YoIn this next installment of the 2025 Appalachian Trail survey, we’ll cover all things backpacking! We took a look at the frame type and capacity hikers chose, as well as their base weights and how they changed. As always, we’ll go over the top brands and models of backpacks used on the trail this year before concluding with some final thoughts on the trends we saw this year.
This year, we received 279 responses from the AT Class of 2025. If you’re using this as a resource to help plan your 2026 AT hike, be sure to sign up to take the survey yourself next year! Press the button below to be notified when the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey opens for submissions so you can help the Class of 2027 in planning their trails.
Sign up to take the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey!
Frame type
Internal frame packs have been the most popular type of pack on the trails for quite some time.
Frameless backpacks have grown in popularity since we started this survey 10 years ago, but the numbers have remained largely stable over the past few years. However, this year we see a fairly large increase in the use of frameless backpacks compared to 17% last year.
READ NEXT – Best Backpacks on the Appalachian Trail in 2024: The 2024 AT Thru-Hiker Survey (Last Year’s Data)
While frameless backpacks have grown in popularity over the years, internal frame backpacks continue to dominate. I doubt we’ll ever see that ranking change, but it will be interesting to watch in the coming years to see if the gap between the two narrows even further. Also, I wonder what year we will see our first survey with 0 respondents using an external framework package.
Hikers who changed packages
Backpacks are not typically exchanged during a hike: 71% of this year’s hikers kept the same backpack for the entire hike. Of those who switched, most chose a different model for their replacement package. The few that replaced it with the same package often cited company warranties as the reason.
Some of the reasons hikers gave for switching to a new backpack are: (lightly edited for spelling and grammar):
“I started SOBO with a frameless backpack, but in November in Virginia, I upgraded to a Gossamer Gear Mariposa to accommodate my winter gear.”
«Switching from the Flash 55 to the Flash Air 50 (REI’s ultralight pack) made a huge difference. I don’t think I can go back to a pack that isn’t ultralight.»
«The Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra wore out. My hip belt got crushed, plus the pack didn’t stay comfortable on my back when I wasn’t loaded with gear. Their hip belts are a weird size, so I had to buy a smaller hip belt on the trail because my back hurt too much to walk.»
Ability
The most popular backpack size ranged from 50 to 59 liters, with an average capacity of 53 liters. This is very consistent with previous years, as is the distribution curve among other sizes.
In previous years, we analyzed this data for section hikers and step hikers separately. However, this year, the average for hikers was 52 liters, while the average for section hikers was 54 liters. The difference does not seem significant this year.
Basic weight
We asked hikers what their base weight was (the weight of all their gear minus worn items and consumables like water and food) at the beginning and end of their hikes.
Among all hikers surveyed, the most common starting base weight range was 15 to 20 pounds, and most hikers fell into that range at both the beginning and end of their hikes. The distribution between the weight ranges is similar to last year. You’ll notice that most hikers cluster toward the lighter end of the scale, but there’s a long tail that extends past the 40-pound mark.
The average starting base weight for hikers was 20 pounds, and the average final base weight was 18 pounds, meaning that, on average, hikers tended to drop two pounds of gear from their packs along the trail.
Only a small handful of hikers were officially «ultralight» based on the common benchmark of having a base weight under 10 pounds.
These numbers have remained fairly constant over the decade in which this survey was conducted.
Main brands and models
Last but not least, we asked hikers about their favorite brands and models of backpacks they used this year. Osprey was once again the leading brand, but this year’s leading model is a tie between Durston Kakwa and the ULA circuit. The top brands were remarkably stable from last year, except that HMG narrowly took second place from ULA, and Durston edged out Gossamer Gear to take fourth place.
All of the major brands are listed below, along with some of their most popular models. The best models are listed in the table below. Hikers rated their level of satisfaction with each model on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most satisfied; that data is also included in the table.
The three most used backpack brands on AT in 2025 were Osprey, Hyperlite Mountain Gear and ULA. The Durston and Gossamer Gear packs also garnered many responses, while the «Other» category encompasses brands that received fewer than 3 mentions in the survey.
1) Osprey (61)
2) Hyperlite mountain equipment (35)
3) ULA (32)
4) Team Durston (27)
5) gauze gear (22)
6) Zpacks (17)
7) REI (14)
8) granite gear (7)
8) gregory (7)
8) LiteAF (7)
The best backpack brands on the AT
The best backpack models on the AT
Summary
- Internal frame backpacks remain the dominant option, although this year saw a notable increase in the use of frameless backpacks compared to 16% the previous year.
- 71% of hikers kept the same backpack throughout the hike. Of the 29% who switched, the majority chose a different model, often citing comfort/fit adjustments or specific seasonal needs.
- The capacity of the most popular backpack ranged from 50 to 59 liters, with an overall average capacity of 53 liters. This average was consistent between step hikers (52L) and section hikers (54L).
- Hikers carried an average starting base weight of 20 pounds and a final base weight of 18 pounds, losing an average of two pounds of gear as they progressed.
- Osprey remained the top backpack brand overall, while the best individual model was a tie between Durston Kakwa and the ULA Circuit.
Thank you!
Congratulations to all of the Appalachian Trail hikers this year and many thanks to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. The next post will cover stoves, rain gear, filters and more. To stay up to date on the latest survey posts, be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter.
Finally, if you plan to climb the AT in 2026, press the button below to be reminded to complete the survey. Your knowledge will be incredibly useful to hikers in later years as they plan their hikes, and you don’t want to risk forgetting about the survey after the hike is over.
Sign up to take the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey!
Cover image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
