Walk into a gear store or visit a product website to browse for backpacks and you may feel like an overwhelmed tea-totaler trying to pick out a bottle in a wine for a gift. Once upon a time there were a few dependable brands of backpacks with a handful of models a year. Now there are literally hundreds of them vying for your attention.

Fortunately, you can dismiss a big subsection of them by eliminating the ones for campers and hikers. These are generally lightweight, stuffed-from-the-top affairs that enable you to traverse the Appalachian Trail with a sleeping bag, tent, and cooking gear along for the ride. What you need for travel is a different kind of backpack. Here are the best ones out there for a short group adventure tour or a yearlong trip around the world.