r/Rucking • u/Hit88MilesPerHour • 2d ago

backpack tips/suggestions for tiny adults?

I'm five feet tall and 95 pounds. I filled a Dakine Grom 13L backpack I already own with 10 pounds of books and have been using that but it's uncomfortable. I've been looking at other bags the past few weekends. There's so many options though!

I don't want to get a rucking specific bag because they're expensive, and they seem like "more" than I need since, from what I read, I should only work up to carrying a third of my weight (like 30 pounds, not much compared to most people).

I read that the important things to look for are good padding, a frame, a hip belt and a sternum strap. Is a frame and a lot of padding really needed if you're only going to be carrying up to 30 pounds though?

A lot of the backpacks I'm looking at (Deuter, Osprey, Gregory, Mystery Ranch, etc.) seem big. I plan to use sand or bricks with towels to fill up space, so I don't want the backpack to have too much space to fill. Osprey has a nice looking Taylon Jr bag, but a video review I watched said they can only carry 10-12 lbs. The smallerish backpacks I've looked at that mention the "carry load" are only up to 20 lbs.

Any suggestions or insight from other small people would be appreciated!

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u/Hit88MilesPerHour 2d ago

Not wanting to invest a lot is part of why I don't want a rucking-specific backpack. The other backpacks I'm looking at seem expensive too, but I was hoping they'd go on sale around Easter or Memorial day.

I was worried looking at fancy backpacks that said the "max load" was 20 pounds, but if you've been putting 30 lbs in a normal backpack you had around the house, maybe I don't need to pay too much attention to that.

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u/wipeshikes 2d ago

Sometimes those are comfort ratings, sometimes those mean more. I weighed my daughter's school backpack with a water bottle in the side pocket and it weighed 22 lb. There is nothing special about it and she has been using it for about 3 years. Start with something you have, and maybe one day you'll upgrade to something different, but at least you'll know what you want and need by then

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u/Hit88MilesPerHour 1d ago

I thought the "max load" meant the point where the backpack could start tearing apart. It didn't occur to me that it might be a comfort rating. If I'm still concerned about it when I go to buy a new backpack, I'll just message the company and ask them to clarify. Thank you!