McKINLEY Bags and Backpack Sizes

November 28, 2022November 28, 2022 by Egle Goleckyte

Backpacks are a staple, for both an indoors type of introvert and an outdoorsy hiking-thrilled extrovert. The sheer importance of these items goes without saying, that’s why you’ll find them in every store. Hence, you want to know how to narrow down to the best backpack that’s most consistent with your needs whether professional or personal (skip straight to the McKinley Bags and Backpack Sizes).

McKINLEY Bags and Backpack Sizes size-charts.com — _{Image Source: McKinley}

Your choice will greatly affect your hiking experience. Getting the wrong-sized backpack may result in back pains and may darken your hiking experience in a split second. For instance, getting a bag that’s longer than your torso could make you topple over or feel too uncomfortable to allow you to finish the hike. Likewise, you don’t want a bag that’s too small for your items such that you’ll leave out some essentials.

Looking at the so beloved McKinley backpacks, what criteria should you follow to grab yourself a perfect size that will overhaul your travels around the world? This guide is set to answer all that in detail, featuring the different bag sizes, volumes, and features to help you have a seamless buying process.

Read on!

Jump right into the Frequently Asked Questions

McKINLEY Bags and Backpack Table of Contents

McKinley bags and backpack size charts
What are the McKinley backpack sizes?
How do you know what size McKinley backpack to get?
Frequently Asked Questions

McKinley bags and backpack size charts

Model	Size	Dimensions ( L x W x H ) (cm)	inches	Weight (grams)	Lbs	vol
Mckinley Unisex Abraxas Ct 20 Backpack	20	43 x 27 x 17	17.2 x 10.8 x 6.8	470	1.034	20
Mckinley EDDA VT 38 VARIO Backpack	38	61 x 21 x 33	24.4 x 8.4 x 13.2	300	0.66	38
Mckinley Unisex Skua Vt 25 Backpack	25	25 x 10 x 14	9.84 x 7.87 x 5.91	810	1.78	25
Mckinley Unisex Minah Vt 18 Backpack	18	46 x 27 x 16	18.4 x 10.8 x 6.4	760	1.67	18
Mckinley SPANTIK VT 24 Backpack	24	54x27x20	21.6 x 10.8 x 8	830	1.82	24
Mckinley Radical CT 4 WP Wireless Backpack	20	‎25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	300	0.66	20
Mckinley Edda Backpack Blue Petrol/Black Ni 28	28	51.1 x 33 x 11.5	20.44 x 13.2 x 4.6	1021	2.24	28
Mckinley SPANTIK VT 30 Backpack	30	25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	960	2.11	30
Mckinley Rucksacks-295699 Rucksacks	10	25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	407	0.89	10
Mckinley FINCH CT 30 Backpack	20	57 x 24 x 19	22.8 x 9.6 x 7.6	730	1.6	20
Mckinley LASCAR VT 28 Backpack	28	61 x 31 x 22	24.4 x 12.4 x 8.8	800	1.76	28
Mckinley Unisex Alva 10 Backpack	10	75 x 27 x 23	30 x 10.8 x 9.2	250	0.55	10
Mckinley Unisex Abraxas Ct 20 Backpack	10	43x27x17	17.2 x 10.8 x 6.8	470	1.03	20
Mckinley Unisex Backpack-303090 Backpack	20	64 x 39 x 16	25.6 x 15.6 x 6.4	1090	2.4	20
Mckinley Vancouver Daybag BLACK 1	20	75 x 27 x 23 .	30 x 10.8 x 9.2	220	0.5	20
Mckinley Unisex Make Ct 55+10 Vario Backpack	20	‎70.2 x 42.6 x 15.4	28.08 x 17.04 x 6.16	1087	2.4	20
Mckinley Unisex Yukon Bag	65	16 x 16 x 14	6.4 x 6.4 x 5.6	2150	4.73	65
Mckinley Lascar Backpack Navy/Mint/Black Nigh 25	25	34.29 x 15.24 x 40.64	13.5 x 6 x16	800	1.76	25
Mckinley Make Ct 50W+10 Vario Backpack	50	25 x 20 x 15	‎9.84 x 7.87 x 5.91	1086	2.4	50
Mckinley FINCH CT 20 Backpack	18	57 x 24 x 19	22.8 x 9.6 x 7.6	730	1.6	18
Mckinley Yukon Ct Vario Unisex Backpack	65	25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	1023	2.25	65
Mckinley Dry bag -304836 Unisex Dry Bag	20	10 x 10 x 10	4 x 4 x 4	200	0.44	20
Mckinley Backpack-303074 Unisex Backpack	55	64 x 39 x 16	25.6 x 15.6 x 6.4	1090	2.4	55
Mckinley Unisex Tokyo Rolltop Day Bag	35	48.9 x 46.8 x 8.5	19.56 x 18.72 x 3.4	770	1.7	35
Mckinley Unisex London Rolltop Day Bag	35	50.7 x 40 x 6.4	20.28 x 16 x 2.56	750	1.65	35
Mckinley Unisex – Adult Cube Packsack	one size	21.3 x 18.3 x 4.1	8.52 x 7.32 x 1.64	60	0.13	35
Mckinley Unisex Kita 6 Children’s backpacks	10	30 x 20 x 16 .	12 x 8 x 6.4	230	0.5	10
Mckinley Children’s Midwood Children’s backpacks	20	43 x 27 x 17	17.2 x 10.8 x 6.8	100	0.22	20
Mckinley Belt bag	one size	‎25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	160	0.35	–
Mckinley Crxss 1 Waist Pack	one size	50×30 .	20 x 12 x 3.6	120	0.26	1
Mckinley Mini belt bag	one size	25 x 20 x 15	10 x 8 x 6	120	0.26	–
Mckinley Waist Bag	one size	34 x 6 x 15	13.6 x 2.4 x 6	160	0.35	–
Mckinley Wash Bag Mini	one size	20 x 6 x 13	8 x 2.4 x 5.2	90	0.2	–
Mckinley Make 55L Backpack	55	75 x 27 x 23	30 x 10.8 x 9.2	1098	2.4	55
mckinley faraway 70	70	70 x 45 x 70 cm	28 x 18 x 28	2000	4.4	70
MCKINLEY cooler 5L	5	25 x 12 x 12 CM	10 x 4.8 x 4.8	270	0.6	5
McKinley Cooler 20 Picnic bag	20	28 x 16 x 45	11.2 x 6.4 x 18	340	0.75	20
McKinley cooler 8 Picnic bag	8	23 x 11 x 32	9.2 x 4.4 x 12.8	240	0.52	8
McKinley COOLER 25 Picnic bag	25	34 x 23 x 35	13.6 x 9.2 x 14	360	0.8	25
McKinley RS Picnic bag	9	23 x 11 x 37	9.2 x 4.4 x 14.8	760	1.6	9
McKinley LUNCH BOX 4 Picnic bag	4	21 x 15 x 26	8.4 x 6 x 10.4	240	0.5	4
McKinley outdoor waist bag	one size	34x15x6	13.6 x 6 x 2.4	0.15	0.33	3
McKinley RS Picknick 4 Personen	15	80 x 50 x 70	31.5 x 19.69 x 27.56	1000	2.2	15

What are the McKinley backpack sizes?

McKinley bags come in a variety of sizes are discussed below:

0-10 Liters Backpacks

These are minimalist backpacks that are designed to carry your basic but very few essentials such as your water bottle (reservoir), snacks, and probably a rain cover. Good examples are the McKinley trail running and lumbar packs.

10 – 20 Liters Backpacks

These are designed to carry a day’s working essentials. They can also fit a day’s hiking essentials, depending on the type of items you’re carrying and your style of organization. The bag can host your food and drinks, a lightweight blanket, and a headlamp.

20 – 30 Liters Backpacks

Most McKinley daypacks fall under this category. They can fully accommodate all your day’s food and drinks, a puffy jacket and/or a lightweight blanket, a headlamp, and a few other personal effects.

30 – 40 Liters Backpacks

These are designed to fit a weekend’s hiking essentials. They are recommended for hiking in warm areas where you may need lightweight sleeping bags. The bags can accommodate all your weekend needs including your ultralight sleeping materials and clothes.

McKinley hiking backpacks under this category come with side pockets in their exterior where you can add a few more essentials such as first aid kits, cutlery, and headlamp among others.

Pack everything up and wear the bag to determine its level of comfort. If its length fits your torso then you’re good to go. This is the type of bag that you’d need for a 2 or 3-day hike.

40 – 50 Liters Backpacks

If you’re planning for a 5 to 6-day hike and want to have all your essentials in one bag, this backpack size will do the job. The bag can accommodate your sleeping system, all the cooking tools (stove, fuel, and cooking pot), and all the food and drinks you’ll need.

50 – 60 Liters Backpacks

Your 6-day hike is around the corner and you’re planning to carry your tent, changing clothes, cooking tools, food, and drinks for the whole tenure? This bag is your go-to.

The bags can be pulled off for luxurious weekend hikes, giving enough room for big 4-season tents, hiking shoes, synthetic sleeping bags, camera gear, and a few more items.

60 – 70 Liters Backpacks

This bag size can comfortably carry all your essentials for a 10-day hike, including cooking tools (stove, fuel, cooking pot, frying pan, and cutlery), synthetic sleeping bags or heavy blankets, etc.

The bags are an upgraded version of the 50 – 60 liters backpacks and accommodate a few more non-essentials to elevate your comfort. The McKinley duffle bag backpack perfectly falls under this category.

70 – 80 Liters Backpacks

These bags are mostly pulled off by mountain climbers or high-altitude hikers. The bags can carry all the essentials of three or more people and allow for cookware space and changing clothes.

The bags carry a 4-season tent, its fixation poles, and heavy sleeping bags comfortably.

Learn more about McKinley bags and backpacks (video)

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How do you know what size McKinley backpack to get?

McKinley backpacks mostly come with tags indicating their volume. If you’re taking out a 40 liters backpack, you may quickly realize that it’s not what you need when packing your items. So how do you know how to get a good McKinley backpack size?

A few factors affect the bag’s carrying capacity. Your perfect-fit bag capacity is determined by the length of your hike and the number of items you intend to carry. Moreover, the features of the bag, both interior and exterior will dictate the bag’s capacity, performance, and fit.

Let’s shed some light on how its features affect your size choice.

Backpack features

Frame types. Whether internal, external or frameless, you want to choose a backpack that’s first of all comfortable for your back and then big enough. Internal frames are recommended for comfort as they hug your back and enhance body balance even on uneven terrain.

External frames are pulled off when carrying heavy loads while frameless ones go well with light hikers who are on a day’s hike or on outdoor camping. However, internally framed backpacks may appear bigger than they can carry.

Pockets. Depending on your preference and the number of items you want to carry, you may take out a multi-pocketed McKinley backpack or a more streamlined one.

Exterior pockets come in handy when you need to carry a few more items such as a first aid kit. They serve you better when you want to easily access items without offloading the rest of the gear. Side pockets are most effective for carrying hydration reservoirs, while hip pockets could be helpful in carrying your lip balm, sunscreen, etc.

Sleeping bag compartment. This is a multi-day worth hiking backpack that separates your sleeping bag from the rest of the items. The bag has a small compartment below where your sleeping bag fits and is useful when you need to access the sleeping bag without unloading the rest of the items.

From the previous section:

Up to 20 liters of McKinley backpacks are small and mostly daypacks.
Up to 25 liters of backpacks are suitable for light office or school essentials only. They are medium-sized.
Up to 30 liters of backpacks are medium-sized and could carry school essentials and leave out some space for a heavy jacket on a cold day.
Up to 35 liters. These are large backpacks that could go as far as accommodating day’s-worth hiking essentials, leaving out some space for camera gear and a few more items.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size of McKinley backpack do I need for 3 days of camping?

Your perfect bag size would be somewhere between 35 – 50 liters. The choice is subjective to the activity of your camping, and how much you’ll be able to leave behind.

Take time to determine what non-essentials you’re able to do without during the three days and what you just can’t miss out on. McKinley bags within this range are big enough to carry all your essentials such as a tent, sleeping bag, changing clothes, basic cookware, foods and drinks, camera gear, and a first aid kit, among other essentials.

The more items you need the more organized your packing should be to accommodate them all.

What is the largest McKinley backpack?

McKinley Yukon 75+10 III. This bag is designed for multi-day hiking with a super comfortable FLEX PRO carrying system. The bag is what you need even for a day’s hike because of its adjustable back length (XS to XXL).

Not only is it ultra-comfortable to carry because of the even distribution of load that the backplate enhances, but the backpack is healthy for your back even during long hot hikes with its maximum ventilation features.

Besides the gigantic 75L capacity, the bag features an adjustable top lid that could carry up to 10L of items. The bag features the main compartment, side compression straps, a sleeping bag compartment that you could also use to separate dirty items from the rest, a trekking pole fixation, and a compatible hydration system.

What size McKinley backpack do I need for a 5-day hike?

A 70L backpack or more could carry all your hiking essentials and a few non-essentials that add comfort.

This site is always pulled off by multi-day winter hikers who might need a little more space for heavy jackets, multi-layered sleeping bags, a 4-season tent, basic cooking materials, camera gear, hiking shoes, etc. The size is perfect for a couple out for 5 days in hot areas as well.

Depending on the nature of your camp, you’d need additional small bags for outdoor camping such as the McKinley waist bag (which carries your personal effects during long hikes) or the McKinley dry bag (a waterproof lightweight bag that’s mostly preferred for fishing or rafting).

The Catch!

Backpack Fit

After falling in love with a backpack, the next thing you want to do is to try it on. The bag should be compatible with your back and feel like you can carry it for a long without realizing it.

McKinley allows you to load the bag and try it out during purchase, making this crucial step possible.

Two things you want to keep an eye on are your torso length and hip size to ensure that they are compatible with the backpack size.

How to get your torso measurement:

Remember that we’re not looking for your height but the length of your back only.

Stand straight as you tilt your head forward to feel the bony bump just below your neck.
Stand akimbo, making sure that your hands are just above your hip bones. With the help of a friend, draw an imaginary straight line between your two hands.
Let them use a tape measure to get the length between the bony bump and the imaginary line that connects your two hands. Record that as your torso length.

How to get your hip size:

It’s almost impossible to find a McKinley backpack with an accurate torso length but an off-sized hip belt. However, you want to get a hip belt that fits like a glove since most of the weight is supported there.

Stand akimbo, placing your hands just above your hip bones. Place a tape measure half an inch above your hands and get the circumference. Note that your hip belt size is slightly different from your waist size.
Use the above measurements to find your perfect-sized and ultra-comfortable McKinley backpack.

Conclusion

McKinley backpacks have a variety of torso lengths, some being adjustable. Hence, you can have one backpack for all your hikes. However, these bags may be heavier than normal because of the adjustable harness.

Besides the torso and hip support, you want to be sensitive to three other straps that incorporate weight support: shoulder straps, sternum straps, and load-lifter straps. The straps are very fundamental in offering weight support and could go a long way to enhance the fit if adjusted to the right measurement.

Picture in this post is from National Geographic