and not rest on the shoulder joint itself. The pack may or may not have a waistbelt, or a chest strap, or load lifters at the top of the pack to the shoulder strap, nor outside pockets or mesh pockets and lash or tie on points. If no waistbelt, you may want to have a large size fanny pack, as well. The rather small or medium size pack can rest on the right shape fanny pack, nowadays called a waistpack, may be worn in front to balance the load for walking on reasonably flat terrain.

If you can find a backpack that has some provision for ventilation on your back, that otherwise has the right features, select that one. If you know you will be hiking in mild climate, or cool weather, that is not a consideration. I like to avoid soaking my clothing. I recommend having good ventilation, both of the pack and of the clothing layers you select to wear.

The lightweight pack itself, for these weights, should not weigh more than 2.5 lbs.

Packs like this are listed at Products: Gear.

The volume the pack will accomodate is important.

I consider 30-45 liter a large pack for lightweight backpacking and anything less than 25 liters too little volume even for ultralight backpacking.

However classic rucksack, or even a large waist pack, is ample for walking away from your car and having the minimum essentials necessary for overnight I have described in detail at the 10 essentials.

Use this comparison: 3,200 ci - 50 liter, 3000 ci - 49 liter, 2950 ci - 47 liter, 2746 ci - 45 liter, 1885 ci - 30.9 liter, 1650 ci - 27 liter, 1750 ci - 25 liter.

When you are ready to purchase a pack you will know the weight and volume of what you want to carry in the pack.

The pack manufacturer will list the weight the pack is designed to carry. If not, an online review, or forum, will reveal the weight the pack will comfortably carry.

To assist you to select a pack, consider using an online weight and volume conversion tool, like this and quickly compare ci or cu. in. to L or liters, for example, or grams to ounces or pounds.

If you are fine with carrying a pack up to 30 pounds, go up to a pack designed for that weight, taking into account increased pack volume and features no doubt you will find necessary. Higher pack loads are the subject of expeditions, in my opinion. I am here for the lightweight and ultralight backpacker.

One pack I list here weighs in as little as 4 oz. overall. The Gossamer G6 pack is a specialized ultralight backpacking pack, available from Gossamer Gear, a manufacturer of lightweight and ultralightweight hiking gear enthusiasts. This is a special use pack.

When you have acquired for the most part ultralight backpacking equipment and the rest is lightweight gear, you may be ready to try the Gossamer G6 pack for ultralight backpacking. I have heard that this pack is strong, however it has not been tested for bushwacking, for example, because it is intended for "on trail" use.

The items you may want to carry for lightweight and ultralight backpacking, or wear and carry in pockets, are the subject of the next pages, plus off-site links.