Backpacking packs for petite women can be challenging to find, but here are some tips and recommendations for gear that might work for you!
If you're a petite or short woman, finding backpacking packs for your adventures can be a real struggle.
My (significantly taller) husband has his choice of many packs, but at 5 feet, 2 inches, I've found my own options to be much more limited. That said, I've found, not just one backpack, but multiple packs!
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
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 where you personally like the pack to rest. For example, my torso length is about 16", however because my hips are curvy, packs typically feel best resting slightly higher than my Iliac crest, shortening my ideal torso pack length to 14" or 15".
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".
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
I bought my first backpacking pack in person at REI, and they were able to help me load the pack down with weights and make sure I had a good fit.
I've also found that sometimes the shoulder straps are too wide or are set too widely, and that's a harder thing to judge than torso length when shopping online.
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. (Usually) Avoid Unisex or Men's Packs
Typically "unisex" or men's packs will be wider through the shoulders, even if they are technically short enough. This means your straps might not adjust correctly.
8. Smaller Capacity Packs Might Be Best
If you're both short and 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. If you're short, dense and muscly like me, this is less of a concern, but still something to be aware of!
Our Favorite Day Packs
Day packs are (in my experience) much easier to find than backpacking packs. The packs are smaller, so it's easier to make them fit a short torso.
We've had good success with Osprey women's daypacks. Our favorites so far are these:
Looking for something even smaller? Try a vest!
We love women-specific hydration vests that are large enough for water, a phone, keys and a snack or two. Vests are perfect for trail running or shorter trails where you don't want to carry much, but still need water.
- Osprey Dyna 1.5 Hydration vest: This vest comes with a water bladder (positioned on the back) and zippered pouches. I was happy to have it along when I ran my first 5K!
Our Favorite Backpacking Packs for Petite Women
Backpacking packs have been the most difficult to find. Here are the packs we've found for short torsos.
Smaller Capacity Backpacking Packs:
- Deuter Fox 40 junior pack: This is a kid's pack that I used and loved for years. It was extremely sturdy.
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear's Southwest 40: This is (currently) the only pack the popular ultra-light gear brand makes in an extra-small for torso lengths 15" and under, and (while I wish they also carried larger packs in extra-small), it does make me pretty pleased to see more inclusive women's sizing available in at least one pack.
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 holds up to 40-pounds, but I found it more comfortable in the low 20-pound range.
Note that this is a unisex pack, but the straps are fairly narrow and seemed to fit well even with curves.
Larger Capacity Backpacking Packs:
When I wanted something slightly larger, I had a difficult time finding a pack, but these are my favorites so far.
- Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack: I tried and loved this pack, but ultimately decided it wasn't much larger than the Deuter Fox 40 junior pack I was trying to replace.
- Osprey Eja 58 pack: The Osprey Eja line is one of my favorites. This version is lightweight, is the perfect size, and so far I'm thrilled with it. It's also comfortable and distributes weight well. And the colors are pretty- I love the teal!
- Osprey Eja 55 Pro: I actually thought it would be hard to beat how much I loved the Osprey Eja 58 pack, but I very quickly fell even more in love with the ultra-light Eja Pro!
The back contours fit better, the straps were more comfortable, my Peak Design camera clip was more comfortable, 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.
For the moment, that annoyance is outweighed by the pros (it's SO incredibly comfortable), so I'm just monitoring it. I'll update this if Osprey fixes that issue and I try a newer version of the pack.
If I had to pick without trying the packs both on, I'd probably recommend the Eja 58 as my top pick. However if you have a chance to try the Eja 55 Pro and do find it carries better (like it did for me), it's also a great choice.
Other Packs to Try:
These packs either didn't work for me or weren't exactly what I was looking for, but might work for you!
- 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 55. 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!
- Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60. I saw this pack mentioned on several discussion threads about petite-friendly packs. Note that this pack is unisex, 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. I was really hopeful with this one! I emailed back and forth with customer service about torso size fit, and my taller husband loves the men's version. We decided it would probably work and ordered it, but sadly, it did not.
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.
This one might work for you if your torso length is closer to 16", but I don't recommend for less than that. - 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, but ultimately I decided that the wide strap packs probably wouldn't work well with curves. I was also hoping to find a pack with more back ventilation for hot hikes.
Are there any other extra-small backpacking packs that you think we should try? Let us know in the comments.
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