The Pioneer Hiker 40L-A REAL Hiking Backpack for Kids

When it comes to kids hiking backpacks choices can be limited. Though you can find many with their favorite cartoon character on them, those are are primarily made for kids to have fun with at home and school but are a far cry from the durability you need for a weekend on the trail.

When I was searching for a REAL hiking backpack for my boys that are ages 6 and 9, I looked at many 30-40 liter backpacks and found is they are made to fit adults, maybe smaller adults, but adults none the less. The shoulder straps and waste straps at their smallest configuration were still to big for a 6-9 year old to comfortably carry on the trail all day. As we know, proper fit is very important. Last thing you need on the trail is to have your child uncomfortable and complaining about hurting shoulders and such. We want them to have fun and remember hiking favorably.

Pioneer Hiker 40 L

After trying out many smaller sized packs I came across the Pioneer Hiker 40L. This is a serious pack. I was quite skeptical at first. It had all the bells and whistles I was looking for but it was only $40 on Amazon. How good could it be? Well, let me give you the details first.

This is a 40 liter pack with 2 main compartments. The largest compartment is quite roomy and will hold a decent sized sleeping bag, a change of clothes, and personal hygiene items. The second compartment has plenty of room for snacks and maybe their favorite stuffed animal because you simply cant hike with out that. This pack also comes complete with a sleeve that will hold a 2 liter water bladder. Hydration is very important and the kids feel important having a hydration bladder like mom and dad.

Roomy main compartment with
water bladder sleeve.

On the outside of the pack it has a waste strap that adjust down to accommodate the small hip size of a child. This was a problem with several other packs I tried out. It is kind of pointless if it will not fit snugly on the hips to carry the load. There are also small pockets on each waste belt that snacks and my son put his trusty compass in one.

I should point out that I put in only about 12 lbs of stuff plus 2 liters of water. As a 6 year old that was plenty of weight. My 9 year old carried closer to 20 lbs. There was room for more but I didn't want to over burden them as we were planning on hiking 8-10 mile days. They did fantastic and never heard a single complaint.

The shoulder straps are quite well padded and comfortable. There are also load adjuster straps on the shoulders to pull the load up to the child's body like good quality adult packs. This is important so that the pack is not pulling back on the shoulders causing aches. I did not found this in any other kids packs unless they were over $150 which was out of my price range. Yes, I'm cheap. There is also a chest strap attached to the shoulder straps that adjusts down to fit smaller sized torsos. 

My 6 year old son
wearing the backpack.

This pack had all the features I was looking for in a small pack and is completely adjustable. It will adjust to his growth for years to come. I even put it on and it fit me and I'm over 6 foot. Though it did look a little silly on me. 

My next concern was it's durability. It is only $40 and I know the saying is typically true, "you get what you pay for." Well, I'm happy to say that after a 4 day trip in Kentucky's Red River Gorge and several small trips last fall, it looks as good as new. All the seems and zippers help up perfectly. It seems to be well made with quality materials. I cannot recommend this pack enough for your serious pint sized hiker.

I ordered the Pioneer Hiker 40L from Amazon.com 

This is an non-solicited review of this backpack and is my own finding and experience with this backpack. Yours may be different than mine so do your due diligence and homework before buying.