While it’s tempting to buy the first pack that pops up on Amazon, do your research and figure out what is going to be a good fit for you.
I can’t stress enough the importance of being well prepared when hitting the trail whether it’s for an hour-long hike at your nearest park or for several month trips hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I hope you will be able to find the best hiking backpack under $100 for your personal needs. Know what equipment you need and what emergency provisions will be helpful so you can have a safe, successful hike every time.
| Backpack | Capacity | Material | Weight | Dimensions |
| OutdoorMaster Hiking Backpack – Our Pick! | 50L | Nylon | 2 lbs 4.8 oz | 23x15x8.6 in |
| AmazonBasics Internal Frame Hiking Backpack with Rainfly | 60L | Polyester | 4 lbs 7 oz | 15.5x7x32 in |
| Venture Pal Lightweight Packable Backpack | 35L | Polyester | 0.7 lbs | 20x13x7.5 in |
| Teton Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack | 55L | Polyester | 4.5 lbs | 30x17x12 in |
| Kelty Redwing 36 Pack | 36L | Polyester | 2 lbs 9 oz | 23x17x10 in |
| REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack | 22L | Nylon | 0.81 lbs | 18x10x8 in |
| Outlander Ultra Lightweight Backpack | 33L | Nylon | 0.5 lbs | 19x13x8.2 in |
| Venture Pal 40L | 40L | Nylon | 0.78 lbs | 12.5×6.3×19.3 In |
| The North Face Borealis | 28L | Nylon | 2 lbs 11 oz | 19.7×13.2×9.7 in |
| Patagonia Refugio 28L Pack | 28L | Nylon | 1 lb. 7.5 oz | 19x12x8 in |
| TETON Sports Scout 3400 | 55L | Polyester | 4.5 lbs | 30x17x12 in |
OutdoorMaster Hiking Backpack 50L – Our Pick!
The Outdoor Master Hiking Backpack is a decent price at around $36 but expects less breath-ability on hot hikes as well as a lower quality fabric choice and lack of structural support.
Overall, a perfectly reasonable choice for someone looking to go on day hikes or to use a pack to travel. Not recommended for long hikes or for those in warmer climates. This is definitely one of the best hiking backpacks under $100 on the market.
AmazonBasics Internal Frame Hiking Backpack with Rainfly – Also Great!
I’m a big fan of Amazon Basics for lots of items in my home and was surprised to see they have hiking backpacks as well. The rainfly would have saved me in wet weather for sure, and this pack is a great value for what you get.
This pack is better for those who are interested in overnight trips and would be suited to a week-long trip if you pack tight. The pack is much larger than it appears on Amazon and was a good fit for a bigger person. I wouldn’t take it on a cold trip because the pack struggles with any load over 50 pounds and you would just need too much equipment in bad weather.
Venture Pal Lightweight Packable Backpack
If you’re just getting started and don’t want to spend a lot of money on a pack, the Venture Pal is the pack for you. At $21, it’s the second cheapest pack on the list. The quality is decent, but I wouldn’t use it for anything longer than a day trip.
It does have a lifetime warranty, but most consumers cite it’s difficult to register and comes with lots of strings attached. My favorite part of ordering this pack was deciding what color to get it in–lots of choices if that’s important to you!
Teton Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack
If you’re ready to step up your game into longer, more difficult excursions, I’d recommend the Titan At $69, it’s on the pricier side but features a rain fly and a structured frame for additional support.
The compartments are huge and have plenty of room for a pup tent, sleeping bag, and lots of drinking water. One thing I love about this pack is that you can fill it to the brim without wear and tear on the fabric and seams. For sure a favorite for long trips or difficult terrain.
Kelty Redwing 36 Pack
This 36-liters backpack is not the best-looking one on this list but ticks many essential boxes instead. Let’s start with the most crucial ones – hybrid U-zipper with top or panel loading ventilated back panel and perimeter frame for stability.
Most of the cheapest backpacks for hiking don’t come with additional pockets, but this model features an excellent stash system, and a small front pocket for keys, ID, etc. In conclusion, the Kelty Redwing 36 is an excellent choice for day-hiking, fishing, and weekend travel in general.
REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack
Let’s start with the obvious problem of this backpack – 22 liters is not enough for hiking and camping. But when you see the price tag ( $55 ), you might think again. For this affordable price, you get a lot of backpack features. To mention some of the most notable ones – breathable stretch-mess shoulder straps and back, nice waistbelt, and back panel pad, which could be removed and used as a seat pad.
If you think that such a small backpack does not offer additional pockets and stashes, think again. REI Co-op Flash 22 offers two tall stash side pockets and an internal sleeve for a hydration reservoir. But if you need something bigger than a small daypack, you should look for another model.
Outlander Ultra Lightweight Backpack
The Outlander Backpack is lightweight at only 0.45 pounds and features a design that makes it perfect for the outdoors. For instance, you can shrink it into a super compact size that fits in the inner pocket and is made from water-resistant nylon fabric and features a bar tacking for enhanced durability.
It also comes with multiple zipper compartments on the front, side, back, and an inner pocket for storing valuables. The newest version of this 20-liter backpack comes with an additional carabiner clip that allows you to attach the bag to things. You also get to pick from a wide variety of color choices, thus ensuring that you have a bag to match your outdoor expeditions.
Venture Pal 40L
The large capacity 40 liters Venture Pal is designed for the serious backpacker. It comes with many pockets both on the inside and outside. The main compartment features a waterproof pocket that comes in handy when you want to separate wet or sweaty clothes from clean ones.
The backpack is constructed using high-quality nylon fabric that is both water and wear-resistant. The bottom is also dual-layered to enable you to carry more weight inside the roomy compartments. The extra-wide shoulder pads that feature a breathable mesh design relieve stress from your shoulders and distribute weight carried in the bag evenly.
Moreover, it has a lock-in chest clip with a whistle buckle that keeps the bag centered on your back as you take it on gruesome journeys.
The North Face Borealis
The North Face Backpack allows you to bring your gadgets with you wherever you go, especially thanks to the highly protective laptop and tablet dedicated compartments.
The laptop compartment is located inside the main compartment, together with a larger partition for books and binders. In contrast, the tablet compartment is attached to the front, together with a zipped pocket and a pen holder.
Your comfort is guaranteed when carrying items in this backpack by the extra padded shoulder straps, padded back panel, and a breathable lumbar panel. The backpack holds a total of 28 liters, comes with a removable hip belt, and features a comfortable to hold the padded handle at the top. The water bottle holders, shoulder webbing, and bike light loop are all reflective, thus enhancing visibility in the dark.
Patagonia Refugio 28L Pack
This multi-compartment backpack offers you the convenience of carrying your smart gadgets together with the other gear you want to take to your adventures without mixing them up.
It comes with a sleeve that fits a 15-inch laptop or a hydration reservoir and a lined tablet sleeve in the main compartment to give you easy access to devices held inside the bag. The secondary pockets located on the front and sides allow easy organization and transportation of small devices, cables, and accessories.
The bag is held in place on your back using comfortable, breathable shoulder straps and additional compression straps that work to stabilize the contents. The bag is made from durable fabric and features a water-resistant finish on the exterior.
TETON Sports Scout 3400
The Teton Sports backpack is made for backpackers who seek to push the limits every time they head out. The bag comes with multiple storage compartments in its interior and exterior that include a sleeping bag holder at the top.
The straps on this 55-liter bag are adjustable, which means that kids, male and female backpackers, can use the bag. The back panel sits on your back in a way that enhances airflow, thus allowing you to carry the bag for the entire day without experiencing fatigue.
An additional rainfly cover helps you to keep the bag’s contents dry even on a rainy day. The cover tucks away conveniently when not in use.
How Important is a Good Backpack REALLY?
The first time I hiked the Appalachian Trail, I started in my home state of Pennsylvania.
The plan was to start in April and join friends at their summer cabin in Maine during the month of July. Anyone familiar with the state of PA knows that March and April are a tumultuous time where any sort of weather is game.
Read more: Can You Take A Hiking Backpack For A Carry-On?
The first week out, we got over a foot of snow! Needless to say, we were not able to continue on our plan as intended ( we haven’t got any crampons ). Determined to keep going, we took a Greyhound to Georgia and decided to hike the Southern leg first.
I begin with a ridiculous story about my first hike because it’s important to realize the need for versatile travel gear. Literally, anything can happen out on the trail, so it’s important to be prepared.
I’m a pretty organized person, and I like to compartmentalize all my hiking gear so that it fits well and is comfortable for long or multiple day hikes. Anyone who has talked to novice hikers cites their first mistake is in being unprepared in organizing equipment or under packing.
Trespass has a great list of common mistakes that highlight the dangers of packing too much or too little. Make sure you do your research about what to pack and how to pack it ahead of your trail hike.
You might be surprised at what you do and do not need. Whether you’re an expert or a novice, you can benefit from reading on for the best hiking backpack under $100.
REI has great resources for choosing a pack as well as choosing what goes in it, all based on the length of the hike you are planning. Essentially, buying the right pack breaks down into three categories: backpack capacity, backpack features, and backpack fit.
The size pack you need is tied to how long you plan to hike and how much weight you are able/want to carry. Generally, there are weekend packs for one to three days, multi-day packs for three to five days, and extended trip packs for 7+ days on the trail.
It’s important not to try to cram five nights of gear into a weekender bag–you’ll cause damage to the bag, invariably leave something out, or under pack to make it all fit.
Just as important to your comfort is knowing what features will make your life easier. As with anything else, the more impressive the features, the more expensive the pack. It’s not impossible, however, to get a decent pack with lots of great features at a good price.
If you don’t want to spend any money on a new backpack and you already have for example a daypack or a cycling backpack, you can use those for hiking as well.
It’s also important to take into consideration where you’re hiking and what time of year. Some people favor ultralight packs with no frames to hike fast and without a lot of bulk while other outdoor enthusiasts want an external frame pack for lugging a kayak to the lake.
All the packs we looked at for under $100 have no frame or an internal frame for hiking. If you’re interested in looking at external frame packs, check out this video from Richard Blair below.
Just as important as frames are the ventilation on packs. If you’re hiking in Georgia in June, you want a lighter weight back with good ventilation versus hiking in Maine in December.
Internal frame packs ride against your back and can cause serious sweat issues. Many companies are now using the same materials used in trampolines to prevent packs from causing too much sweat.
There are lots of other features available in standard packs–you just have to decide which ones are important to you. Usually, it’s highly individualized, but there are benefits to each feature.
For starters, I need a pack with lots of pockets so I can keep my clothing, food, and water supplies separate. If you’re a serious hiker interested in moths of hiking, you might want to invest in a pack that has a built-in sleeper.
I don’t typically need lots of tool loops, but those hiking in winter climates accompanied by skis may find them helpful. A rain cover is a must for me after hiking PA in April snow, but more arid climates may not find it necessary.
I do recommend a pack with a hydration reservoir for a camelback. Usually sold separately, it’s well worth the investment to carry extra water.
Of course, it’s crucial to have a good pack to hold all of your necessary items. It’s not impossible to get a good pack at a decent price, you just have to do your research. Luckily, I’ve done a lot of it for you!