When the kids and I started hiking, we just used whatever packs we had on hand. It was an economical way to see if we were going to stick with it (why spend money on packs if we weren’t going to make hiking a regular part of our life?), but it also gave me time to think about how necessary it really was for kids to have hiking-specific daypacks. Was it really worth the cost? Would it make a difference?

Read on for our experiences with finding daypacks that worked for us.

First up: my pack experiences

When Ocean is on my back, he’s in a BOBA carrier, which doesn’t have room for extra gear and makes it impossible to wear a daypack normally. We had a Kelty Kids Back Country carrier (it’s no longer made, but this looks like an updated version, and this one has more cargo space for longer hikes) when Sunshine was a baby, but we only used it a couple times. While it did have room for carrying gear, it was heavy and bulky and we just didn’t love it. We sold it when she was still a toddler and never thought of buying a similar pack for the boys. I do tend towards a minimalist mind set when it comes to gear, and the BOBA filled the need the majority of the time, so we’ve made do with it.

When we started out hiking, I used an old Camelback-type pack that I’d had for years, though I had to wear in on my front, looped through the straps of the BOBA carrier Ocean was riding in on my back. It wasn’t super comfortable, or attractive, but it worked, so I lived with it. Its age started showing though, and the straps ripped out of the pack.

About the time that pack died, I remembered my Mountainsmith Day Lumbar pack. I’d bought it a few years earlier for a trip to Disney World (it worked very well for carrying stuff around the parks without being as bulky as a backpack), but after the trip I stuck it on a shelf and forgot about it.

For the last year and a half or so I’ve used my Mountainsmith pack, and it’s much more comfortable than the other pack when worn on my front while wearing Ocean on my back. The cross-body strap sometimes rubbed my neck wrong, but it hung nicely and didn’t shift around, so it was manageable.

The cross-body strap made it very easy to shift everything around to find something in my pack or get to Ocean.

The neck chafing did finally become too aggravating, so I purchased the Mountainsmith Strapettes strap set. The straps support the pack like a backpack, but I’m still wearing it on the front and it works. I like the absence of neck chafing, but the pack doesn’t hang quite as well. This is because I have it on backwards and I have both the pack and the Boba carrier strapped around my waist, which means I don’t always get all the straps in the best position possible.

On the up side, Ocean is walking more and riding less, so the day will soon come when I’m hiking with just my daypack strapped on, and I can wear it as it’s meant to be worn. Though when that day comes I may switch to a more standard size day pack, like this one,  this one, or this one.

Sunshine, age 12

Sunshine at first used a Pottery Barn Kids school backpack while hiking. Mostly she used a smaller pack, but the fabric was thick and it was quite heavy for its size. She tried using a larger PBK backpack made of thinner fabric, but it’s meant for carrying schoolbooks, not hiking gear. They worked, but we knew there was room for improvement.

When we looked at replacement packs, we narrowed it down to a CamelBak Mini Mule or the larger Deuter Junior kid’s backpack. After some debate, Sunshine decided she wanted a CamelBak hydration pack like her daddy has rather than a standard daypack like the Deuter.

Sunshine’s 12 and on the short side, so the Mini Mule fits her, but taller kids might find it a little small. The Mini Mule has a padded back, and the back and straps have breathable fabric and there’s a chest clip with a built-in safety whistle. There’s two zippered pockets on the front and there’s space between the pocket and the body of the pack to pack a rain jacket with compression straps to hold it in place.

The ability to take a drink without having to pull out a water bottle is just too cool in her mind, so she’s happy with her choice. I will say that you have to be willing to clean the water reservoir or your child has to be willing to do it themselves after each hike. On a recent hike Sunshine had to wear one of her old packs because she’d forgotten to clean the reservoir in the Camelbak after the last time she’d used it.

River, age 4.5

Initially, River only occasionally carried a pack, but when he did, it was also a PBK school backpack. It was bulky and heavy and too big for him, but he liked to wear it on occasion and be a big kid.

We bought a Deuter Schmusebar pack, and it fits him perfectly. He’s an average height 4.5 year old. The fabric is thinner than the bulky PBK pack, but decreasing the weight makes it easier for him to carry it for longer periods of time. In addition, the shape of the pack is much more ergonomic and while it’s a bit smaller, it’s still roomy enough for rain gear, jacket, etc.

The main compartment has a drawstring top covered by a flap that buckles in place.

The padded back and straps are covered with breathable fabric and a chest clip helps keep the pack in place. There’s a zippered pocket on the front and water bottle holders on either side, though they’re only effective with short water bottles. As an added bonus, the pack came with a cute little teddy bear.

Ocean, age 2.5

Up to this point, Ocean had never carried a pack because he was still riding on my back for a good portion of each hike. He’s walking more and more though, so I knew it would soon be time to get him a pack as well.

We bought him a Deuter Pico toddler’s pack, and it fits him just right. I considered the Deuter Kikki kid’s pack, but it’s a little larger than the Pico and I was worried about it being too big. He’s an average height 2.5 year old and in a year or so we’ll move up to the Kikki, but for now the Pico does the job. This pack is similar to the Schmusebar, but a little smaller, and the main compartment has a zipper rather than a drawstring and flap. It also has a padded back and straps with breathable fabric, and a chest clip keeps the straps from sliding off little shoulders. There’s water bottle holders on either side though they would only be effective with short water bottles.

This is a very basic pack, but toddlers don’t need lots of bells and whistles, so it works very well for Ocean. The pack is small enough that I can just squeeze Ocean into the BOBA carrier on my back while he’s wearing his pack.

My final thoughts

Are hiking packs for kids worth it? I say yes.

We paid about $40 for the CamelBak, $39 for the Schmusebar, and $29 for the Pico (current prices may vary). This is slightly more than your standard cheapo school backpack from Target or Walmart, but about the same as backpacks from Pottery Barn Kids ($30-50 when not on sale).

When I ran the numbers, I realized the packs were actually pretty reasonably priced. They aren’t meant to do double duty as school packs, but since we homeschool, we don’t have to worry about having two sets of backpacks for the kiddos (there’s that minimalist side of me coming out again!).

Because these packs are lighter weight than the PBK packs we were using, they weigh less, which means they’re more likely to be used with less grumbling from the kiddos. And there’s a much lower chance of them trying to hand their packs of to me to carry, so that’s a win-win in my book.

The lighter fabric feels more durable than your standard cheapo school pack from Target or Walmart, but we’ll have to see how they hold up long term. I’ll be sure to update this post in a few more months.

Do your kids have hiking packs? Which ones do you like, and why? Please share!