We spoke with Chris Horton, product line manager for Osprey Packs, about how to properly fit and load a backpack for a pain-free hike. I’ve done a handful of long hikes in past years, like the ...

For several years, I traveled exclusively with a top-loading backpack — the kind thru-hikers take on the Appalachian Trail — and I carried that thing everywhere. I stuffed its 65-liter body with ...