The 23 Best Rucksacks for Wild Camping in 2024

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So you’ve got your tent, sleeping bag and all your gear ready for your wild camping trip, but how are you going to carry it? I decided to find the best rucksacks for wild camping to make sure that you don’t have to leave anything behind!

In a hurry? These are my favourites:

What size rucksack do I need for wild camping?

For a wild camping trip lasting 2-3 nights, you should take a rucksack that is at least 50 litres. This will allow you to pack your tent, sleeping equipment, food and other gear inside it. For longer trips, you should aim to take a 60+ litre rucksack.

You can opt for a smaller rucksack if you are happy to tie items to the outside, such as your tent or sleeping bag. The pros of this are that you can buy a smaller, lighter and cheaper rucksack. The cons are that if it rains, the gear you store on the outside of your bag will get wet unless you cover them. The weight is also more likely to shift if you tie items onto the rucksack rather than store them inside.

As a general rule, the larger the bag, the more you can store inside it. I would much rather get a bag that has a little extra capacity should I need it, rather than stuff everything inside a bag that is too small and struggle to get things out when I come to set up camp.

What’s the difference between men’s and women’s rucksacks?

You will notice that in this list I have tried to include both men’s and women’s rucksacks, but what is the difference between the two?

Women’s rucksacks are designed to fit better for a woman’s torso, which is typically smaller and curvier than a man’s. Women also tend to have wider hips and chests, so the straps are positioned differently both to improve the comfort of the rucksack and to ensure the weight transfer to the hips from the back is achieved much easier.

Other things to consider when choosing a rucksack

When it comes to rucksacks the phrase “size isn’t everything” is very much applicable. There are lots of other things to consider when buying a rucksack other than just the storage capacity:

• Weight – If you are aiming to pack as light as possible, choosing a lightweight material for your rucksack is important
• Ventilation – If you are wearing your rucksack for hiking to a nice camping spot, you don’t want to have a rucksack with poor ventilation, otherwise you are very much in the sweaty back territory
• Pockets – A large bag might sound appearing to store all of your gear, but pockets allow you to access items much easier. Choosing a bag with lots of pockets can make getting out something in an emergency much easier
• Waterproofing – Being able to keep your gear dry is important for an enjoyable wild camping experience. If your rucksack comes with a rain cover, this will be a major boon
• Comfort – Good, padded straps can mean the difference between a fun hike and a painful hike.
• Waist support strap – Whilst I didn’t care too much about my back and shoulders when I was younger, my older self would have been grateful for prioritising this a bit more. A rucksack with good waist support will transfer up to 80% of the weight from your shoulders to your hips.

Best small rucksacks for wild camping (up to 20-50 litres)

A small rucksack at around this capacity if best suited for those just camping out for one night, or those looking to carry some of their gear strapped to the outside of their bag. Alternatively, if you aren’t the one carrying the tent, you might manage fine with a rucksack this size.

Osprey Skimmer 28 Women’s Rucksack

The Osprey Skimmer 28 Womens Rucksack is a 28-litre rucksack designed specifically for women.

Weighing just 840g, you should be able to fit a good amount of your camping kit in here but might have to pack your tent separately or attach it to the outside with some cord.

At £70, this is quite an expensive option for such a small rucksack, but you are getting a high-quality product when you buy an Osprey rucksack.

Quechua MH100 40L Unisex Rucksack

The Quechua MH100 40L Rucksack is a larger day rucksack, designed for use on longer hikes and short overnight wild camping trips.

At £34.99 (on sale at £24.99 at the time of writing), you get a good quality, entry-level product for your money.

In spite of the low price point, you don’t lose out in terms of features vs. more expensive options, including padded shoulder and waist/hip support.

Osprey Skarab 30 Men’s Rucksack

The Osprey Skarab 30 Mens Rucksack is a 30-litre rucksack designed for day trips.

At a weight of just 780 grams, this is an incredibly light rucksack, packed with lots of storage pockets for all your items.

Costing £90, this is an expensive option compared to others that are available, but you do get a high-quality rucksack for your money.

Mountain Warehouse Ventura 40L Women’s Rucksack

The Mountain Warehouse Ventura 40L Women’s Rucksack is a larger day rucksack designed with a shorter back to make it more comfortable for women.

Weighing 1,500 grams, this rucksack is on the heavier side for it’s capacity.

At a price of £85.99, you could probably get a better quality product at a similar price, however, at the time of writing it was reduced to £24.99, which is a very reasonable price.

Osprey Sirrus 36 Women’s Rucksack

The Osprey Sirrus 36 Women’s Rucksack is a 36-litre rucksack designed to provide comfort and support when carried by women.

Weighing 1,450 grams, this is quite a heavy backpack compared to other rucksacks of a similar size.

Costing £140, it is also quite expensive, however, you are getting a high-quality rucksack for your money.

Vango Ozone 40 Unisex Rucksack

The Vango Ozone 40 Unisex Rucksack is a 40-litre rucksack designed for ultralight trekking.

Weighing just 1,060 grams, this rucksack is a lightweight option for those who have lots to carry with them when wild camping.

At £85, it is also a good price for a trusted brand known for producing high quality products.

Best medium rucksacks for wild camping (up to 50-65 litres)

This size of rucksack will be suited to those looking to wild camp for a few nights in one go, striking the right balance between having the right capacity for the food you’ll eat, your tent and gear, whilst not being too big and bulky.

Forclaz Trek 100 Easyfit Women’s 50L Rucksack

The Forclaz Trek 100 Easyfit Women’s 50L Rucksack is designed for women to use on multi-day expeditions.

For just £49.99, this rucksack packs a lot of storage into such a small price.

With an overall weight of 1,600 grams, this rucksack shouldn’t be too heavy either.

Osprey Aura AG 50 WS Women’s Rucksack

The Osprey Aura AG 50 WS Women’s Rucksack is a feature-packed 50L rucksack for women taking multi-day wild camping trips.

The 2,010 gram weight is quite heavy compared to other rucksacks of a similar size.

The £200 price is also quite a lot, but with an Osprey product, you pretty much have a rucksack that will last you for decades.

Vango Contour 50 60s Women’s Rucksack

The Vango Contour 50 60s Women’s Rucksack is a 60L, women’s rucksack designed for multi-day wild camping trips.

At 2,300 grams, this bag is quite heavy, but well within the weight range of other rucksacks of this size.

Priced at just £75, this bag is a bargain for those who want a brand known for high-quality products.

Berghaus Trailhead 2 65 W Women’s Rucksack

The Berghaus Trailhead 2 65 Women’s Rucksack is a lightweight, 65L rucksack with plenty of place for packing items on a multi-day wild camping trip.

Weighing just 1,790 grams, this rucksack is a very light option compared to most rucksacks of this size, which will be some relief on the shoulders and back if you are planning on doing a lot of walking.

At £115, this is in the mid-range price-wise. If you are happy to pay a little extra to save weight, this might be the right choice for you.

Osprey Ariel AG 65 WS Women’s Rucksack

The Osprey Ariel AG 65 WS Women’s Rucksack is a high quality, 65L rucksack with Osprey’s award-winning AG Antigravity back system and IsoForm hip belt.

Whilst the back weighs 2,210 grams, which is on the heavy side, the design of this rucksack transfers the load away from the shoulders and back much more, making your next wild camping trip a little easier.

At £230, this is an expensive option, however, you may be able to get this cheaper depending on where you buy it from (£165 from Go Outdoors at the time of writing).

OEX Vallo EXP 50:60 Men’s Rucksack

The OEX Vallo EXP 50:60 Men’s Rucksack is a durable rucksack, which has been designed with the OEX strap system, meaning that other OEX products can be connected to the outside with ease.

At a weight of 1,970 grams, this rucksack is on the upper end of average for it’s size.

With an RRP of £110, this rucksack is more expensive that other options in this size range, however at the time of writing it is available at Go Outdoors for £55.

A great option for those already bought into the OEX brand of products.

Forclaz Trek 500 Men’s Rucksack

The Forclaz Trek 500 Men’s Rucksack is a practical 50L + 10L rucksack, designed for a comfortable carrying position.

At £79.99, this bag is a good price compared to others with similar features and capacity.

Weighing 2,000 grams, this is a heavier bag than most you will see on my list.

This is a good entry-level bag for those who are just starting out multi-day wild camping adventures.

Berghaus Trailhead 2 65 Men’s Rucksack

The Berghaus Trailhead 2 65L Men’s Rucksack is a fully adjustable, 65-litre rucksack for men.

At a weight of 1,890 grams, this rucksack is about average for the capacity you get compared to other rucksacks of this size.

Costing £71.50 at the time of writing, this is a good price for those looking for a familiar brand name in the world of the outdoors.

Osprey Rook 65 Men’s Rucksack

For those looking to invest their money in a high-quality, 65L rucksack, the Osprey Rook 65 Men’s Rucksack might just be what you’re looking for.

Weighing just 1,600 grams, this is one of the lightest 65L rucksacks you will find.

At £130, you are getting a light, feature-heavy rucksack for your money. At the time of writing, you can get this rucksack for £90 at Go Outdoors.

Forclaz 50 Trekking Unisex Rucksack

If you are just getting started with wild camping and you’re not sure you want to invest too much money upfront, then the Forclaz 50 Trekking Backpack might be perfect for you.

At just £29.99, you will get a unisex, 50L backpack that weighs just 1,400 grams.

The compromise here is that you don’t get a rain cover or ventilated back with this rucksack, however, if you are just starting out and don’t want to over-invest upfront, this would be a great choice for you.

Vango Sherpa 65 Unisex Rucksack

The Vango Sherpa 65L Unisex Rucksack is a high quality rucksack designed for multi-day wild camping advantures.

Weighing 2,340 grams, this back is on the heavy side compared to others rucksacks of this size.

At £90, this rucksack is reasonably priced for a well-known camping brand and can be picked up for £69 at Go Outdoors (at the time of writing).

Mountaintop 65L Unisex Rucksack

This Mountaintop 65L Unisex Rucksack is a large, lightweight rucksack packed full of pockets and adjustable features for a comfortable wild camping trip.

At just 1,550 grams, this is a very light rucksack compared to others with this capacity.

Priced at £85.98 at the time of writing, this rucksack is a similar price to other products in this capacity class.

Best large rucksacks for wild camping (over 65+ litres)

In the 60+ litre range of rucksack, you are really looking at those who are after a long trip away wild camping. This size of rucksack will suit you if you are looking to go away for 5 days or more.

Deuter Aircontact Lite 60+10 SL Women’s Rucksack

The Deuter Air Contact 60+ 10 SL Women’s Rucksack is a large rucksack designed to make your next, long wild camping trip as comfortable as possible.

At £190, this rucksack is an expensive option compared to others on my list, however, it is packed with many features that will make your journey much more comfortable, including multiple ventilation points to keep you cool.

Weighing 2,400 grams, this is a fairly heavy rucksack, although this should be expected at this capacity.

A good rucksack for those looking for a product built to last for many years.

Forclaz Travel 500 Women’s Rucksack

The Forclaz Travel 500 Women’s Rucksack is a durable, 70L women’s rucksack, with plenty of space for storing all you need for a multi-day trek.

Weighing 2,400 grams, this rucksack is quite heavy, but this is to be expected when you are getting a rucksack this size.

For £89.99, this rucksack is a good price for those looking for a feature-packed rucksack.

OEX Vallo EXP 70:80 Men’s Rucksack

The OEX Vallo 70:80 Men’s Rucksack is a 70L rucksack designed to work in conjunction with the OEX strap system, meaning you can easily connect other OEX compatible products to this rucksack.

Weighing 2,150 grams, this rucksack is about average in terms of weight compared to other rucksacks with this capacity.

At £135, this is on the upper end of the price scale compared to other products. You can get this rucksack for just £65 (at the time of writing) from Go Outdoors, which is very affordable for a rucksack of this quality.

Forclaz Mens Trek 100 Easyfit Men’s Rucksack

The Forclaz Men’s Trek 100 Easyfit 70L Rucksack is a lightweight, fully adjustable and simply designed rucksack designed for multi-day trips.

At just 1,900 grams, you get a lot of capacity for very little weight.

At just £69.99, this would make a great entry-level rucksack for those looking to start long wild camping adventures.

Kelty Coyote 80L Unisex Rucksack

The final rucksack in my list is the Kelty Coyote 80L Unisex Rucksack. This is a heavy-duty rucksack with lots of adjustable features.

Weighing in at a whopping 2,630g, this is the heaviest backpack on the list, although at this capacity you shouldn’t expect anything too light.

Prices at £120, this is an average priced rucksack.

If you are after a durable, long-term investment, this rucksack might be just right for you.

Summary

Hopefully, you have been able to find the perfect rucksack from the list I have created. If you have any other suggestions for rucksacks then let me know and I’ll add them to the list.