Fastpacking backpacking: how to choose one to go fast without breaking your back

There is a moment on every route when the rucksack is no longer invisible.
It happens when something bounces, when a strap rubs where it shouldn't or when you realise you're carrying weight you're not wearing... but you're paying for it with every step.

At fastpacking, The backpack is not just where you carry things, is part of the system.
If you choose well, it disappears.
If you choose wrongly, it robs you of energy, rhythm and concentration.

This guide is designed to help you choose a real fastpacking backpackLightweight, stable, comfortable for hours and adapted to continuous movement. No posturing. Without complication. With clear criteria.

What you will get out of this guide

• Know what type of backpack you need depending on how you move around.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary (and poorly distributed) weight.
• Understand why many “comfortable” backpacks fail when moving fast.
• Choose volume, fit and charging system without hesitation.
• Save money by avoiding wrong purchases.
• Feeling that your backpack accompanies your pace, not slows it down.

The system for choosing a backpack in fastpacking (without messing you up)

Choosing a backpack in fastpacking is not about litres or brands, it is about how you move y how you distribute your weight.

1️⃣ Adjustment and stability: the first thing that counts

If the backpack bounces, gets in the way or moves... it's no good.
It doesn't matter how light it is.

Search:

• Waistcoat or wrap-around harness fit
• Wide and comfortable shoulder straps
• Carrying close to the back
• Stability when jogging or descending fast

In fastpacking, the backpack must move with you, not against you.

2️⃣ Realistic volume (less is more)

One of the most common mistakes is to overdo it “just in case”.

Clear references:

• 20-25 L → 1-day express routes (fast hiking)
• 25-30 L → 1-2 light days
• 30-35 L → 2-3 days fine-tuned

More volume = temptation to stuff things you don't need.

3️⃣ Quick access system

Stopping every time you want to eat, drink or take out a cape breaks the rhythm.

A good fastpacking backpack should allow:

• front access to food
• bottles or soft flasks by hand
• side pockets without removing it
• stow the windbreaker in seconds

The aim is to do not stop.

4️⃣ Weight and structure: balance, not extremes

Ultralight does not mean unstructured.
Meaning minimal, well thought-out structure.

Search:

• flexible but stable back
• some support if you carry 5-7 kg
• avoiding uncontrolled “sagging” backpacks

Your back will feel it at the end of the day.

❌ The most common mistakes when choosing a backpack

• Buy by the litre and not by the setting.
• Choose backpacks designed for walking, not for moving fast.
• Carrying high and poorly distributed weight.
• Too many useless compartments.
• Do not test it in real motion.
• Thinking that “I'll get used to it”.

In fastpacking, if it bothers at first, it bothers every time.

My actual backpacking configuration (1-3 day routes)

Generally speaking:

• Volume: 25-30 L
• Vest-type fit
• Quick front access
• Flexible back
• Low unladen weight

I prefer to sacrifice some “order” in exchange for fluidity and comfort on the move.
If the backpack makes you think about it too much... it's not the right one.

⭐ What it's like inside Outsiders

Inside we share real configurations, real questions and real solutions.

No theory.
Just distilled experience.

🔗 Keep building your ultralight system

👉 Fastpacking: the complete guide to getting around lightly
👉 What to eat in fastpacking (no cooking)
👉 How to choose an ultralight backpack
👉 How to plan your first route
👉 Fastpacking on the GR11

Fastpacking Quick Guide (Free)

The guide is designed to give you a start without chaos, without doubts and without buying things you don't need.

It includes:

• What to check before leaving
• How to choose your first route
• Which material matters (and which doesn't)
• Typical 90% errors on start-up
• How to move lightly without losing safety

It's free... but it's part of something bigger.

The guide is just the beginning, within the trial you also have the checklist, recommended equipment, resources and the challenge modules to get you up to speed quickly.

📥 Download it here (access with the free trial):
👉 https://www.skool.com/outsiders/about