From featherlight daypacks to multiday to ultimate capacity trekking packs, our editors rounded up the 5 best new backpacks for 2016.

Almost every outdoor adventure begins with you wearing a backpack. If you are new to the world of backpacking and trekking, get the right gear and find your adventure. Stop staring at the landscapes on your screensaver and stop chalking up adventures to your bucket list that is already one mile long. Climbing mountains doesn’t get easier when you’re 60. Start checklists instead of bucket lists – the first thing you’ll need is a backpack to carry everything on your checklist.

When setting out to see the outdoors, getting the full experience is all about getting the right equipment. From Hiking, Biking to Alpine Climbing, here is a list of the best backpacks for 2016 for every outdoor adventure. So for the gear lovers who want more for less, and because you have too many hobbies to blow all of your money on one piece of gear – we’ve gathered the best packs with the best value yet are packed with features. Get the latest innovations in fabrics, technical features and performance without the price tag.

Choosing the Right Pack

With so many great packs out there, what is the best backpack for you? It all depends on the activity, weather conditions (cold weather adventures or hot climates), what gear your packing and how long your trip is. Knowing you’re “Adventure Profile” will help you decide which back will best suit your needs. You’ll also need to consider your personal preference for comfort and fit. The goal is to find the right fits you, with the design/ suspension system that can handle the weight – in the lightest form possible.

There are field tips to know when buying a pack. Choosing the right backpack all depends on the activity, duration of your trip and your personal preference for comfort and fit.

Length of Trip

One of the first indicators of your backpack needs is the length of your trip. Is it just a day trip up the canyon, or an overnight-er setting a camp sight? Or are you really setting out for an escape from civilization and won’t return for a week or more? All of these questions need to be answered before you can decide what functionary you need from your pack. As different packs are designed for different tasks, from accommodating a sleeping back attachment, to hydration bladders.

Carrying Weight & Suspension system

There is a give-take relationship when it comes to weight versus comfort. When you get the weight/comfort ratio right – magic happens. Know the weight of your gear. Is it bulky? Are you toting around winter gear through the backcountry? Or ultralight gear for an overnighter? Just because a pack doesn’t have the padding or frame of a traditional trekking pack, doesn’t mean it isn’t comfortable.

Know the Gear You’ll be Packing

If you’re heading into the backcountry for a snowshoeing or ski trip, you’ll need an entirely different pack than the backpacker who sets out to explore the trails with a sleeping bag and a trekking pole. While Ultra-light backpacking is all the rage right now, load bulky/heavy gear in pack without the right frame or suspension – that light weight pack will drag you down more than your gear. Consider your needs for durable weather resistant fabrics, suspension system carry heavy winter gear and external attachment systems. You’ll need to consider weather resistance, rain covers and wet/dry pockets.

Know your Torso Length

Finding the right size of pack depends on the length of your torso (spine), (not your height). For measuring purposes, locate the bony bump at the base of your neck – the one that protrudes when you lean your neck forward (touch your chin to your chest) – C7 vertebra. Give yourself some love and grab your love handles. Your thumbs will find the top of your hip bones (iliac crests). The imaginary line between the marks of your thumbs marks the bottom of your spine. Most adult’s torsos range between 15″ and 22″. Many packs of the same model come in a different torso length, so make sure they have when you need. If you are going to try the pack on before you buy it = load it up with 20 Lbs (even lightweight packs should handle 20lbs. Loosen up all the straps on the backpack before you put it on. When you put on the pack, shrug your shoulders to lift the pack up and adjust the hipbelt. After your hip belt is tight and secure, then tighten the shoulder straps and load lifters. Make sure there aren’t any gaps between your shoulders and the top of the pack. A good pack should equally disperse the weight, any significant sources of pressure now will be pain points on the trail.

Storage and Organization

How OCD are you? Consider how you like to pack your gear and organize your gear and find a pack that has the storage system you need. Are a minimalist who just wants a single compartment bag, or do you prefer a lot of pockets?

Consider what gear you want most accessible. Are the side pockets large enough to accommodate your favorite water bottle? Can you get the gear out of your side pockets without taking off you pack? Are the external pockets secured, or supported with mesh? When you bend over to tie your shoes, does the gear in the side pouch stay put?

Don’t go overkill when it comes to capacity of your back, and don’t buy a bigger pack than you need. Be realistic on how you’ll use the pack. Don’t get a back that has more capacity that you actually need. Otherwise you’ll end up with a bulky pack that you’ll likely just fill up with stuff you don’t need. Only pack the gear that you need, and leave the kitchen sink at home.

Volume Size

There are so many great backpacks are on the market, for all activities from lightweight daypacks to full-size trekking packs designed for six months on the Appalachian Trail. The pack volume indicates how much storage space there is inside the pack liters. Many large backpacks include the volume, in liters, within the name, such as the EMS Long Trail 70 or The North Face Terra 35.

What size of pack is best for you? While it all depends on what you’re using it for and what you need to carry, there are some basic guidelines when it comes to trip length.

Volume (Liters) Activities

15 – 30 Day/Multi-day hikes

30 – 50 Overnight (1-2 nights)

45 – 55 Weekend (2 -3 nights)

55+ Extended Trips (3+ nights) Ultralight Backpacking Counting ounces is an obsession. These packs have shed weight wherever possible. From thinner straps, to smaller zippers and buckles and lighter weight fabrics. The compromise is often comfort depending on the weight of you’re load. Ultralight packs typically are frameless without traditional suspension systems. Yet these ultralight packs are ideal for day packs or trips where you aren’t carrying heavy gear. The Minimalist

For the Minimalist: They want the features to get them exactly where they want them to go. While design is key, streamlined is where the money is at, and function is the goal. These hardcore trekkers may sacrifice some weight for performance. Extended Trips 55-80 Liters

When you’re heading out to explore the 4 corners of the world, or taking a week off to explore the mountains in your backyard, you need a comfortable, high performance pack that can carry a load. While you may have sold most of your belongings to buy that plane ticket to the Himalayas, you need a backpack that can hold your tent, sleeping bag, cooking kit and everything else without weighing you down. Here are our top 3 picks for extended trip backpacks.