Best Backpacks for 14ers | 8 Options to Help You Summit
One of the most important pieces of gear to bring along on 14er trips is a backpack to carry everything else. I get asked pretty commonly about my opinion regarding the best backpacks for 14ers. Cheap backpacks available online may seem appealing, however they often fall apart after a bit of use or are made with heavy, ineffective materials. Here are the biggest factors to consider when deciding on the best backpacks for 14ers, along with my personal top 3 recommendations.
Backpack Factors to Consider
The main four categories to consider when picking the best backpacks for 14ers are their capacity, weight, comfort and hydration bladder. They also may include other features that are handy to have. Here’s a quick overview of each of these factors.
What Backpack Capacity Do You Need? (Measured in Liters)
For a 14er day trip, you should have a backpack with a 15-25 liter capacity. This is enough space for food, water, and the ten essentials like a first aid kit, emergency gear and rain gear. For overnight trips, you need a bit more space – around 40 liters, to bring sleeping gear and a little extra food. For multi-day backpacking climbs, You’ll want 60 liters or more of space to be properly prepared.
How Much Does Your Backpack Itself Weight?
Your bag will be one of the heaviest things you bring along with you. Even a difference of half a pound makes a difference at 14,000 feet with less oxygen. If you can afford it, invest in a more expensive bag designed to cut a few extra ounces.
How Comfortable is Your Backpack for your Back?
The materials and design of a bag directly impact how comfortable it is to carry for long hikes required on 14ers. Many top-line bags have special designs or straps to help increase the comfort of the bag on your back.
Does Your Bag Have a Hydration Bladder Pocket?
A hydration bladder is a must-have for 14ers, making it quick and easy to hydrate along the hike as you go. Check to make sure your bag has this pocket and buy a bladder it it doesn’t come with one that’s got at least 2 Liters of capacity.
What Extra Features Does Your Backpack Have?
There are many additional features that, while not necessary, do come in handy. A helmet clip is nice for attaching climbing helmets for Class 3 and 4 climbs. Trekking Poles and Ice Axe clips are likewise great to have for storing those extra pieces of equipment. Whistles, water bottle pickets, and extra pockets are additional features to look for and keep in mind. The best backpack for 14ers depends a bit on what you plan to do, as you don’t need extra features if you only want to hike 14ers.
RELATED READ: BEST TREKKING POLES FOR 14ERS
My Recommendation: Best Backpacks for 14ers
Considering all these factors, my recommendations are the same you’ll find on many backpack guides: Osprey takes the cake for the best backpacks for 14ers. Here’s all my picks.
The Best Day Packs for the 14ers
Most of the 14ers can be climbed in a single day of hiking. For these mountains, a day pack of 20-30 liters capacity will suffice to get you and your gear safely up to the summit. You can also bring these bags with you on long backpacks in to use as a summit day bag).
Top Choice: Talon 22 by Osprey
The Talon 22 is the best of the best backpacks for 14ers for many reasons. With 22 liters of space, there’s more than enough room for everything you need. Its lightweight material means it comes in at 1 pound, 12.6 ounces, despite a plethora of features. The bag is built with you in mind – the strap system is built to distribute weight evenly, and a mesh backing helps air reach your back when you’re wearing it. It fits up to a 2.5-liter bladder in a special pocket and includes great features. These include a helmet clip, ice axe attachments, trek pole stow-as-you-go clips, water bottle pockets, and a number of pockets.
Click here to learn more or buy it.
Runner Up Choice: Speed Lite 20 by Deuter
Deuter has done a well job with their Speed Lite 20, creating a bag nearly as good as the Talon 22 but at a significant price reduction. It’s the lightest bag on this list at just 1 pound, 1 ounce, and includes 20 liters of space, nearly as much as the Talon. It also includes a pocket with plenty of space for your hydration bladder of choice (not included). The bag’s selling point is its aeronautical design that prevents drag and looks sleek. However, it lacks many of the features offered by the Tallon – hance its place in 2nd.
Click here to learn more or buy it.
Top Budget Choice: REI-Co-op Trail 25 Pack
REI makes their own daypack with 25 liters of capacity, the REI Co-op Trail 25 Pack. It comes in a men’s or women’s size and is a more affordable backpack option that doesn’t sacrifice on the key feature you need for a 14er. It doesn’t come with some of the fancy bells and whistles that come with the other options on the list, and is slightly heavier, but comes in at a lower cost to make up for it. It does come with a water cover built-in which is a nice feature for the price level of the bag.
Click Here for the men’s version.
Click Here for the women’s version.
The Best Overnight Packs for the 14ers
On many 14ers, a single day ascent isn’t really possible or easy. Taking two days to complete your climb lets you get closer to tree line before your summit day morning climb to the top. A bag of 35 to 50 liters is usually enough or a single overnight 14er trip. Here are two of the best backpacks for 14ers in that capacity range, ideal for overnights in the Colorado mountains.
Top Choice: Osprey Mutant 38 Pack
The Osprey Mutant 38 is my favorite on this list. It was made with mountaineering in mind, and is ideal for both long single day or overnight ascents. It’s built-to last, with an inner frame system to provide support, and numerous options for customization, it has great little touches like their gear attachment options and helmet cord for storing your ice axe, trek poles and helmet on the exterior. It is a pricey bag, but it packs a punch, all with a very sleek design that cut every unnecessary ounce for a super lightweight overbag. It is without a doubt one of the best backpacks for 14ers.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag.
Second Choice: Gregory Zulu 40 Pack
The Zulu 40 from Gregory is a close runner up in the mid-capacity backpack category. It also has a lightweight frame for support and tool attachments, with slightly more space and a little extra weight to bear as well. It has the signature Gregory u-shaped zipper so you can reach gear no matter how deeply it’s buried in your backpack. It’s only available in a men’s version right now due to supply limitations related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is unfortunate, but it’s a great backpack nonetheless if what they have works for you.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag.
The Best Backpacking Bags for the 14ers
For a smaller number of the 14ers, you’ll need to spend 1-2 full days hiking in to establish a base camp before you attempt to summit these mountains. For these peaks, a full backpacking pack with at least 60 liters of capacity is good idea to ensure you can bring all the food and extra gear you need for a multi-day trip in the wilderness. These two bags are some of the best backpacks for 14ers in this upper range.
First Choice: Osprey Atmos/Aura AG 65 Pack
The Atmos AG, along with its women’s version, the Aura AG, are the best backpacks you can buy for long, mult-day backpacking expeditions. When your hiking multiple miles and thousands of feet upward, their patented ant-gravity suspension system makes a real difference. It has great tool attachments and pocket space, a built-in rain hood, and enough space for your sleeping bag, tent, food, and other gear. It’s heavy bag, but don’t be fooled – the AG system more than makes up for it – it’s the most comfortable backpacking bag, and one of the best backpacks for 14ers with more than 60 liters of space.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag for men.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag for women.
Second Choice: REI Co-op Trailbreak 60 Pack
If you want a solid backpacking bag for the 14ers, but you need to find a bag on a budget, REI has made a fantastic option with the Trailbreak 60 Pack. It has the basic necessities, like tool attachments, and good pocket accessibility, that you’ll appreciate in the mountains. While it lacks the expensive anti-gravity system of the osprey bags, it makes up for it with a much lighter pack weight to carry, and a much smaller price tag as well. Of the best backpacks for 14ers requiring backpacking, this is the best budget option by far.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag for men.
Click here to learn more or buy this bag for women.
The Best Backpacks for 14ers: Now You Know!
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when picking out a backpack for the Colorado 14ers. Depending on which peak you climb, you will need a day pack, overnight pack, or backpacking pack. These options here are all great options and some of the best backpacks for 14ers. Regardless of which you end up picking out, you’ll be well on your way to reaching a 14er summit safely and successfully. I hope you found this article on the best backpacks for 14ers helpful – safe travels on the trail!
Alex Derr, Creator of The Next Summit
Alex is an Eagle Scout, climber, and environmental policy expert located in Denver, Colorado. He created The Next Summit to help others stay safe exploring the mountains and advocate to preserve the peaks for the future. Follow him on Linkedin or Twitter or click here to contact him.
