Backpacking packs for petite women and others with short torsos can be challenging to find, but here are some tips and recommendations for gear that might work for you!
If you're a petite woman, or if you're taller but have a short torso, finding backpacking packs for your adventures can be a real struggle. Add a curvy figure, and the hunt can be maddening!
My easier-to-fit husband has his choice of many packs, but at 5 feet, 2 inches and a short torso, I've found my own options to be much more limited. That said, I've found, not just one backpack, but multiple packs!
Here's the Highlights
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Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for backpacking packs for petite women.
Looking for more women-specific outdoor gear? Check out our guide for our favorite women's camping clothing, hiking pants for curvy women, and favorite women's winter outdoor clothing.
Top Tips for Finding Backpacking Packs for Petite Women (+ Short Torsos)
Because this isn't the easiest shopping task, you need a game plan! Here's what helped me.
1. Measure Your Torso
Not sure how? Here's a guide.
Packs often have a torso length listed, and it's helpful to know what size you need before shopping. (Side note: If the pack doesn't have a torso length listed, keep looking-- it's likely not going to work.)
It can also be helpful to know that your physical height and your torso height may not align. For example, you can be short with an average length torso or tall with a short torso. For those of us who are both short and have a short torso, the options will be more limited.
2. Look for Pack Measurements, Not Generic Sizing
Just because a pack is listed as "small" doesn't mean it will fit.
I've found that lots of "small" packs only adjust to a 15-inch or 16-inch torso, which may still be too long for some of us! For the pack recommendations later in this post, we'll focus on packs that adjust down to 14.5".
3. Remember That One Size Does Not Fit All
Packs with adjustable torsos are great, but try to find one that's somewhat close to being the correct size before adjusting.
If your pack can technically adjust to an extra-small size, but can also adjust to fit a very tall person, you might find the adjusted fit isn't very comfortable. Or, when adjusted to the smallest setting, the top of the pack may be far above your head (which isn't ideal).
4. When Possible, Shop in Person
Not all packs the same, and not all bodies are the same.
Factors such as how curvy your hips and chest are, shoulder width, old injuries and personal fit preferences can make it very difficult to tell from online measurements if you'll love a pack or not. Additionally, how a pack frame is built (if it has a frame!), where the "torso" measurement was taken on the pack, and how wide a pack is will all come into play.
If you order online, keep in mind that most outdoor gear shops charge return shipping. Currently REI and Garage Grown Gear provide a shipping label and deduct about $5-$6 from the refund as shipping cost.
Cottage brands (such as Zpacks and Gossamer Gear) often only supply the return address, no shipping label, and then the customer pays for all return shipping. Expect to pay $20 and up for return shipping on a backpack if you use these brands and the pack doesn't fit.
Other cottage brands (such as LiteAF) also charge a restocking fee in addition to charging for shipping. All this to say-- if you order from a cottage brand, do your research before ordering. This is not to discourage ordering from a small brand (we love small brands!), but know what you're getting into before ordering.
5. Learn How to Adjust the Backpack Straps for the Best Fit
If you're shopping online, you'll need to adjust the backpack straps yourself. Learn how with this guide from REI.
If the shoulder straps hover above your shoulders even after adjusting, the pack is too large. They should touch the top of your shoulders in the front, and while some gap in the back of the shoulder area is normal, when you move around the straps should touch your shoulders.
6. Try Shopping in the Kids or Juniors Department
My first backpacking pack was a junior pack, cost significantly less than adult packs, and served me well for years!
There are some downsides to shopping in the kids department. Kids' packs don't always have all the bells and whistles, don't come with straps meant to curve with a woman's body, and might not come in larger capacity sizes.
7. Smaller Capacity Packs Might Be Best
If you have both a short torso and are petite, smaller capacity packs might be best.
Backpacking packs shouldn't weigh more than 20% of your body weight, and the larger the pack, the easier it is to accidentally over-fill.
Our Favorite Backpacking Packs for Petite Women
Here are the packs we've found for petite women (and short torsos).
Ultralight Backpacking Packs:
- Durston Kakwa: This pack really surprised me! I quite honestly wasn't expecting it to be my favorite, as I've been a little wary of unisex packs. However it comes with s-curve pack straps, and the internal frame was extremely comfortable even with weight.
So far I'm extremely impressed with how well it carries, it's fairly water-proof (although a pack liner is recommended for rainy hikes), and I like the look.
It's a true ultra-light pack, meaning it weighs around 2-lbs, and skips some of the extra features (like a brain top compartment, a back ventilation system or a hydration bladder compartment).
I'll be testing this pack out more over the upcoming year, so stay tuned for photos and a full review. - Osprey Eja Pro: This is hands-down one of the most comfortable packs I tried. It's lighter-weight than the standard Osprey Eja pack, and carries very well even with close to 30-pounds of weight.
The back contours fit well, the straps were comfortable, my Peak Design camera clip fit well, and I'm mostly thrilled with this bag. If only it came in more color options!
However, the Eja 55 Pro does have a few downsides. The torso adjustment toggles do pop out of place occasionally, which is pretty annoying. The fabric doesn't seem as sturdy as the regular Eja (mine already has a snag). I did contact Osprey about these issues, they're aware, sent tips on temporary fixes and are working on an updated version of the pack.
Also, this is a very minor thing, but the fabric seems to sag when packed full, and it just doesn't "look" as nice as other packs we tried. But it's comfy, and comfy gets major points.
Standard (Not Ultralight) Backpacking Packs:
- Deuter Fox 40 junior pack: This is a kid's pack that I used and loved for years. It was extremely sturdy.
- Osprey Eja: The Osprey Eja line is one of my favorites. This version is lightweight (if not "ultralight") and comes in a variety of sizes. It's also comfortable and distributes weight well. And the colors are pretty- I love the teal!
Other Packs We Tried
The following are packs that didn't fit me well (or fit my person but not my needs), but had good reviews from other petite women or others with short torsos.
More Ultralight Backpacking Pack Options
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear's Southwest 40: This is (currently) the only pack the popular ultralight gear brand makes in an extra-small for torso lengths 15" and under.
This is a frameless pack, making it a different style pack than the others we tried, but it's worth a try if you're carrying lightweight gear. Technically it's supposed to hold up to 40-pounds, but I found it more comfortable under 20-pounds.
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60. I saw this pack mentioned on several discussion threads about petite-friendly packs. Note that this pack does not have an adjustable torso and only adjusts to 16", but I tried it because it's worked for so many others.
Ultimately, no matter how I adjusted the straps/belt/pack weight, it was too long for my frame, but it might work for you.
Listings for the previous version of the Mariposa 60 included a shorter torso size, so it's possible the new version is longer. I tried the 2024 updated version. - Zpacks Women's Arc Haul UltraEPX 60. Ultimately this pack didn't work for me, but I still think it's worth a try!
Things started off well. The shoulder and torso adjustment worked really well and adjusted down to fit perfectly and I absolutely loved the (add-on) huge easy-to-reach belt pockets.
However, when adjusted to the smallest setting, the top of the pack was precariously tall above my head. We tried taking off the (removeable) upper frame stay because it bumped my head, and that did seem to help. However, after weighing down the pack, the weight above my head made this pack unwieldy and threw off my center of gravity, so it just did not work.
That said, others have loved this pack and it has a lot of great features. - LiteAF Ultra 40L. This pack is actually fairly roomy with a total capacity of 55L (the 40L is just what's in the main compartment). The pack fits down to a 15" torso, but the straps are not adjustable AND the pack is unisex.
This was one of my top contenders, mostly because I love the custom print options you can get on the pack. Ultimately I was too worried it wouldn't fit right and the 30% restocking fee scared me away. (If any short torso'd people have tried it let me know!! I'm still interested.)
More Standard (Not Ultralight) Backpacking Pack Options
- Osprey Kyte 48 and Osprey Kyte 58. These packs fit well, but at about 4 pounds each, were heavier than I was looking for. However, these packs have one of the shortest torso length compatibility I've seen on an adult pack (13"!), so if you're really struggling to find something that works, one of these might be perfect.
- Deuter Aircontact Core 60 + 10 and the Deuter Aircontact Core 45 + 10. Again, these packs were heavier than I was looking for. (Both weigh over 4 pounds.) However Deuter's women's packs fit a petite torso well and come in gorgeous colors. I've also seen these packs on sale fairly regularly, so these might be a good budget option.
- Gregory Maven 58. This pack just wasn't a good fit for me (the straps rubbed my neck), but the extra-small version fits a 14" torso and it might be a better fit for you!
Are there any other extra-small backpacking packs that you think we should try? Let us know in the comments.
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