Best Backpacks 2020

From multi-day backpacking packs, to fast-and-light daypacks, to sleek movement-mirroring running packs, our favorite brands have unveiled some innovative pack designs this year. Here are our top backpack picks for Spring/Summer 2020:

Osprey Archeon 45

Osprey has been leading the way on backpack design for a long time and they continue to take steps to lead the way on environmental issues too. Reflecting a commitment to upstream and downstream sustainability, the…

Salomon S/Lab Sense Ultra 5 Set

When you toe the line for an ultra, knowing you’re going to be pushing hard for hours on end, performance matters, and the S/Lab Sense Ultra 5 Set delivers. We love the way the vest pack…

Deuter Trans Alpine 28 SL Women’s & Trans Alpine 30

Our Gear Specialists are obviously avid hikers and trail runners, but we love adventuring on two wheels too! The Trans Alpine packs from Deuter were definitely designed for touring cyclists as evidenced by the built-in helmet…

Patagonia Black Hole Waist Pack 5L

The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel has long been one of our go-to options for gear storage because of the super durable, weather-resistant recycled construction. The Black Hole Waist Pack pares down the size and capacity for…

Kelty Coyote 65 & Coyote 60 Women’s

A true backpacking pioneer, Dick Kelty brought aluminum framed packs to prominence in the 1950s. While he never stopped innovating, he also never lost sight of the need to offer long-term durability at an affordable price…

Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 25-40

Accomplished adventurer Andrew Skurka and Sierra Designs have been collaborating on gear innovations for several years and their creations have focused on lightweight efficiency without skimping on performance to hit a specific weight break. The Flex…

Deuter Aviant Voyager

One thing we’ve noticed about most travel backpacks is that they do a great job at the airport or between there and your destination, but they aren’t always well equipped for true backpacking demands. Or vice versa.…

Gregory Paragon 58 & Maven 55 Women’s

It’s pretty amazing that the Paragon 58 and Maven 55 Women’s packs can be so chockfull of features and still weigh in at roughly 3.5 pounds. They offer voluminous, well-organized, and easily-accessed storage for multi-day backpacking…

Mystery Ranch Scree 32

It’s hard to NOT love a pack that can be pulled off the shelf and used for just about any activity you engage in and the Scree 32 is just such a pack. It’s small and nimble…

Nathan RunAway Ultimate Marathon Pack

It’s our tendency to plan and daydream about how things will go on race day, but sometimes just getting to your race can be an adventure. Nathan is always working on solutions for runners and the…

Ultimate Direction Women’s Mountain Vesta & Mountain Vest

The Ultimate Direction Mountain Vest is a minimalist-minded pack that resists being pigeon-holed as just a running pack. It’s certainly a capable running or ultra-racing pack, but it has a taste for mixed endeavors that call…

UltrAspire Magda XT

Whether you think of Magdalena Boulet as an elite marathoner and a member of the 2008 US Olympic team or as an ultrarunning champion, you’re 100% correct. An incredibly versatile runner, she worked with UltrAspire to…

Mountainsmith Zerk 40

If you haven’t heard of Thomas Gathman, Google “The Real Hiking Viking” and you’ll learn all about his extensive thru-hiking accomplishments and enjoy his unique perspective on gear. He brought that experience to the table when…