Updated September 23, 2025 03:11PM
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As a Backpacker editor, I’ve tested a lot of hiking gear, and perhaps in no category as much as backpacks. Over the past seven years, I’ve carried countless daypacks and ultralight haulers, running vests and heavy-duty sacks, and gear-carrying contraptions for any sort of hike you can imagine. Even though much of the gear I try and review gets passed along to other testers, it’s only natural that I’ve accumulated an inordinate amount of hiking gear over the years. The hard part? Figuring out how to store more than two dozen backpacks—not to mention an arsenal of tents, sleeping bags, and more.
Clothing racks and S-hooks help me keep my backpacks organized, so I can see my whole collection at once and easily choose the right pack for any given adventure. I leave my sleeping bags in large stuff sacks, rather than compressing the fill in compression sacks. Much of the rest of my gear gets stored in plastic bins.
Join me for a tour of my gear closet (don’t even ask to see the garage) and a show-and-tell of some of my all-time favorite pieces of hiking equipment.
Which of my many backpacks do I prize above all others? It’s hard to say, since they all fit the bill for one type of hike or another. But here are a few that I find myself reaching for time and again.
I’ve put countless miles on the Nathan Crossover 10L Hydration Pack, which fits the bill when I can’t decide between a running vest and a day pack. This pared-down, no-frills bag fits just enough for a day mission (layers, water, and some snacks), and hugs the body to minimize bounce if I decide to take the trail at a jog. Stretchy pockets on the shoulder straps keep my phone and a bar close at hand. When I want to move fast without a burly pack but can’t fit everything into my vest, this is the pack I grab.
On a recent airport visit, I saw Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack everywhere. I’m clearly not the only one who has discovered the value of this highly-organized carry-on that carries like a hiking backpack. Internal zipper compartments keep clothing and shoes organized, a thoughtfully-placed laptop sleeve makes security checks a breeze, and a roomy external pockets keeps my essentials on hand for long travel days. The pack opens like a suitcase but carries like a comfortable backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hipbelt. I hauled two weeks worth of clothes around New York City and felt like I was carrying my pack down the trail.
The LiteAF ECOPAK 46L Curve Full Suspension Ultralight Backpack, a recent addition to my gear closet, has quickly risen the ranks of my pack collection. Light, waterproof, durable, and able to comfortably carry loads far heavier than its “ultralight” name would suggest, this is the pack I’m reaching for recently on big adventures. The external stretch mesh pockets add 15 extra liters of capacity, and the internal frame and load lifters offer a comfortable carry north of 35 pounds. I love the streamlined rolltop design—and the fact that I can reach the water bottle pockets without removing the pack.
