10 Best Winter Backpacking Packs of 2026

Winter Backpacking Packs are more specialized than regular three-season backpacks, with a stronger emphasis on carrying heavier weight loads, external attachment points, and durability for handling bulky gear with sharp points, such as snowshoes, skis, ice axes, and crampons. They also favor more pockets and the ability to access and put away gear quickly, so you can avoid standing around between gear transitions and getting cold. Pack volumes can vary anywhere from a minimum of 50L to 80L.

Here are our picks for the best winter backpacking backpacks:

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ice Pack 70L

Osprey Mutant 52L Backpack

Black Diamond Mission 75L Backpack

Mountain Hardwear Direttissima 55L

Cold Cold World Chaos Backpack 66L

Exped Lightning 60L

Mammut Trion 50L Backpack

Granite Gear Blaze 60 Backpack

Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 60-80L

The North Face Cobra 65L

How to Choose a Winter Backpacking Pack

Backpacks tailored for mountaineering and winter backpacking use have a different feature set than most 3 season packs. What follows are the features that I’ve found most useful for winter trips in mountainous terrain. While I think these translate fairly broadly across winter locales, you need to be the judge on the features you believe are most relevant for your needs.

Volume and Weight

If you plan on taking weekend-length cold-weather trips, you’ll probably want a pack with 55-80 liters of internal capacity. The sweet spot is approximately 70 liters, but you may be able to reduce it to as low as 50 liters if you carry less gear or require less insulation. Try to get a pack that has adequate compression so you can shrink its volume if not needed, while keeping the weight of an empty pack under 5 pounds. Pack and gear weight is even more important in winter conditions than at other times of the year because you’ll be wearing and carrying a lot more of it.

External Attachment Points

Mountaineering and winter backpacking packs require multiple external attachment points to carry sharp, pointy, or bulky gear (microspikes, crampons, shovels, and snowshoes) that won’t fit inside the main storage compartments of a backpack. The most useful external attachment points include compression straps, daisy chains, hip belt webbing or gear loops, and ice ax loops with shaft holders.

Compression Straps

Compression straps serve two purposes: to help compress a load and bring the weight closer to your core muscles, where it can be carried more easily; and to attach sleeping pads, snowshoes, avalanche shovels, or skis to the sides of your pack instead of the front, so that the load doesn’t pull you backward and off-balance.

When choosing a backpack, try to find ones that have two or three tiers of compression straps that run horizontally across the sides of the pack. The compression straps should be adjustable and easy to undo while wearing gloves, so you can slide winter tools under them. Avoid packs that have compression straps that zig-zag back and forth on the backpack, using one strap to save weight. These are very difficult to use, especially when wearing gloves.

Daisy Chains

Daisy chains are often sewn onto mountaineering and winter packs and can be used to lash extra gear to the back or sides of the pack using canvas or velcro straps. They usually have many loops sewn into them that run the length of your pack from top to bottom.

Ice Ax Loops

There are two kinds of ice axes in this world – straight walking axes and curved climbing axes. If you need to carry a walking ax, look for a pack that has at least one ice ax loop at the base of the pack and a shaft holder, both off-center along the back of the pack. The shaft holder can be a simple cord lock like those found on many Osprey packs, or a more robust buckle. If you plan on carrying two climbing axes, look for packs with two ice ax loops and shaft holders.

Hip Belt Webbing and Gear Loops

Some climbing-oriented packs feature canvas or plastic gear loops on the outside of the hip belt, allowing you to clip climbing carabiners to them. While not a substitute for a proper sit-harness, these loops can be quite convenient to rack climbing gear.

Crampon Pockets

Crampon pockets are a convenient and safe place to store crampons when you’re not wearing them. Located on the side of the pack farthest away from you, they keep the crampon points away from your arms and legs, your head, and your gear, where they can do real damage.

Floating Lids

In winter, it can be very helpful to have a backpack that can expand in volume to carry more gear. One way to do this is to buy a pack with a floating lid, typically featuring a top pocket that can detach from the main body of the pack but remains secured by four straps. Extra gear, say a coil of rope, can be sandwiched between the pocket and the top of your pack in this manner.

Zipper Access

Zipper access to the front or side of the backpack is a highly desirable feature for winter use because it makes for much faster stops, eliminating the need to pop open a top lid and dig around your backpack looking for gear You don’t want to stand around for very long on winter trips, but to get moving so your body can generate heat to stay warm.