Hiking and backpacking with your children can create seasons of adventures. Planning a backpacking trip with children will require some extra planning to make sure that your kids enjoy the trip. An important planning piece is to make sure that your kids have the correct gear to keep them comfortable along the way. Finding a backpack that works well for your child may be the most import part in creating an enjoyable trip. Kid size packs should fit your child's torso and hip size and should be adjustable so the fit can be customized and to ensure that the pack will last for several hiking season before being outgrown.
Osprey Sprint Series
Backpacker magazine ranked the Osprey Spirit Series as the top youth pack in 2009. The Ace, the Jib and the Imp feature "a suspension and frame sized for narrower hips, shoulders, and backs, and a harness that wraps as snugly as grown-up Ospreys." The torso length adjusts for a wide variety of sizes and the packs include a hydration sleeve, water-bottle pockets, lashing straps, and an integrated rain cover. The Osprey Series packs start around $130 as of May 2010.
REI Meteor
This REI branded pack is designed for the younger hiker. The ''rip-and-stick'' torso and shoulder strap system makes this pack easily adjustable to your child's size. The pack is also designed with a molded foam back panel containing "channels for air circulation, increasing ventilation to keep your back cool and dry." The pack is a vertically loading pack with top and side pockets and externally accessible sleeping bag compartment. The right side pocket is compatible with hydration packs that can be purchased separately. The REI Meteor retails at REI for $119.
Deuter Fox 30
The Deuter Fox 30 is just the right size for overnight and weekend trips. REI states the "Vari-Quick harness allows quick, easy adjustment of torso length for kid's growing frame." The back panel and shoulder strap are made for breathability. The pack features two lid pockets and side pockets as well as a hydration reservoir pocket for hydration reservoirs that are sold separately. There is also a bottom zippered compartment exterior straps to hang extra gear outside the pack. The Deuter Fox retails for $99.
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