What are the best 50l hiking backpacks for backpacking, hiking or travel in general? There are a couple of very good options! In this article, I will cover backpacks for everyone: the ultralight hiker, the budget backpacker and the all round traveller.
Best 50l hiking and travel backpacks
In this section, I will discuss the best 50l backpacks for hiking and travel. I will talk about ergonomics, base weight, adjustability of the straps, etc… The more hiking you will do on your trip, the more important these factor become. Especially if you are planning a long distance hiking trip, I would not go cheap on comfort or ergonomics.
That said, if you are just looking for a good travel backpack, suitable for walking around from time to time -but not for long distance trails- these factors might matter a bit less. Don’t get me wrong, a good hiking backpack will also be a very good option for regular travel, your back will thank you. Your wallet however, will not.
As I said, this article should provide a solution for everybody!
The North Face Banchee 50
Let’s start the list with a very good all round hiking backpack. It’s a pretty lightweight backpack and a super comfortable option for longer hiking distances.
It has everything that you would expect from a good hiking backpack, it’s durable, has a lot of side pockets and it’s easy to adjust the hip belt and the straps so that it perfect fits your body. This is super important for long and intensive hiking trips.
Since this backpack is great for hiking it’s automatically also a good option for backpacking and travel. However, if you are on a budget and you are not going to use your backpack for very long periods of time, you might want to go with a cheaper alternative.
Cheaper 50 liter backpacks will be covered later in this article.
This backpack does not have any big negative. However, there are minor inconveniences. For example: it’s not easy to look through the external lid. However, none of these things are game changers in my opinion.
For the latest price, I will redirect you to amazon since the prices are constantly changing a bit: The North Face Banchee 50.
Osprey Atmos AG 50
The Osprey Atmos AG 50 is what I would like to call the upgraded version of the Banchee 50. Both backpacks are very good options, but the Osprey Atmos AG 50 just got that slight edge over the North Face Banchee 50.
The Atmos is even more comfortable and convenient and adjusting the hip-belt and the straps is even easier. Additionally, it also has better ventilation and has better ergonomics, even though the Banchee 50 already has above average ergonomics.
The downsides are that the Osprey Atmos AG 50 is slightly more expensive than the North Face Banchee. However, the difference is pretty small. Also, the base weight of this backpack is a bit heavier than that of the North Face Banchee 50.
So is the Osprey Atmos worth the additional money? In most cases I would say yes. Only if you really care a lot about the additional weight, I would advise to stick with the Banchee 50.
Once again, the latest price can be found on amazon: Osprey Atmos AG 50
TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack
The next 50l hiking backpack on the list is the TETON Sports Scout. This option is a lot cheaper than most 50 liter alternatives. Oh, by the way, this backpack is actually a 55l backpack… close enough right?
People have been using this backpack for longer hiking trips. However, there are a lot of downsides when you hike longer distances with a budget backpack.
First, the backpack is a lot less comfortable than the previous 2 options. If you would not use your backpack for long periods of time, you could get away with it, otherwise, I would strongly advice against it.
Also, this backpack has got a lot of bulky straps and buckles which can be pretty annoying.
It’s pretty clear that this is not going to be the best hiking backpack. However, it will do great for regular travellers. Also, if you are backpacking or hiking on a very tight budget, I would still recommend this backpack. It definitely has downsides, but at the end of the day, it’s just a lot cheaper and it will get the job done.
This product -including the price- can be found on amazon: TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack
Arc’teryx Bora AR 50
The last and -potentially- the best 50l hiking backpack is the Arc’teryx Bora AR 50. I will start by saying that this backpack is ridiculously expensive and is definitely not for everybody.
Why did I include it if it’s “ridiculously expensive”? Well, for some more extreme hikers and mountaineers, this might be the right backpack to bring.
The main benefits of the Bora AR 50 is that it’s super comfortable – yes even more comfortable than the Osprey AG 50. It has amazing suspensions and amazing cloudy padding around the shoulders and the waist.
On top off that, this backpack is also the only backpack that is completely weather-resistant. Sure, this also means that this backpack is a bit heavier than most alternatives, but in some cases that’s worth it.
If you are planning on conquering some snowy mountains or you simply have a pretty big budget, the Arc’teryx Bora AR 50 is the backpack to get.
It’s available for both men: Arc’teryx Bora AR 50 and women: Arc’teryx Bora AR 49 on amazon.
Conclusion
I remember the moment when I was going to buy my first real hiking backpack. I had this idea that I should be able to find a very solid options for less than a hundred dollars. Whoops, was I wrong.
As I have shown you, there are options below a $100 that can be used for hiking, but they are far from optimal. If you truly want a good hiking experience, you should spend around $200, sometimes even a bit more. I know, it’s pretty steep, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run.
If you are only looking for a backpack that you will use while travelling -you might have to walk a couple of miles per day, but you won’t be doing serious hiking- than you can definitely get away with cheaper options. That said, if you can afford it, the more ergonomic option would still be pretty beneficial.
If you haven’t made your mind up yet and you are going to do more research, please consider the following advice:
When looking at reviews, make sure that the people who wrote these reviews are using the specific product for the same activities that you will use it for. Something about fish and trees…
If you would be interested in a smaller and lighter backpack, you might want to checj out my other article about the best 40l hiking backpacks.
That wraps up my article about the best 50l hiking backpacks for hikers, backpackers or travellers. If you have experiences (good or bad) with any of these backpacks, I would love to hear them. Also, if you have any other 50 liter backpack recommendations, feel free to let me know in the comments below!