Backpacks - Camp Kit Journal

Loaded backpack with rain cover and waterproof liner laid out on wet trail shows how to keep backpack dry in heavy rain.

Backpacking Packs

How to Keep Your Backpack Dry in Heavy Rain: Covers vs Liners

A pack cover alone won't keep your gear dry in sustained rain. Pair a fitted rain cover with an internal waterproof liner or dry bags to protect your load.

Osprey Eja 48L long term review: loaded women’s backpack and camping kit at a natural campsite.

Backpacking Packs

Osprey Eja 48L Long Term Review for Multi-Day Backpacking

A long-term look at the Osprey Eja 48L for multi-day backpacking, covering fit, capacity, comfort, and how it compares with other lightweight packs.

Packable backpack and day-hike gear laid out at a trailside campsite, answering are packable backpacks good for day hiking.

Daypacks

Are Packable Backpacks Good for Day Hiking? A Practical Guide

A packable backpack works for short, smooth day hikes with loads under about 11 lb, but for longer or rougher trails, a structured 20–30L day pack is more comfortable and practical.

A hand adjusts a rain cover on a loaded backpack on a wet trail—do you need a rain cover for backpacking?

Backpacks

Do You Need a Rain Cover for Backpacking? A Practical Fit Guide

Learn when a backpacking rain cover is worth carrying, how to choose the right fit, and why internal waterproofing like dry bags or pack liners should come first.

Dual-strap bug out bag backpack with hip belt and modular pouches at a campsite: how to choose a bug out bag backpack.

Emergency

How to Choose a Bug Out Bag Backpack for Evacuation

Learn how to choose a bug out bag backpack for evacuation, from dual-strap carry security and hip belts to modular packing and sizing for car or foot travel.

Loaded backpack and tape at a campsite show how to measure torso length for backpack fit.

Backpacking Packs

How to Measure Torso Length for Backpack Fit: Adjust Straps Right

Learn how to measure torso length for a backpack using C7 and iliac crest landmarks, then adjust the hip belt first, followed by shoulder straps, load lifters, and sternum strap for a pain-free carry.

Hydration

How to Keep Hydration Bladder Hose from Freezing: Winter Guide

Learn how to keep hydration bladder hose from freezing with blow-back, insulation, and backup bottle strategies for winter hiking and camping.

Lightweight vs heavy-duty backpacking pack comparison at a real campsite, two loaded packs and camp gear laid out

Backpacking Packs

Lightweight vs Heavy-Duty Backpacking Pack: How to Choose

Match trip length, base weight, and camp comfort to frame, fabric, and fit before choosing a lightweight or heavy-duty backpacking pack.

A worn backpack with cracked ladderlock and replacement buckle on a campsite table shows how to fix a broken backpack buckle.

Backpacks

How to Fix a Broken Backpack Buckle Without Damage

A cracked backpack buckle doesn't have to end your trip. Learn how to replace a ladderlock or reseat a sternum clip without damaging the webbing or track.

A backpack rain cover fitted over a loaded pack beside a tent at a natural campsite.

Backpacking Packs

Backpack Rain Cover Buying Guide: Fit and Features to Check

This backpack rain cover buying guide explains what to check before you buy, how to fit a cover so it does not slide, and when the extra few ounces are worth carrying.

Backpacks

Best Backpacks for 40 oz Water Bottles: 9 Tested

We tested the best backpacks for 40 oz water bottles to find which stretch side pockets actually grip tall hard bottles and 64 oz tumblers. Compare Patagonia, Osprey, Rins, Topo Designs, and North Face packs.

Gear laid out beside an open backpack at a campsite, helping answer what size backpack do I need for backpacking

Backpacking Packs

What Size Backpack Do I Need for Backpacking? Start Here

Use gear volume and trip type—not one magic number—to choose your pack size. Learn how 20L to 75L capacities match day hikes, multi-day backpacking, and cold-weather trips.