Planning a 49th state adventure and wondering what the best backpacks for Alaska are? You’re in the right place. The best backpacks for Alaska depend on what you’re actually doing. What a cruise passenger needs isn’t the same as what a wildlife photographer, hunter, or fisherman needs.
We’ve spent years working and filming all over Alaska for shows like The Deadliest Catch, Bering Sea Gold, and Port Protection. We’ve hauled camera gear, camping gear, and hunting gear through every condition the state can throw at a backpack. In this guide, we’ll use that first hand experience to break down the best backpacks for every type of Alaska trip, what we carry ourselves, and what to avoid.
Quick Picks: Best Backpacks for Alaska
Short on time? These are our quick picks for the best backpacks for Alaska based on different types of trips and activities.
Best Overall Backpack for Alaska + Camera Bag
Peak Design Everyday Backpack: Durable 30L day pack, weatherproof, and doubles as a great camera bag. What I personally carry.
Best Alaska Hiking Daypack
Osprey Talon / Tempest: Ventilated, adjustable, and built for real trail miles.
Best Alaska Backcountry/Hunting Backpack
Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80: Load-bearing frame packs built for packing out serious weight over serious distance.
Best Waterproof/Boat Backpack
SealLine Boundary Pack: Fully submersible-rated, for anytime your gear’s riding near saltwater spray.
Best Travel/Carry-On Pack
Cotopaxi Allpa: Built like real luggage, tough enough for small-plane cargo holds and ferry decks.
Best Backpacks for Alaska Comparison Table
| Pack | Best For | Waterproof | Comfort Level | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Design Everyday Backpack | Photography, general travel | Weatherproof | High | 30L |
| Osprey Talon/Tempest | Day hikes | Water-resistant | High | 20–30L |
| Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80 | Hunting, backcountry packouts | Water-resistant | Medium (under load) | 60–80L+ |
| SealLine Boundary Pack | Boats, marine spray | Yes (submersible) | Medium | 35L |
| Cotopaxi Allpa | Flights, carry-on travel | Water-resistant | High | 28L |
| Peak Design Everyday Sling | Short day-hikes, Town | Weatherproof | High | 3L |
What Kind of Backpack Do You Actually Need in Alaska?
This is where a lot of people overthink things. If you’re visiting Alaska for the first time, you probably don’t need a technical backcountry frame pack. Or maybe you do, let’s talk it out.
For most Alaska trips, the real priorities are: weather resistance, quick access, and matching the pack to what you’re actually doing that day.
If you’re mostly doing cruise ports, sightseeing, and light excursions, a comfortable daypack is plenty. If you’re doing more serious hiking or a backcountry hunt, capacity and load support start to matter a lot more. And if you’re shooting photo or video anywhere near water, waterproofing is mandatory.
Here are our picks for the best Alaska backpacks:
Best Overall: The Backpack I Bring to Alaska
I’ve hauled a lot of bags through a lot of Alaska conditions, and the Peak Design Everyday Backpack is what’s currently on my back most of the time. The FlexFold dividers let me reconfigure the inside, which I like — it’s built for cameras and lenses, but the versatility means I use it for regular gear just as often.
It’s got tons of smaller pockets, laptop storage, and it just feels good on your shoulders. While the weatherproof fabric has held up for me in Southeast Alaska rains, I wouldn’t recommend this as a boat bag. It’s weatherproof, but it isn’t fully sealed, so if it’s submerged or opened and exposed for extended periods of time in bad weather, water could get in.
I’m not sponsored by peak design, but I wish I was, because honestly most of their stuff is pretty great. If you need a versatile durable, camera bag that doubles as a daypack, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack is my personal favorite.
Best Waterproof Backpack for Alaska
Anytime gear is riding on a boat deck or anywhere near saltwater spray, a “water-resistant” pack isn’t enough. The SealLine Boundary Pack is a genuine submersible rated roll top dry bag with backpack straps. When I’m working in on boats or in bad weather, we use these bags to transport camera gear, personal gear, and whatever else we HAVE to keep dry.
It’s not the most comfortable bag, and if you need something at the bottom of it, it’s a pain to get out. But this is the bag you need if your priority is keeping gear dry.
Best Hiking Backpacks for Alaska
If you’re planning any real hiking, like Resurrection Pass, coastal trails around Homer or Chugach State Park, your backpack needs to handle mud, elevation, and river crossings without falling apart on you.
For most people, we recommend the Osprey Talon (men’s) or Tempest (women’s). Ventilated back panel, trekking pole attachments, and a hip belt that actually distributes weight instead of just sitting there for show. Alaska trails punish a bad-fitting pack fast, and Osprey’s adjustability holds up better than most.
Best Alaska Backcountry & Hunting Backpack
I shot a goat hunt in Sitka, Alaska for National Geographic one winter. Brutal terrain, straight up and down snow and alpine rock, the kind of country where a bad pack turns a hard hunt into a miserable one. The hunter I was following used a Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80. It’s the real deal.
This is an 80-liter pack built specifically for hunters, and serious backpackers. The Guide Light MT frame is designed to carry real weight. It fits close to your back instead of pulling you backward off balance on exposed terrain. If you’re doing anything like a multi-day backcountry hunt in Alaska, this is the category where the cheap option costs you on the mountain, not at checkout.
Best Travel Backpack for Alaska Flights & Ferries
For the flights, ferries, and gear transfers that bookend most Alaska trips, the Cotopaxi Allpa is built like real luggage. It’s got a clamshell opening, internal compression, it’s tough enough to survive a small-plane cargo hold or ferry deck without falling apart.
If you only want to buy one bag for the whole trip, and you’re not carrying camera gear or going on extended outdoor excursions, this is a great option.
Best Small Sling Bag
Yeah, it’s Peak Design again, I’m aware. But when a brand makes good gear, it’s hard not to end up recommending it, plus it’s what I really use. The Everyday Sling is what I use for when I don’t want to commit to a full pack: durable, weirdly flexible for how compact it is, and packed with just the right amount of compartments. It’s comfortable enough to wear all day, and it doesn’t look like a piece of camera gear, it just looks good.
Great for cruise ship passengers, short excursions, and general walking around. Not great for extended, gear heavy trips.
What Backpacks NOT to Bring to Alaska
The wrong pack can make an Alaska trip harder than it needs to be. A few types we’d avoid:
- Non-waterproof daypacks: They soak through fast, and everything inside goes with them.
- Brand-new packs straight out of the box: Break in the hip belt and straps before your trip, not during it.
- Anything without a rain cover or weatherproof shell, near boats: Alaska’s marine spray finds every weak seam.
- School Backpack: Alaska is brutal. Your bags going to get dropped, dragged, soaked, and thrashed. Leave the JanSport in your locker.
Alaska Backpack FAQs
What’s the most important feature for an Alaska backpack?
Weather resistance, above almost everything else. Alaska’s weather changes fast, and a pack that isn’t at least highly water-resistant will eventually let your gear get soaked.
Do I need a different pack for hiking versus wildlife photography?
Generally yes. A photography pack prioritizes gear protection and quick access; a hiking daypack prioritizes ventilation, weight distribution, and trail comfort. If you’re doing serious amounts of both, a dedicated pack for each is worth it.
Are dry bag backpacks overkill for a normal trip?
Not if you’re spending real time on boats. Fishing charters, wildlife cruises, even ferry decks are wet. Alaska’s marine environment produces more spray and unexpected soakings than people expect.
What size pack do I need for a week in Alaska?
For carry-on air travel plus day trips, a 40-45L pack (like the Cotopaxi Allpa or Peak Design Travel Backpack) covers most people. Backcountry or hunting trips need dedicated frame packs sized to the trip length and what you’re carrying out.