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I’ve had a wonderfully durable canvas day pack probably purchased in the 1980s. It has been stitched here and there and even had the zip replaced with a heavy duty one at a canvas repair place. Funny how we get attached to something. But lately, getting back into walking after an absence, I find that I don’t fit all that I want in it. It suited me fine years ago, but perhaps I wasn’t as diligent with the gear that I took.
I measured that pack at 45cmx30cm21cm which works out to 28.35 litres. If I totally stuff the pack, including the front pocket, with Decor plastic containers I can fit about 13.5 to 15.0 litre’s worth. This leaves me with a considerable discrepancy where even the gaps between the containers wouldn’t seem to hold another 10 litres of gear.
Following on from the review on this site of Aarn backpacks, I looked at the Pace Magic 30. On their site the specs for this pack are 30 litres in the main body of the pack with an additional 4.5 litres in external pockets. However, the dimensions are noted as being 25cmx15cmx60cm which calculates to 22.5 litres.
I’m trying to work out where I am going wrong here. Do manufacturers have a tendency to overstate the capacity of their packs? Why does my pack measure up at more than this Aarn one and yet by the use of containers seem to hold so much less?
Thoughts would be appreciated.
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Manufacturers measure backpack volume differently—some use a mathematical calculation (H × W × D), while others use displacement methods (filling with beads to measure usable space). This often explains why stated and actual capacity don’t match.
Your old pack may feel bigger because:
Shape & Tapering: Some packs are taller/narrower, reducing usable space.
Padding & Structure: Reinforcements and curved backs take up internal volume.
Packing Density: Rigid containers leave gaps, while soft gear compresses to fill space.
Overstated Capacity: Some brands round up or include pockets in their total volume.
Aarn likely uses displacement-based measurements, making the Pace Magic 30 more compact than its dimensions suggest. If you’re struggling to fit your gear, consider a 35-40L pack or testing with more flexible packing methods.I’ve written up a bit more info on this here: https://www.trailhiking.com.au/blog/decoding-backpack-volume-dont-be-fooled-by-the-numbers/
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