Pack for 8-10 year olds

[chrome307]

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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[Mtnmilsurp]

The Osprey Ace youth packs have been great for my kids from that age up through high school. We have three of them and just keep adjusting the size up as they grow.

 

[nodakian]

Of course I am biased, but I am a fan of Western Edge Gear packs. They are external framed, but they are super durable and designed for easy updates as kids grow.

 

[Todd10]

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.

 

[MTPipeliner]

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.

 

[Luke S]

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.

 

[Decker9]

My daughter used a deuter 22L for a couple sheep hunts at age 8 and 9. It held up well for the abuse it took.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Check out the EXO K4 EXS options, the frame is built for women and youth. They hold their value well too so you can usually recoup a fair amount of your investment back later, if it's in decent shape.

 

[EdP]

My kids that age just carried a rucksack, the type with a long pocket on each side and a leather bottom. They don't need anything special IMO, and if you get something special, they will have out grown it in a year or two.

 

[HuntingGriff907]

The Durston Kakwa 55 is less than 2 lbs. It's an excellent piece of gear for my 10 year old. He carried it on a multiple backpack hunts in 2025.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

All my kids used mystery ranch pop ups. Seeing an 80 lb 12 yo pack an elk hind quarter is pretty sweet.

 

[aaronoto]

The Osprey Ace youth packs have been great for my kids from that age up through high school. We have three of them and just keep adjusting the size up as they grow.

My son runs the Ace as well. He’s a string bean in terms of height/weight so the waist belt is maxed out to get it tight enough, but lots of room to grow with the pack.

 

[Rherston10]

Of course I am biased, but I am a fan of Western Edge Gear packs. They are external framed, but they are super durable and designed for easy updates as kids grow.

Which one would you recommend for an 11 year old boy for a day pack ?

 

[nodakian]

Which one would you recommend for an 11 year old boy for a day pack ?

The Elkhorn is the best all around day pack, and it will work for light weight overnight trips, maybe with a couple pouches attached.

Frame height, probably 18 or 20 inch, depends on torso height.

 

[98XJRC]

Are you looking for backpacking type pack? Meaning the kids are maybe just carrying their sleeping bag and a change of clothes? We got our kids the REI Tarn 40 around that same age. Has a tone of adjustment and serves them well for general backpacking type stuff. They won't be hauling any meat with it, but it does the job decently for it's intended purpose and is relatively cheap if you catch it on sale.

 

[Rherston10]

The Elkhorn is the best all around day pack, and it will work for light weight overnight trips, maybe with a couple pouches attached.

Frame height, probably 18 or 20 inch, depends on torso height.

How long would that pack last him ? Just a change of the hip belt for when he gets older ?