As hiking packs grow in volume they seem to become more daunting and ever more technical. While they do incorporate some extra features than your 20 litre backpack, the principle remains the same: to carry your gear comfortably. It's just with a 50+ litre pack, there's more gear to go in it and therefore requires more thought around weight distribution, comfort, and other such things.
The ultimate multi-day rucksacks swallow all your gear with ease, yet feel stable, comfortable and virtually weightless. They are also well-ventilated. It’s a lot to ask, and only a few manage pull it off. To help you find these 50+ litre champion rucksacks, we've created this handy round-up guide to the best out there right now.
Key features to look for in a large rucksack
Capacity: For a big walk (days or even weeks) you’ll need 50-65 litres. Manufacturers calculate volume by filling a pack with 20mm plastic balls, then placing them in a volumetric cylinder for measurement. Most brands include the pockets, while others maximise volume by unrolling storm collars and roll-top closures.
Back system: A ventilated back panel maximises airflow. Some systems use mesh suspension to hold the pack away from your back, which helps to stop you from getting sweaty. Others employ channels or vents interspersed with padded areas for enhanced comfort. More technical trekking packs tend to keep the weight close to your body for better stability and load transfer. Read our detailed guide on
Harness: The shoulder straps, hipbelt and chest strap form the harness, which is key to carrying comfort and load stability. Look for padded, contoured straps and a supportive hipbelt. Your hips should take most of the weight. Many harnesses also feature perforated foam or mesh to improve ventilation.
Main compartment: Access is usually via a lid with a buckle, though some use a roll-top closure. A roll-top saves weight and is very weatherproof, but a lid usually offers more storage. Floating lids attach to the pack via adjustable webbing straps. This allows you to ‘overstuff’ the top of the pack to carry extra supplies.
Extra compartments and access: Many packs have a bottom compartment, separated from the main section via a zipped divider. Some also offer access to the main compartment via a side or front zip.
External pockets: A front stretch pocket is useful for stowing extra layers. Side pockets are good for water bottles. Hipbelt pockets are handy for snacks and tech devices, as is a lid or top pocket.
Compression straps: Most packs have compression straps or cords to cinch in the load for added stability. They can also be used to carry extra gear on the outside of the pack or underneath the lid.
Trekking pole attachments: Virtually all backpacking rucksacks have external webbing or bungee cord loops to attach trekking poles and/or ice axes.
More rucksack guides
Read our detailed guide on choosing the right pack for further help.
Learn all you need to know about caring for your rucksack.
Don't need a huge pack? Read our article on the best tested 40-50 litre packs.
The best 50+ litre rucksacks
Gregory Katmai 55
Verdict: Great choice for extended trips - a delxue gear-hauler for warm climates, big days, and heavy loads.
1. Gregory Katmai 55
Best in Test
Features 5/5 | Fit 5/5 | Weight 3/5 | Performance 5/5 | Value 4/5
Overall score: 88%
Pros: Capable load-carrier, loads of pockets, superb ventilation, eco-conscious build
Cons: Slightly heavy
This deluxe pack has a veritable arsenal of different features. But the Katmai’s biggest plus is its ability to handle heavy loads with ease. The sturdy internal steel alloy frame has a fibreglass cross-stay that helps to prevent the pack from ‘barreling’ when fully laden. The adjustable harness has pivoting shoulder straps and a one-piece wraparound hipbelt, offering plenty of support and stability with some flex too. It transfers the load extremely well, while the plush padding eliminates pressure points.
The trampoline-style back panel feels airy and is treated with Polygiene to keep your pack (and back) fresher for longer. It’s also more eco-friendly than most, using a PFC-free DWR and recycled fabrics. The result is a 28% reduction in the pack’s carbon footprint.
Some might find the Katmai slightly over-engineered. The steel frame, suspended mesh back panel, chunky harness and plethora of pockets also add weight, though this pack is still lighter than the Jack Wolfskin and Osprey models on test. But if your top priorities are storage and optimum carrying comfort, you’ll love the Katmai.
Weight 2.12kg | Sizes S/M or M/L (plus adjustable back) | Main fabric 210D nylon with PFC-free DWR (40% recycled content) and 420D nylon with PFC-free DWR (45% recycled content) | Pockets 9 | Raincover Yes | Women’s version Kalmia 50
Lowe Alpine Cholatse ND50:55
Verdict: Versatile and well-priced, this is the ideal all-purpose, all-weather pack for multi-day adventures.
2. Lowe Alpine Cholatse ND50:55
Best Value
Features 5/5 | Fit 4/5 | Weight 4/5 | Performance 4/5 | Value 5/5
Overall score: 88%
Pros: Comfortable, capable, plenty of features, great value
Cons: Weight starting to creep up
Lowe Alpine founder Greg Lowe was a genuine pioneer in rucksack design. He developed the first internally framed rucksack and ergonomically contoured shoulder straps. Both innovations are now common in backpacking rucksacks.
The women’s-specific Cholatse ND50:55 employs a rigid perimeter frame made of a shaped aluminium alloy bar, plus a cushioned, supportive harness that is carefully sculpted to suit the female frame. In conjunction with the padded, wraparound hipbelt and adjustable Air Contour+ back panel, it makes for an extremely comfortable pack that carries well, while balancing airflow and load stability. It boasts twin hipbelt pockets, large side pockets, inner and outer lid pockets, and a front ‘shove-it’ pocket with an additional zipped section.
The main compartment has a hydration sleeve and port, a double drawcord collar and secondary access via a U-shaped zip. The extending lid has a rear baffle and a top compression strap that allows you to stow a sleeping mat or tent. The pack is tough and weatherproof too, with a stowaway raincover. In fact, you get an impressive amount for your money here, making it cracking value.
Weight 1.77kg | Sizes One size (adjustable) | Main fabric PU-coated 600D polyester, 100HT ripstop nylon | Pockets 8 | Raincover Yes | Men’s version Cholatse 52:57
Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10
Verdict: A well-built, roomy and feature-heavy pack with a tried and tested design for trekking and backpacking.
3. Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10
Features 4/5 | Fit 4/5 | Weight 4/5 | Performance 4/5 | Value 5/5
Overall score: 84%
Pros: Comfortable, capable, plenty of features, good value
Cons: Over 2kg, not as rugged as some
When it comes to large packs, a few elements seem to have become preferred design features, as they work well on the trail. The Futura Air Trek has them all. Height-adjustable lid for extra space? Check. Roomy main compartment? Of course. Separate bottom compartment with zipped divider? Naturally. Practical side, front and hipbelt pockets? All present and correct. Hydration compatibility? Tick. Adjustable, padded harness? Yes indeed.
The pack itself is built around a spring steel frame. It's responsible for pushing the weight up a bit but the comfort is amazing, certainly when coupled with the mesh back panel to allow good airflow. The pack is well-built and the fabrics are pretty tough too. But in terms of price, features, overall design and carrying comfort, this pack does everything pretty well.
Weight 2.05kg | Sizes One size (adjustable) | Main fabric PFC-free, 600D PES, 210D PA recycled | Pockets 7 | Raincover Yes | Women’s version Futura Air Trek 45+10 SL
Atom Packs Mo 50
Verdict: A great lightweight choice, offering far more than most ultralight rivals for practicality and durability.
4. Atom Packs Mo 50
Features 4/5 | Fit 5/5 | Weight 5/5 | Performance 4/5 | Value 3/5
Overall score: 84%
Pros: Lightweight, versatile, practical, hard as nails, customisable
Cons: Relatively simple back system, not cheap
The lightest pack here, the Mo 50 is over 1.5kg lighter than the Osprey Ariel Plus 60. It’s an innovative design from Atom Packs, which turns out fully customisable packs from its Lake District workshop – allowing you to select your preferred back length, hipbelt size, materials, number of pockets and even colours.
The Mo is rugged enough to take extended trail abuse, with burly side pockets that won’t snag on tree branches. There’s also a tough stretch front pocket that will take a set of waterproofs, so this pack carries more than its nominal 50 litres. The lidless roll-top design gives you a roomy main compartment, which can be fastened drybag-style or cinched down via side compression straps. Other features include a handy stretch shoulder pocket for a phone or GPS unit and a top Y-strap for stowing a sleeping mat or tent.
The harness and back system balance low weight with comfort and stability, consisting of a plastic frame sheet stiffened with a single central removable alloy stay, overlaid with closed cell foam. The harness has padded, contoured shoulder straps with load-lifters, plus a supportive hipbelt, with optional zipped pockets and four-way adjustment.
Weight 0.85kg | Sizes S-XL torso, XS-XL hipbeltsize (adjustable) | Main fabric 210D Robic Extreema (or VX07 or VX21 XPAC) | Pockets Up to 7 | Raincover No | Women’s version No
Osprey Ariel Plus 60
Verdict: Tough, extremely well-built and a highly capable gear-hauler - a hefty pack that's up to expedition use.
Features 5/5 | Fit 5/5 | Weight 3/5 | Performance 5/5 | Value 3/5
Overall score: 84%
Pros: Robust, extremely capable, plenty of features
Cons: Heavy, not cheap
This is a serious pack. In fact, with its array of features and robust build, we’re verging from backpacking rucksack to full-on expedition pack. And few manufacturers pay as much attention to fit as Osprey.
There are dedicated men’s and women’s models (the men’s is the Aether Plus 60), with two sizes for each. The back length is also adjustable. But you can further fine-tune fit, as the ‘fit-on-the-fly’ shoulder straps and hipbelt can be extended to suit. This ensures a close and comfy carry even with a full load, with plenty of padding at pressure points like the collar and hips.
The Airscape back panel doesn’t offer quite the same ventilation as a suspended back system, but balances airflow with load-carrying stability. Even on technical terrain, the pack feels evenly weighted.
The Ariel Plus offers main and bottom compartments (with front zipped access to the main body as well as via the lid), a multitude of pockets and plenty of webbing to lash additional kit to the front or bottom of the pack. The removable lid even converts into a day- or summit pack. In fact, you can use the pack in lidless format with the stowaway top flap, which cuts 367g off the total weight.
Weight 2.4kg | Sizes X/S or M/L (plus adjustable back) | Main fabric 420D High Tenacity Bluesign nylon | Pockets 8 | Raincover Yes | Men’s version Aether Plus 60
Mammut Ducan Spine 50-60
Verdict: A great choice for multi-day trips, balancing innovative features with solid load-carrying capability.
6. Mammut Ducan Spine 50-60
Features 5/5 | Fit 3/5 | Weight 4/5 | Performance 4/5 | Value 4/5
Overall score: 80%
Pros: Lightweight, well-ventilated, capable load-carrier, innovative features
Cons: Lightly padded harness, delicate mesh pockets, fixed back length
This lightweight trekking pack employs the same ‘Active Spine’ tech as Mammut’s mountain-focused Trion Spine 50 (awarded Trail Best in Test last year). This double-pivoting system works with the low-profile, ventilated shoulder straps and hipbelt. The hourglass-shaped back panel supports the shoulders and lower lumbar but also holds the pack slightly away from your back for great ventilation. It’s attached to a robust tubular alloy frame for load-carrying rigidity.
A little more harness padding would aid comfort when fully loaded. This pack also lacks the quick-adjust back system of the Trion Spine. This saves weight but unless your back length is 18in or thereabouts, you’ll struggle to get a great fit. However, there is a women’s version with a back length of 16in.
We particularly like the single-pull compression system and roll-top design. This has a wide mouth opening with a secondary zipper in addition to the drybag-style buckle. A central zip makes it easy to get to the main compartment, and there’s a zipped bottom compartment too. There’s also a removable waterproof pouch that attaches inside, on the hipbelt or on the chest.
Weight 1.53kg | Sizes One size (fixed) | Main fabric 100D nylon-polyester blend with 210D nylon base | Pockets 7 | Raincover Yes | Women’s version Yes
Montane Naukan 60
Verdict: A good option for 'fast and light' backpackers looking for a low-profile load-lugger.
7. Montane Naukan 60
Features 3/5 | Fit 4/5 | Weight 4/5 | Performance 4/5 | Value 3/5
Overall score: 76%
Pros: Lightweight, roomy
Cons: Lightly padded harness, not the toughest fabric, no hipbelt pockets
If you’re looking to drop trail weight before your next long-distance walk, the Naukan 60’s excellent volume-to-weight ratio makes it well worth considering, as it’ll swallow 60 litres of kit but weighs less than a kilo.
The sturdy internal tubular alloy frame is more than capable of lugging heavier loads, but the adjustable harness is optimised for ventilation and freedom of movement over plush comfort. So, with too much weight you might start to feel pressure from the shoulder straps and hipbelt. However, the foam and mesh back panel offers decent airflow, while the roomy main compartment is easy to load.
There’s a hydration port plus an internal hanging strap for a water reservoir too, though no separate sleeve. The two side pockets can be reached while wearing the bag, and you also get two larger angled front pockets. Hipbelt pockets have been sacrificed though. An outer lid pocket is accessed via an unusual centre zip.
Whether you like these unconventional design details will largely depend on your hiking style. But if you’re aiming to beat the averages on trails like the Pennine Way or the Coast to Coast, this streamlined pack will be the perfect companion.
Weight 0.9kg | Sizes One size (adjustable) | Main fabric Raptor Diamond 70D nylon with UHMWPE fibrePU-coated 600D polyester, 100HT ripstop nylon | Pockets 5 | Raincover No | Women’s version No