After your boots, the second most important item of a hike is the backpack

Decide how you want to use it
Backpack is another word for freedom. With a backpack you can go anywhere, for a day or for several weeks. A good reason why the backpack must be comfortable and suitable for the chosen activity (trekking, day trips, climbing, ski mountaineering, etc.). It’s pointless talking about resistance to water and to tearing: nobody likes to find the contents of the backpack wet or to lose them on the way.

Choose the size
As a general rule, a backpack with capacity of less than 40 litres is suitable for day trips, a rucksack holding 40-60 litres is more appropriate for hikes or treks lasting a few days with overnight stays in a mountain refuge, while a larger rucksack can be used to carry assorted equipment for longer periods as in

Assemble the equipment
There is no one checklist of things that are right for everyone or for every trip. Just remember that you may have to cope with different kinds of weather or emergencies on a trip and having adequate equipment helps you tackle them more easily. That is why it is advisable to have a range of accessories with you that will be very useful at a time of need; to the side, you will find some tips on what to take with you on a day trip.

Less weight, means less effort!
When preparing the backpack you should only select useful, indispensable items and leave anything superfluous at home. By reducing the material to take with you to the bare essentials and preparing the backpack properly, carrying the load is much easier.