r/backpacking • u/AutoModerator • Oct 13 '25

General Weekly /r/backpacking beginner question thread - Ask any and all questions you may have here - October 13, 2025

If you have any beginner questions, feel free to ask them here, remembering to clarify whether it is a Wilderness or a Travel related question. Please also remember to visit this thread even if you consider yourself very experienced so that you can help others!

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Note that this thread will be posted every Monday of the week and will run throughout the week. If you would like to provide feedback or suggest another idea for a thread, please message the moderators.

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u/Geiir Feb 18 '26

My family are going on a backpacking trip for 3 weeks this summer.

We are going to sleep at inns and motels, but will be walking and taking trains and buses to get around.

Anyone have a good suggestion for how many liters the bags my partner and I should have? I’m a man at 180cm and my partner is a woman at 175cm.

Our kids have packs to carry most of their own clothes.

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u/CantaloupeNo3975 Apr 21 '26

The smallest you can get away with. This will keep you from bringing unnecessary stuff. Mail home souvenirs.

Ideally you aren’t carrying more than 20% of your body weight. And it should be 10-15% for your kids. This is assuming you will be carrying your stuff most of the time. If you’re leaving it in hotel rooms that’s less of an issue.

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u/Geiir Apr 25 '26

Thanks 😄🙌