How to Choose a Hiking Backpack: Sizes, Fit and Decathlon's Quechua and Forclaz Packs

Choosing a hiking backpack is mostly about three things: how much you need to carry, how far you carry it, and whether the pack actually fits your back. Decathlon is a useful place to work through those questions because its two in-house outdoor brands cover almost every case at clear price steps. Quechua makes day-hiking packs, and Forclaz makes multi-day backpacking and travel packs. This guide explains how to choose a pack by trip type, how to fit and load it using Decathlon's own advice, and which of the brand's current packs match each job. Prices were checked on decathlon.com on November 2, 2026, and can change at any time. We have not carried these packs ourselves; product details come from Decathlon's listings and guides in the References.

Step 1: Match capacity to the trip

Capacity is listed in liters, and it is the first filter. A pack that is too small means gear strapped to the outside; one that is too big tempts you to carry more than you need and rides badly when half empty.

A practical way to think about it:

• Short walks and errands: a small pack of around 10 to 20 liters holds water, a snack, a light layer and your phone.
• Full-day hikes: around 20 to 30 liters leaves room for a rain shell, an extra warm layer, food, more water and a small first-aid kit.
• Long days, cold weather or family loads: 30 to 40 liters, because winter layers and gear for children take space.
• Overnight and multi-day backpacking: 45 liters and up, with a hip belt designed to carry real weight. Decathlon says its 50-liter MT900 Ultralight pack is the size it recommends "for a trip under 2 weeks."

Many larger packs add an extendable lid, shown as "50+10 L." The first number is the main volume and the second is the extra space the lid can hold.

Step 2: Pick the type of pack

Decathlon's lineup splits into clear families. Quechua's NH and MH day packs cover easy trails through to mountain day hikes, while Forclaz's MT900 packs target multi-day trekking and its Travel packs suit trips that mix walking with buses, trains and hostels.

The cheapest packs make sense for short, easy walks. As loads get heavier, the features that matter change: a padded hip belt to move weight off your shoulders, a back that breathes, and pockets you can reach without taking the pack off.

Step 3: Check the back and the hip belt

For a light daypack, shoulder straps carry most of the weight, and that is fine. Once you are carrying several liters of water, food and layers for a whole day, a padded hip belt makes the biggest difference to comfort. Decathlon's own fitting guide says that when the belt is tightened in the right place, "you should feel that the weight of the pack is much lower on the shoulders."

Ventilation is the next consideration. Basic packs, like the Arpenaz, use foam pads that give "some ventilation of the back," in Decathlon's words. Its MT900 Ultralight uses what the company calls the AIR concept, a mesh panel over a ventilated structure so your back dries faster on long, sweaty days.

Step 4: Choose a men's, women's or unisex fit

Most day packs are unisex. Larger backpacking packs often come in men's and women's versions. Decathlon explains that Forclaz's women's packs differ in torso length, shoulder strap position and a more contoured hip belt, and that they keep a large capacity because shorter women often carry heavy loads too. Its answer to whether you absolutely need a women's pack is honest: "No," especially since they can cost more, but for long-distance backpacking the fit of the pack is the investment worth making.

Decathlon's listing for the men's MT900 Ultralight says it was "conceived for a masculine morphology (torso and hips)" and recommends considering your body shape when choosing. Try both versions if you can, and pick the one whose hip belt sits correctly on your hips.

Step 5: Fit the pack properly

Decathlon publishes a six-step fitting routine. In short:

1. Put the pack on with every adjustment strap loosened.
2. Fasten the hip belt over your hip bones and tighten it until the load feels supported.
3. Tighten the shoulder straps, but do not hoist the pack as high as possible; the weight should be shared between shoulders and hips.
4. Set the back length if the pack allows it, before final strap adjustments.
5. Tighten the small load-lifter straps at the top of the shoulder straps to pull the pack closer to your shoulders.
6. Close the chest strap, without overtightening, so it stabilizes the pack but does not restrict your breathing.

Some Forclaz packs, including the Travel 900, use Decathlon's EASYFIT system, which adjusts back height and strap tension at once by pulling one strap on each side.

Step 6: Pack it the right way

How you load the pack matters as much as which one you buy. Decathlon's packing guide uses the "ABCS" rule: Access, Balance, Compression and Streamlined.

• Access: gear you will not need until camp, like a sleeping bag, goes at the bottom. Rain jackets and warm layers go near the top.
• Balance: heavy items such as water and food sit against your back, and the center of gravity should stay close to your back but not above your shoulders. Balance left and right too, for example a water bottle in one side pocket and tent poles on the other.
• Compression: tighten everything so nothing shifts while you walk.
• Streamlined: keep the packed bag no wider than your body and avoid hanging gear outside, where it can snag on branches.

Step 7: Plan for rain, care and warranty

Few hiking packs are fully waterproof. Several Forclaz backpacking packs include a rain cover, and Decathlon sells separate covers such as the Quechua 10-20 L cover for $12.99 and the 20-40 L cover for $19.99.

Many Quechua and Forclaz packs list a 10-year warranty on the product page, including the Arpenaz, Escape and MT900 Ultralight. Read the terms for your model before you buy. For Decathlon's return window, shipping thresholds and how warranty claims work, see our Decathlon shopping guide.

Quick picks

• Lowest cost for short walks: Quechua NH100 Arpenaz 20 L at $12.00 when we checked.
• One pack for trails and the office: Quechua NH500 Escape 23 L for its laptop pocket and 14 pockets.
• Most day hikers: Quechua MH500 25 L, because a padded hip belt matters once loads get heavier.
• Weight-conscious day hikers: Quechua MH900 25 L at 2.14 lb, or the MH500 22 L Lightweight at 27.5 oz.
• First multi-day trip: Forclaz MT900 Ultralight in the men's or women's fit.
• Long trips through cities and trains: Forclaz Travel 900 with its suitcase opening and detachable daypack.

Bottom line

Start with capacity, then match the pack family to the trip: Quechua for day hikes, Forclaz for nights out and travel. Look for a padded hip belt once loads get heavier, choose the fit that suits your torso and hips, and use Decathlon's fitting and packing steps before your first long day. If you also ride, our Van Rysel GRVL AF recall checklist covers the front-wheel checks Decathlon asked owners of that gravel bike to make.

References

1. Decathlon. "How to adjust your hiking backpack comfortably." https://www.decathlon.com/blogs/sports-advice/how-to-adjust-your-hiking-backpack-comfortably
2. Decathlon. "How to pack your backpack." https://www.decathlon.com/blogs/sports-advice/how-to-pack-your-backpack
3. Decathlon. "Why do we have women's specific backpacking packs?" https://www.decathlon.com/blogs/inside-decathlon/why-do-we-have-womens-specific-backpacking-packs
4. Decathlon. "Quechua NH100 Arpenaz 20 L Hiking Backpack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/quechua-nh-arpenaz-100-20-l-hiking-backpack-301674
5. Decathlon. "Quechua NH500 Escape 23 L Hiking Backpack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/quechua-nh-escape-500-23l-hiking-backpack-334344
6. Decathlon. "Quechua MH500 25 L Hiking Backpack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/quechua-25-l-hiking-backpack-mh500-blue-353060
7. Decathlon. "Quechua MH900 25 L Hiking Backpack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/quechua-mh900-25-l-hiking-backpack-324604
8. Decathlon. "Forclaz Men's MT900 50+10 L Ultralight Backpacking Pack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/mens-ultralight-backpacking-backpack-5010-l-mt900-ul-332178
9. Decathlon. "Forclaz Men's Travel 900 50+6 L Backpacking Pack" (product page). Accessed November 2, 2026. https://www.decathlon.com/products/forclaz-travel-trekking-backpack-900-506l-with-suitcase-opening-324146