The 15 Best Rucksacks Of 2023
The humble rucksack got its start in the militaries of the western world, borrowing its name from the German term for “sack you carry on your back”. Call it a backpack if you’d like—but just know that when it comes to modern rucksacks, it’s all about the military-grade detailing, organization options, and durability that set them apart from your everyday backpack.
That’s right: The best rucksacks of 2023 will do more than just give you a place to cram in your laptop, a change of clothes for a weekend trip, and snacks to last through the day. They’ll let you do all that and more with a distinctly tactical style, easy and organized access to everything you pack, and enough fortifications to last for decades to come.
GORUCK GR1 Rucksack
When it comes to rucksacks, GORUCK’s GR1 is the name to beat. It’s deeply detail-oriented design is intended to survive the rigors of a modern battlefield, all while offering a sleek style that won’t look out of place in the middle of a bustling metropolis.
The lay-flat design of the GR1 makes it as easy to load as it is to unload and access all of your gear, and super smooth YKK zippers with silent paracord pulls are as reliable as zippers can be. We especially like the location of the padded laptop compartment here, nestled right against your back and ready to keep your most important possession safe from all harm. This really only begins to touch on everything the GR1 has to offer; for an in-depth look, check out our hands-on review as well.
- Price: $335 or $345
- Volume: 21 or 26 liters
- Material: 500D or 1000D Cordura
5.11 Tactical Rush100 Backpack
Backcountry-ready and exceptionally customizable, 5.11 Tactical’s Rush100 Backpack is an exercise in maximalism. Everything is bigger here, from the hefty 60 liters of internal volume, to the dozens of straps, pockets, and molle attachments, to the optional side pouches and bottom gear straps.
What it is not big on, however, is price—even for a bag of this size, it comes in at around 250 dollars, which is a steal for the quality and versatility of this rucksack. If you need a bag that will get you into the wilderness for weeks at a time and back out in one piece, this is the one.
- Price: $255
- Volume: 60 liters
- Material: 1050D nylon base, 500D nylon body
GORUCK Rucker 4.0
Rucksacks: Unsurprisingly, they’re for rucking—the activity of loading up a backpack with some amount of weight, and then heading out for a long hike. It’s some of the best cardiovascular exercises you’ll find, and has a lower impact on your joints than running. But not just any backpack is ready to be loaded up with 30, 40, or 50 pounds and taken for a walk.
For that, you’ll need something like GORUCK’s purpose-built Rucker 4.0. No expense has been spared in making this the most durable rucksack around, and added lumber and shoulder padding make it even easier to get long carries in on the regular. If you’re using a rucksack for exercise, the Rucker 4.0 is the cream of the crop.
- Price: $245
- Volume: 25 liters
- Material: 1000D Cordura
Mystery Ranch Terraframe 3-Zip 50 Pack
Once you get into the 50+ liter range, backpacks can get heavy. Especially when you’re loading them down with everything you’ll need to survive out in the woods. The usual solution to this added weight is knowing exactly how to pack your goods—heavier things on the bottom and near your back, lighter things on the top and outside edges of your bag. But Mystery Ranch’s Terraframe 50 takes a different approach.
By integrating a hybrid internal/external carbon fiber frame into their bag, they’ve equipped it with the capacity to safely carry up to 150 pounds. We can’t say we’d recommend carrying that much on a regular basis, but if you have to be really loaded down for a trip, the Terraframe will make it a lot easier on your back and shoulders.
- Price: $299
- Volume: 50 liters
- Material: 330D Cordura
Roark 5-Day Mule 55L Bag
For a certain type of guy, the military-inspired style in rucksacks is a perfect match for their personality and fashion sense. But if you’re using your backpack more for weekend trips than carrying heavy weights, you may not want all the added material and durability of some of the rucksacks featured in this article.
Roark’s 5-Day Mule Bag is a great alternative, with a lighter construction that’s also a lot easier on the wallet. It’s a great bag for travelers, with a generous storage capacity, hip belt and chest strap for comfortable carry, and a refined aesthetic that looks as good on the trail as it does on city streets.
- Price: $169
- Volume: 55 liters
- Material: Nylon (unspecified weight)
Mission Workshop R6 Arkiv Field Pack
Finding a backpack that offers just the amount of storage that you need—not too much, not too little—can feel like a retelling of Goldilocks, but without the satisfying ending. Not so with Mission Workshop’s R6 Arkiv Field Pack, a patented design that puts modular functionality on full display.
Six vertical rails run the length of the bag, offering attachment points for a variety of waterproof accessories. And it can be used in a roll-top or flap configuration as well, making it a truly unique bag in this category.
- Price: $310
- Volume: 20 liters
- Material: Waterproof synthetic fibers
Agilite Modular Assault Pack III
Agilite’s Modular Assault Pack III doesn’t just look tike a tactical operator’s dream rucksack—it’s actually been tested and refined in the field, by elite units of the Israeli Defense Forces. Its expandable design allows it to convert from a sleek and lightweight four-liter pack to an 18-liter daypack, or to add on eight extra liters with their “Beavertail” attachment.
The bag’s fully looped interior and optional EDC insert give it an even greater range of potential uses, making it a favorite of everyone from armed forces professionals to backpackers who demand absolute efficiency out of their gear.
- Price: $150
- Volume: 18 liters, optional 8-liter Beavertail compartment
- Material: 500D Cordura
REI Co-op Ruckpack 40 Recycled Pack
REI’s in-house Co-Op brand is one of the best places to look when you need high-quality gear for bargain prices. Their Ruckpack 40 is no exception to this rule, with a generous 40 liters of storage capacity and a price tag just under 150 bucks.
It’s made with a recycled ripstop nylon exterior, decked out with dozens of pockets and storage attachments, and finished off with a stowable rain cover to keep your gear dry no matter what weather you encounter. And with a fully integrated steel frame, it also offers excellent comfort when you’re really putting in the miles out on the trails.
- Price: $149
- Volume: 40 liters
- Material: Recycled ripstop nylon
Bellroy Venture Backpack
Though better known as an innovative producer of tech-centric accessories, Bellroy has done an excellent job with the Venture Backpack, their modern take on a classic rucksack design. The dual-zippered dropdown front panel is probably our favorite feature here, offering something in between a lay-flat design and the rigidity of a top-loading backpack, all while giving quick and easy access to your stored gear.
It’s an undeniably cool-looking bag as well, and we imagine it would be a perfect fit for the tech professional who wants a backpack that’s a little sturdier and more rugged than standard-issue urban backpacks.
- Price: $239
- Volume: 22 liters
- Material: Recycled nylon
Eberlestock F3F Fac Track
Crafted specifically with the forward air controller in mind, Eberlestock’s F3F Fac Track is a purpose-built bag meant for three-day trips where you’ll be carrying radios. Sound specific? That’s because it is, to an extreme—but even so, you’ll see guys putting this bag’s versatile organization options to use as a hunting or camping backpack, too.
It’s a heavyweight bag meant for heavy-duty hauling, with a strong but lightweight polycarbonate frame to evenly distribute the pack’s weight across your back, shoulders, and hips.
- Price: $359
- Volume: Approximately 37 liters
- Material: Not specified
5.11 Tactical Rush12 2.0 Backpack
The Rush12 2.0 Backpack from 5.11 Tactical might just be the best deal you’ll find for a rucksack built from high-quality materials. Even with a full frame of ultra-durable 1050D nylon, it still comes in at just over 100 dollars—which is honestly an incredible deal for a backpack that will likely last you a lifetime.
It’s completely decked out with Molle webbing on the exterior, and has a good amount of pockets inside of its 24-liter interior, as well. All of that put together makes the Rush12 2.0 a fantastic choice for everyday carry, even though it may lack some of the bells and whistles of more expensive bags.
- Price: $105
- Volume: 24 liters
- Material: 1050D nylon
GORUCK GR2 Rucksack
If you want a GORUCK bag meant for carrying heavy weight and putting in your exercise day in and day out, get the GR1. But if you want one of their exceptionally durable bags more for travel or everyday carry, the GR2 Rucksack is actually the better choice.
Available in a wider range of sizes yet still equipped with the brand’s signature lay-flat style, the GR2 is a sleek and streamlined rucksack that has the huge bonus of being TSA carry-on compliant. If we were planning an around-the-world backpacking trip, we’d gladly carry everything in a GORUCK GR2.
- Price: $395, $405, or $415
- Volume: 26, 34, or 40 liters
- Material: 1000D or 500D Cordura
Kelty Redwing 50 Backpack
Anyone who has ever used a backpack with a frame probably has Kelty to thank, as their founder was one of the first gear designers to make and market framed backpacks to the general public. That was almost 70 years ago now—and in the meantime, Kelty has put a lot of work into refining their trailblazing products.
The Redwing 50 Backpack is the culmination of the brand’s design ethos, with a finely tuned perimeter frame, winged side pockets with pass-through functionality, and a hybrid zipper opening that can be loaded through the top or side panels.
- Price: $165
- Volume: 50 liters
- Material: Poly 420D Small Back Stafford
Chrome Industries Barrage Pro Backpack
Go big or go home with Chrome Industries’ Barrage Pro Backpack. No, really, we mean that quite literally—because at 80 liters of storage capacity, this bag can take you anywhere and back home again. It’s made of the toughest nylon available, given a fully welded (waterproof) construction, and finished with a molded EVA foam back panel for a comfortable ride.
Those are just a fraction of the reasons that it’s the preferred backpack of professional New York City bicycle messengers, and that’s endorsement enough for us.
- Price: $350
- Volume: 80 liters
- Material: 1050D nylon
Venque Alpine Rucksack 2.0
Last but not least, Venque’s Alpine Rucksack 2.0 is competing for the title of “most stylish rucksack”. It’s an easy shoo-in for the role too, with an understated look and feel that seems perfect for school, work, and day trips. The drawstring closure and faux-buckle strips continue this rustic-meets-cool style, while leather trim gives it a touch of class.
Multiple interior pockets ensure there’s enough room for all your daily gear, including a padded laptop compartment for good measure.
- Price: $159 to $199
- Volume: 30 liters
Material: Heavy-duty Quanta fabric
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