What Is the Best Hiking Backpack 65 Liters + for an X-Small Woman?

Regarding the torso size, the best hiking backpacks 65 liters plus for an X-small woman will have 13 inches (33 cm) torso length, there is nothing smaller on the market.

Find a gender specific pack

All top brands make separate packs for women. This means Osprey, Gregory, Deuter, Kelty, Mountainsmith, etc. So this would be the first step in the right direction. Unisex packs will not work for an extra small body size.

In my separate text you can read about some specific differences between Osprey pack’s for men and women. So please follow the link to realize why it is essential to find a women-specific pack.

Choose a pack that is built in multiple sub-sizes and then go for the smallest option 

This is important because of the following. When this is about the top brands, within a nominal pack’s size, you will frequently find sub-sizes. For women, typically this includes two options XS/S and S/M or M/L.

Such sub-sizes may have different volumes, but more importantly they may have a narrower harness and a shorter torso range. For a small body size this is essential. You will see some examples below.

Make sure you find a pack with an adjustable torso length

The reason for this is the same as for the mentioned sub-sizes issue. In specifications of hiking backpacks you will see that the torso range is anywhere from 8 to 12 cm or so. But this is a big difference and you may not be able to put your hip belt at an optimal position.

With an adjustable torso length, you have an option for a very precise tuning and for the best possible fit.

Go for a backpack for youths and teenagers

There are quite a few very large backpacks for youth. They are mostly one-size in the torso range sense, but the range is for shorter users. This is why they may work great with adults that are of a smaller body size.

Such packs are with all the features that you can have in packs for adults. Therefore there is no reason why an adult would not use them. One example is given below.

Some examples of hiking backpacks for extra small women

Here are a few packs that satisfy the criteria mentioned above:

1. Osprey UNLTD AirScape 68 for women

This pack comes in two sub-sizes with the following parameters:

• Torso fit:
  – XS/S: 13.5-17 inches (34-43 cm).
  – M/L: 16-19.5 inches (41-50 cm).

This is the most advanced backpacks ever built. It comes with incredible features, but it is also the most expensive on the market and among the heaviest.

2. Gregory Maven 65 pack for women

Here you have an excellent pack from Paragon & Maven series for men and women. They are lightweight and with plenty of great features. These packs have been on the market for years and they were reshaped recently.

• Torso length:
  – XS/S: 13-17 inches (33–43 cm).
  – S/M: 16-20 inches (41–51 cm).

To understand why it is important to have an option with sub-sizes, you can compare the smaller torso range above with the one that you have in Kelty Coyote 60 Pack for women which is one-size and its torso fit range is 14.5-18.5 inches (37-47 cm).

As you see, there is 4 cm difference as compared with the XS/S of the Maven pack.

3. Gregory Wander 70 pack for youth

This is a lightweight and very affordable pack from their series that includes also a 50-liters pack. The pack is fully-featured and very light. Here you have:

• Torso fit: 13-18 inches (33-46 cm).

Other parameters to bear in mind for an X-small person

There is also the hip belt fit, and it is given as a range in inches and centimeters. This is normally given in specifications and you can compare with your hip circumference.

Usually you have a very large range and it should be easy to find something to fit you. As an example, the mentioned Gregory Maven 65 pack XS/S has 22-46 inches (56–117 cm) hip belt fit.

But there is also the width of the shoulder harness attachment. This is something you will not find in specifications and it is imperative to try such a small pack and to see how this detail fits you.

So this is it, I am pretty sure you will not find anything with a shorter torso length. But as mentioned above, this is only one part of the problem, the other two are:

• The hip belt range.
• The shoulder harness attachment width.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, finding the best hiking backpack for an extra small woman with a torso length of 13 inches (33 cm) or smaller can be a challenge, but there are several key tips to consider.

First and foremost, opt for a gender-specific pack, as women-specific backpacks are tailored to accommodate smaller body sizes.

Additionally, look for packs that offer sub-sizes, such as XS/S or S/M, to ensure a narrower harness and a shorter torso range.

An adjustable torso length is essential for achieving a precise fit. In cases where these options are not available, consider backpacks designed for youths and teenagers, as they often work well for adults with smaller body sizes.

Several backpack options that meet these criteria are presented in the text above.

Keep in mind that hip belt fit and the width of the shoulder harness attachment are also crucial factors to consider when selecting the right backpack. By following these tips and exploring the mentioned backpack options, you can find the perfect fit for your hiking adventures as an extra small hiker.

This site is all about outdoors questions and answers, and I add texts here on a regular basis, so bookmark it and keep as a reference. Check my text about possibly uncomfortable things about backpacks.

Please use the comment box below in the case of questions or comments. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.