How old is the kid? Tall, short or average build? What use do you want it for?
My son is almost 11, tall and rangy for his age. He’s just crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and needed a backpack, I found a great Osprey pack at REI for him to grow into. He has his first Scout backpack trip coming up and he’ll give it a whirl.
He is 8 and already 5 ft tall with an average build. I thought about going the women’s pack route. He’s been using my wife’s Exo when we go on hikes but I don’t want to drop that much money for another one yet. Thank you for the info!
We have had each of our kids use a Dueter Fox pack. It is a nice little pack that can adjust fit as your kiddo grows.
Reality is, most of these smaller framed kiddos shouldn't be hauling a lot of weight either. I recall a fitter at REI coaching me through this at one time, but I don't recall the details. But essentially, your kids can't handle too much weight over long distances or it creates problems that can nag them for a long time.
My kids would use the pack to haul a head, or the back straps or some misc meat in the pack, but the bulk of the weight was left on the adults hips/shoulders.