Pack for 8-10 year olds

chrome307

FNG
Joined
Jan 10, 2026
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I’ve done a lot of reading and a lot of looking, still have yet to come upon a good pack for an 8-10 year old. Looking for something with decent storage but durable with an internal frame is the biggest concern. Am I looking for a unicorn?


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I was able to get a Mystery Ranch Sawtooth to fit my boy decently when he was 10 and he wasn’t much bigger than the average 10 year old. The nice part is that it fits him good now at 16. Never had him carry much in the pack when he was 10 but he was exited to have a pack like dad’s.
 
I like the look of the western edge packs, but didn’t come across them until my kids were bigger. My boys used hand me downs and never carried too much weight at that age. When they were small I actually bought myself a better bigger pack so I could carry all the extra stuff for them, some days an afternoon hunt looked like Everest expedition.
 
I've put packs on a lot of kids in outdoor programs. One old pack with an extremely cushy hip belt was the favorite. Boys with other packs frequently said the packs dug into them even though I'm sure they were adjusted properly. I guess kids are more boney on average and there is a learning curve to getting a pack just right. At any rate, make it fit and make it well padded. And be ready to shift weight to yours. Actually, maybe start lighter and give them more once they get their system down. On one trip it took teenagers most of the day to go 3 miles on a mostly flat trail. Mostly stopping to adjust packs or tie shoes. The next day they blew past our intended campsite (it was buggy) and they hiked 11 miles to a better spot. Experience helps.
 
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