What kind of backpack should I buy? Should I go for something fully waterproof? Is an over shoulder bag OK?

You can find quite some tutorials and reference pages of how to choose the best backpack for regular camping, multi-day activities, etc. For example here. In this post what has worked best for me throughout the years of adventures, mainly in Hong Kong.

Basic day backpacks – Vests – Dry bags– Waterproof backpacks – Hydration – Filters

For a long time, I just used a traditional day backpack.

Exactly this Mountain Wolf 38L bag.

Tough/durable. Cheap. With a sternum and small waist straps to keep it relatively stable on my back. When you are scrambling, you do not want something dangling around that could make you lose your balance. Several external straps to bring some extras out or cinch the inner side tighter. For slow routes, caving, where I was not expecting to get too wet it was more than good enough.

It did not work well for running and coasteering though. A bit heavy and above all not comfortable enough. When I started running longer distances and needed to bring more stuff with me is when I discovered trail running vests. Something like the 12-15L Ultimate Direction Adventure vest below. I had the very first version in 2013. Approx 300g of weight. Fits like a tank top or vest. Really comfortable even in long distances with quite some gear on. It is relatively small but the stretchy mesh pockets allow you to put tons of things in. On the right side everything that fitted easily in. Well… Remove the shoes, socks and watch that I was wearing on and add a 3 liters hydration bag + 500ml bottle in front.

Really comfortable even in long swim-run routes, on the Northern Islands, for example. With almost no bouncing of the things inside, it feels like an extension of your body. It is even a bit water-resistant. More expensive and not as tough as ripstop nylon though. A decade later there are tons of brands and models available. You have even decent own branded ones in Decathlon.

Looking for the substitute of my original running vest I ended up with the Fastpack version too. This is its second iteration, 35 liters.

My go-to for most outings since I bought it. Really comfortable again, up to 6 or 7 kilograms of weight on it. So good enough to carry with me a big water bag, all climbing gear including a 60m rope, food, and others. We have used it also for its original purpose in multi-day trekking or slow running routes, for example in New Zealand or Utah Canyons. If I could have only one backpack, this would be my option, as it can be cinched really small and be used also with little stuff in to run or even short swim (coasteering routes) comfortably.

If you want to go multi-day camping or in long expeditions, you will need to consider getting a bigger backpack with a real frame and proper hip belt. Further explained on the backpacking/camping post.

I seldom use anything like that in Hong Kong. I have a 15 years old 65 liter Mountain Wolf (bought initially for traveling abroad) that I use only for cleanups and in case I need to carry stuff from weaker friends. If you are looking for something similar the Decathlon Trek 100 70L is a really cheap & pretty good option.

Traditional backpacks incorporate raincovers. But they are not very useful here. It is not going to be good enough under heavy rain.

I would suggest you invest in a thin dry bag instead to have inside. In my case, I have all this collection of Sea to Summit, excluding the 35L.

They are really light and, even if they are supposedly not watertight, they can handle quite some water with no problem. When I am coasteering with the small running vest (Lamma East route for example) I just use two, one inside the other. Even with several long swims, my dry stuff remained that way full route. Electronics and wallet, just in case, were further in, in the 1-liter tiny bag.

This year I have been coasteering mainly with full waterproof backpacks, like this Overboard Pro-sports.

It is IP66 rated, which means, according to the brand, that floats and can handle quick submersions. Nevertheless, I have, at least, a dry bag inside. With so many jumps in and out of the water + getting things from inside, always some water leaks in. It offers several benefits. It absorbs very little water and therefore you are not continuously gaining and losing weight on your back with each swim and dry section. It increases your buoyancy too. So it can be very helpful for those who are not comfortable swimming longer in open water.

The outer material is quite tough, so can handle some rough handling and scrambling. In any case, check it regularly. You do not want to find midway through your outing that you have a hole in it… Waterproof bags can be repaired at home with seam sealer or extra PVC tarpaulin pieces. Explained what I do in the gear maintenance post. Other brands that friends use: cheaper Decathlon (those marked as watertight and sturdier, really waterproof for approx HKD350), Streamtrail which is in a similar price range or slightly cheaper than Overboard, and Watershed on the higher end with its surprisingly good zip system (Paul has been using his happily for years).

Can you use a simpler (and way cheaper) watertight sturdy dry tube with a shoulder strap only? Something like this?

It can be OK for easier routes. But as soon as you start scrambling a bit I would be worried about it dangling and making you lose your balance.

Not very comfortable either if swimming a longer section.

For years coasteering I used one of those bags within my aforementioned fastpack vest, slightly modified. I drilled little holes on the lower part of it with a needle for easing the release of the trapped water when I came out of the sea. A traditional backpack with sternum and waist straps would work too, although might get a bit heavy with the absorbed water.

The holing concept was borrowed from pro canyoning or caving bags. They are built with really tough material but allow the water to come in and out. You put watertight bags in.

For top water and sock protection, this kind of Kegs are also common. I have seen them used for first aid kits, electronics, and others. Heavy but extra tough.

Going back to the basics. Is the vest the smallest thing I use? No. It will depend on the season and the distance. For shorter routes or winter months when I sweat less a running belt suffices. I have a very old version of this one.

Can you go even more minimalist? Yes. Shorts can be enough. These T8 shorts can hold quite some stuff: two soft flasks of 500ml, nutrition, phone

I have been able to bring quite some stuff on my old Ronhills too. On the back three bars, arm protectors, phone within a casing, filter and its pouch so that I could drink directly from streams, small gloves in the front pockets. For winter explorations.

For hydration, I mainly use “CamelBag”s = hydration bladders. Actually, I do not like that brand much and I have been using Platypus bags instead for years. Mainly because they are tougher and simple. They do have a more complex model, like the one on the right (better for trail runners in a rush and slightly easier to clean).

But I use the one with the standard 28 mm threaded mouth instead (left and quite some of the bottles below). The tube is easy to replace or remove and put a cap on instead. You can also connect it with a filter and others. Remember to clean them regularly (in the maintenance post how).

Update 2021: They are not using the standard 28mm threaded mouth anymore 🤦🏻 Why Platypus?…

If I need less water or I want additionally some coffee/energy drink or else I use 500-600ml bottles. Main options: soft flask Vs traditional bottle.

The first is much more flexible and does not press on the body in any of the pockets of the vest or shorts. They can shrink with the removal of liquid and when empty you can pack them in a really small space. Actually, if coasteering or scrambling, after drinking I like to fill them with air back. So that they keep the same shape and there are fewer chances of them coming out of the pockets. They are a bit more difficult to clean than the hard plastic drinking bottles. I prefer the latter only for handheld running with no bag/belt with me.

Please, do not use single-use plastic bottles. Even less small ones… Thanks.

A good way of not needing them is to have a Filter. There are several options in the market. I have been using a Sawyer mini for over two years. Cheap. Easy to use with the pouch that comes with it or any bag or bottle with a 28mm threaded mouth (same as a Coca-cola bottle, as a reference). Remember to backflush (push water backward through the filter, with the syringe or else) regularly to avoid blockage and to keep the best flow. It could filter over 300,000 liters of water. So a lifetime of outdoor activities if it would not block. In reality, in my case, the flow became painfully slow and I needed to discard it. It removes 99.99% of all bacteria but not chemicals. So just in case, I tend to use it in the upper parts of the streams, in areas with good flow and putting the pouch well under the surface. I do not want to drink sunscreen or others from hikers above…

Befree from Katadyn is the easiest to use that I have seen so far. A soft flask with the filter incorporated on top. Very good water flow. More expensive and way less longlasting. Max 1,000 liters. Still good for most (stream) hikers. 2021 update: I decided to move to this system instead. 2022 update: I discovered that the Salomon Outlife 550ml soft bottle has the very same thread size and I use it to bring my Perpetuem with its normal cap, and I keep the filter within my first aid bag. That way I only need to carry one soft bottle that works for replenishing my electrolytes initially and in case I need to filter water later. I just thoroughly rinse it to remove any Perpetuem particles, change the cap to the Katadyn, and filter the stream water.

LifeStraw has now a flexible bottle option too. It does remove 99.99% of all bacteria, like the previous two, and also “lead and other heavy metals, chlorine, organic chemical matter like pesticides and herbicides“. Not so good water flow.

If you go for the Swayer mini here is a video that I would suggest you watch to avoid bursting the pouch and to know how to clean it after months of no use to restore partially its initial water flow. Eventually, it gets boringly slow, as mentioned.

Salomon has now (2021) also filters for its soft flasks. Actually produced by Katadyn. So similar pros & cons.

In 2022 quite some people are recommending HydroBlu Versa Flow, similar characteristics to the Sawyer but with a significantly better flow.

Shops to buy all the previous.

Additional bags to consider by those with very precise requirements:

There are specific bags designed for seatrekking, ie multi-day exploration of shorelines by swimming, snorkeling, freediving and hiking.

They are big enough to carry food and all camping gear in. Sturdy full watertight outside, valves to inflate and streamline it, to improve their hydrodynamics. A leash to drag them while swimming. The ones I have checked are extremely expensive, in the €500-800 range.

Another concept to consider for those into really long A-B swims, with possibility of carrying a several days gear with you is a Ruckraft.

Basically, a raft to carry your rucksack dry in the sea or lakes. Designed to carry up to 15kg of weight on and easily tow it. Pricey but significantly less than the previous at £140.

More preparations.