Fact about hiking bag for women: There’s a difference between daypacks and backpacks for women.
Say you want to trek a short trail for a day needing only your essentials, a daypack hiking bag is all you need. on the other hand, if you’re hiking a long trail over a few days, do not even consider a daypack.
A daypack is a small version of a backpack that is lightweight, big enough for a few extra small items, and usually preferred for shorter, day hikes.
Although a hiking bag can fit into both categories I believe that your intent in searching for this topic; the best hiking bags for women, is geared toward backpacks.
As a female hiker, choosing a women-specific backpack or hiking bag is necessary if you want comfort on the hiking trail.
In today’s post, I will be showing you a well-researched list of the best hiking bag for women.
Quick List of the Best Hiking Bag for Women
The Importance of having a Hiking Bag for Women
- Hiking bags can exceed 80L which is a lot higher than that of daypacks of 15L – 32L.
- They can contain sleeping bags, lanterns, and other items necessary to keep you alive and comfortable enough on the trail.
- Hiking bags are top loading
- Hiking bags are made of robust materials
- They have more compartments for storing items
- Partitions inside the bag for systematic loading down
What to Look out for when Choosing a Hiking Backpack for Women
This includes torso size, capacity, ventilation, etc.
The frame of the women’s hiking bag
It’s either you go frameless or not. For backpacks of over 80L in size, it is best to get the ones with frames.
Between an internal and external frame backpack, the internal is the best choice because they are the most lightweight (slimmer) and stable.
The capacity of the hiking backpack
This is also talking about size. The number of gear you intend to pack is what determines the volume of the women’s hiking bag to buy.
Overnight trips and multi-day hikes require you to carry a lot of stuff. Therefore you’ll need a hiking backpack for women that can comfortably contain them.
Torso Size of the Hiking Bag
When your hiking bag rests at the right spot of your hips in such a way that it doesn’t bobble while moving.
This will greatly reduce discomfort and prevent you from getting injured.
Features of the Hiking backpack
This includes a sleeping bag compartment, sleeping pad straps, top lid, water can holders, load lifters, durable water repellent, hip belt, sternum strap, compression straps, and daisy chains.
If you’re picking the best backpacking packs for women you want to consider all of these features as they suit the nature of the hiking trips to be embarked on.
Sleeping Pad Straps
This is a common feature of hiking bags with sleeping bag compartments. The sleeping pad straps are extra for the attachment of lightweight items. eg sleeping pad.
Hip Belt
A hip belt increases the balance of your hiking bag on your waist. A hip belt works with the internal frame of your bag to give you this balance.
Sleeping Bag Compartment
At the bottom of some backpacks is a dedicated compartment for a sleeping bag. This ultimately helps you to organize yourself while on the trail.
Sternum Strap
It helps ease the pressure of a loaded hiking bag on you by connecting the two shoulder straps. It is not a must to have them in your bag although they are quite useful.
Compression Strap
This also helps to secure your gears and give you balance as you hike. You will see them at the sides of your hiking bag.
Top Lid
This is a feature that makes your bag very versatile in such a way that your hiking bag can be useful on short and long trips.
Durability and Water Repellent Factor of Hiking Bag
This is what makes some hiking bags water-repellent and also responsible for quick drying. Dyneema materials are well known for this.
The faster it dries out, the more durable that bag is.
Ventilation of Backpack
To avoid a sweaty back, it is necessary to go for backpacks for women with a mesh panel, suspended frame, or ventilated back panel.
Quick Tips to know when Buying a Hiking Bag for Women
Extensively we have already told you the essential features you look out for in a women’s Hiking bag.
Here is a tip or two for buying a hiking bag for women.
You must know which hiking bag is suitable for the type of hiking trip you want to embark on
If you’re going for a short day trip, then what you’ll be needing is a 10-30 liters daypack or a lighter hiking bag.
This kind of hiking bag compared to an overnight backpack of about 40 liters and above, will be most suitable and less uncomfortable for a short day hiking trip.
Consider extra features carefully, and filter which is necessary for your trip
Let’s say you are going on a hiking trip for a full day, you would want to ensure that an extra feature on your hiking bag is a water can holder, to help you stay hydrated.
Same way when you’re going on a thru-hike or overnight hiking trip, an extra compartment for a separate sleeping bag is a vital feature when picking a hiking bag for women.
Always ensure your comfort when picking that bag
Both day packs and backpacks should be snug to your back since a swinging load will throw off weight distribution with each stride. After you’ve packed and closed your bag, loosen all of the straps and put them on.
Finally, adjust the hip belt so that it sits on top of your hip bones rather than on the outside, then fasten it (your hiking bag should shift side to side if you swing your hips).
Adjust the shoulder straps until they are flat against your body but not overly tight or pressing in. Secondly, and this is arguably the most critical step that everyone overlooks, fasten the straps that attach to the back of your bag.
Once you’re finished, your bag should feel like an extension of your body, not swinging or shifting on its own.
Your bag’s weight should be held primarily on your hips, with the remainder on your chest and front shoulders.
Check that no straps are scraping on your arms, as this will cause friction and discomfort on the route.
The hip belt should sit near the top of your iliac crest, and the chest strap should draw the arm straps out of your armpits to avoid chafing.
Top 5 Hiking Bag for Women
When you decide to hike with your friends or peers, you should be exceptionally well-equipped for the journey. You should have an essential hiking bag.
Especially if you’re a woman and need specifically designed hiking bags that will help you accommodate all the necessary products, you might need to research a little.
To choose the best hiking bags, we’ve listed a few backpacks for women.
Osprey Aura AG 65
The women’s hiking bag is made to feel like it’s much lighter than the things it may carry.
The technology is known as “0 gravity”, where you wear the bag and put the bag straps around your waist and can tighten them to feel extensively lighter.
It has an ample amount of dedicated space for every need, water bottles, sleeping bags, and pockets with additional zippers to keep all your belongings safe.
Everything in this bag is made to fit a woman’s body with ease and comfort.
You can store a few extra clothing articles in this bag, and it will still have space to store the essentials.
Pros
•Easy tightening straps around the waist, which make every much lighter.
•Has multiple pockets for storage.
•Suitable for both men and women.
•Can also accommodate a water reservoir.
Cons
•The water reservoir kit is sold separately.
Gregory Deva 80
A huge woman’s hiking bag which accommodates both comfort and support throughout your entire hiking journey.
The bag has replaceable shoulder straps that provide a much more customized fit, and you are able to enjoy a much lighter and easier breathable feel while wearing the bag.
This bag also comes with a small raincoat that is brought and protects your belongings from the weather.
The body harness is accompanied by a shoulder harness and makes it easier for you to alter your size while hiking.
This makes it easier for you to wear the bag for many years to come.
Pros
•Can add 10 mm of lower back support when needed.
•A waist belt can store your electronics and is weatherproof
•Extra pockets for storage
Cons
•The prices go higher as the price increase.
Read: Best Collapsible Water Bottles For Hiking
Gregory Maven 55
A particular bag for sure, this has dynamic flex panels that are accustomed to moving with the shape of your body and ensure that you’re comfortable.
A breathable foam panel is installed in the bag to ensure it is not suffocating or does not make you sweat while on hikes. The bag packs a lot and does not compromise on comfort.
It has many ways that can be altered to make you feel comfortable and have an extensive amount of zipper to make sure everything you need is separated and fits perfectly well with each other.
Pros
•Made specific to men’s and women’s body shapes.
•Can store a lot of material.
•Access zipper, which makes packing easier.
Cons
•The material on the bag tears easily
Deuter Hiking backpack
A hiking bag made specifically for women by women. The shoulder, the hip, and everything in between are altered to fit the perfect shape.
You can really feel a massive difference between others and this hiking bag.
It has been tested and trailered through scientific research to prove that it reduces perspiration by 25% and keeps you feeling comfortable throughout your journey.
Has an ample amount of space for all of your essential needs.
Pros
•Is extremely comfortable.
•Has an ergonomic design to perfectly
•Is very ventilated and airy.
Cons
•It’s not the most comfortable bag for handling larger loads.
Conclusion
All of these women’s backpacking packs have something which sets them apart from male hiking bags, these have the ability to be customized to fit the specific body shape of a woman.
These bags are great for a quick fix, and for the long term, some of these also have lifetime warranties, which guarantee a long time of usage.
Most of these are weather protected and have the ability to keep your belongings safe and sound during the harshest of weather. T
The ergonomic designs on a few of these really help with making sure you’re comfortable throughout.
You may also want to read; What is the best long sleeve hiking shirts for hot weather.
FAQ
What type of bag is best for hiking for women?
When considering the best hiking backpack for women, you must ensure that all the features required for female compatibility and comfort click rightly.
Consider the Osprey Women’s Backpack and many other options in the review column.
What is the best women’s day pack for hiking?
In case you’re considering a women’s light hiking backpack for a short day hiking trip, you might want to consider the Deuter Hiking backpack.
What size women’s hiking backpack should I get?
The size of your women’s hiking bag will grossly depend on the amount of gear you will be carrying and the length of your hiking trip.
So if you’re going for a short trip you want to take a women’s light backpack or day pack for women which is about 10-30 liters.
And if you’re on a thru-hike or an overnight hiking trip you will need a women’s backpack pack of about 40 liters and above.
From our research, we recommend 30 to 50 liters for an overnight, 50 to 70 liters for three to five days, and 70 liters or more for hikes longer than five nights ( a thru-hike).
How do you pack a women’s hiking backpack?
Carefully arranging your items will definitely help you get the best carrying experience.
To achieve this, put light but bulky items that you won’t need to access as frequently at the bottom of the pack.
While the heaviest items should then go in the center of the pack near your spine and core.
At the top or in external access pockets, add in the mid-weight items or any item you need to get to more often
How do you clean your women’s hiking backpack?
It is not uncommon to find neatness among the female populace.
It is not usually recommended to clean your hiking backpacks, unless in a serious case of dirt encounters
But females may not accept this.
What we recommend is to do a light cleaning with warm water and a soft laundry deterrent.
The cleaning focus should be on the areas where oils and dirt from sweat are most concentrated. Like the back panel and shoulder straps.
Ensure to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions when doing this.