10 Best Hiking Backpacks UK 2024 | Osprey, MountainTop and More

The Kestrel is a market-leading hiking backpack from the acclaimed Osprey brand. This sleek 48L pack is designed to tackle all kinds of terrain day and night, and day again. That;s because its fully adjustable airscape back panel with foam ridges allows for a super comfortable and sweat-free fit. 

Its shoulder and waist straps have multiple adjustment points to compliment the adjustable torso lengths, tailoring to fit any man. Plus, the rugged nylon fabric and integrated rain cover are made to endure the harshest of climates and terrain. Let's just hope you are too!

The Osprey 30L Tempest is a force to be reckoned with! Designed for female day-hiking enthusiasts, the foam and mesh ventilation system provides a super comfortable fit without compromising its incredibly lightweight design at only 860 g. 

The Tempest also includes a bio stretch harness and continuous wrap hip-belt. This creates a stable support system that hugs your body, allowing you to keep balanced on the trails. It's a top-loading backpack of beauty, built for the keenest and meanest, mountain-crushing hikers.

This is another MountainTop design that features tonnes of shoulder, back and waist padding, with increased back ventilation. This all makes for a comfortable hiking experience, and at 60L it's the ideal backpack for prolonged hiking escapades.

At just under 2kg, it's certainly on the lighter side for such a robust pack, allowing you to pack a couple more creature comforts on those longer journeys. Best of all, it's water resistant and comes with a rain cover. So you can hike assured that when the heavens open, at least your gear will be covered. 

With an emphasise on comfort this 50 + 10L backpack has been designed with women solely in mind. Ergonomically designed to follow the contours of a woman's body, this stylish number will have you hiking in pure comfort and style.

It comes with all the features you would expect, including back ventilation and well-padded shoulder, hip and chest straps. It also has an internal aluminium frame, increasing its comfort level tenfold. The only slight downside is the 2.4 kg of weight, so best to pack light. 

This is a clever design from the higher-end brand Rupumpack. With an 18L volume, it's a small backpack that's great for day hikes of all kinds. It also includes plenty of useful pockets, including a sneaky smartphone compatible pocket on the waist strap.

With ample ventilation and padding, it'll keep sweat to a minimum, and comfort to a maximum. But, its most interesting feature is the hydration insulation layer that keeps liquid cool for up to 4 hours, and fits a 2.5L water bladder. 

MountainTop are a very reputable brand that specialise in backpacks great and small. This is one of their greater adventure models, equipping you with 70 L of backpack space, plus an extra 10 L in the form of a drawstring extension collar to really help you push the envelope on 5+ day hikes. 

It also comes with an internal aluminium frame to give you increased support, and help to transfer the load from your shoulders to the waist. It really is a remarkable backpack to see you through the toughest of hikes!

Quecha are Decathlon's marquee brand that produce well-made outdoor products for very competitive prices. At 40L, this is a backpack best suited to full day and overnight hikes. At just over 1kg in weight it will also feel pleasantly sparse once you've clipped the waist and chest straps. 

Like most Quecha backpacks, it comes with a 10 year guarantee on wear and tear, giving you added confidence in the construction and materials when hiking further afield. The only downside is that you'll have to buy a rain cover separately. 

This backpack from Loowoko has got many happy reviewers raving about its quality, although it is a little on the expensive side. It boasts back ventilation, hip and chest straps, rain cover and even a top-loading design.

With plenty of pockets, including a hip strap pocket for your smartphone and any essentials, it's convenient and thoughtful in design. For the price, you can't expect this backpack to stand the test of time. ,

G4Free are a company that produce descent backpacks for more than affordable prices. This is their top-loading 40 L option, recommended for 1-3 day hikes. At only 400 g this backpack has an ultra-light, foldable design that's perfect for the space-savvy folk out there. 

Its biggest drawback is the lack of hip straps and back ventilation. While this has made the backpack cheaper and lighter, it will undoubtedly test your shoulders and back on the more arduous of hikes. 

This is a very popular backpack that can be used in your everyday life, as well as casual hikes on the weekends. It can fit 30L worth of kit, which is plenty of room for a day's food, water and supplies. 

It has 3 zippered panel loading pockets, allowing you to gain access to your belongings swiftly. Although, you may want to avoid over-filling this one as it doesn't come with hip and chest straps, making a light approach the way forward.