Most backpacks with loads of 10 kg or more are comfortable for a short time. However, I have never been able to find one that is comfortable for more than half an hour, and I have come to see that I am not alone. If you can find a comfortable backpack, let me know!

Most people find heavy backpacks uncomfortable

When developing the Trekker’s Friend I had market research performed that involved asking a large number of people that go walking about their experiences. One of the questions was whether they found walking with a heavy backpack for long periods to be uncomfortable. If it was uncomfortable, how uncomfortable was it, and did it affect what they did?

The results for this question were as follows:

• 17% of respondents did not have a problem walking with a heavy backpack for long periods
• 47% found it uncomfortable but not enough to affect their behaviour
• 29% found it uncomfortable to the degree that they avoid it where possible
• 7% found it very uncomfortable to the extent that they avoid doing it.

As shown, most people cannot find a comfortable backpack – 83% found walking with a heavy backpack for long periods to be uncomfortable. But heavy backpacks are not just uncomfortable, as found by many long-distance walkers on the Camino, they can also injure you.

Best solution: take it off and put it on the Trekker’s Friend

The first thing to do is to make your backpack as light as possible by using lightweight hiking gear and leaving unnecessary items at home. Then, you can use the Trekker’s Friend hiking trailer, which comes in a day pack that can be used alone and folds into its own pocket when not in use. This day pack can help distribute weight, leaving only 2-4 kg on your body. When you need to carry your backpack, the Trekker’s Friend adds only 1.6 to 1.75 kg to it.

The Trekker’s Friend is lightweight because it uses your trekking poles as part of its frame. This works well on smooth tracks where wheels are helpful, and your trekking poles are not as useful. When the terrain becomes too rough, steep, or slippery for wheels, you can carry your backpack as usual with the Trekker’s Friend attached, using your trekking poles to help you walk.

Using a hiking trailer offers many benefits, not just comfort, although comfort is important. Here’s more on the benefits.