Having backpacked around the world overland, I’ve certainly walked my fair share of miles weighted down with a pack strapped on my back. Between my international travels and trail hiking, I pretty much know what I’m looking for in a pack.

But we recently took our kids to China for six weeks, and the plan was to backpack around the country for much of it. My daughter was 8, and she was ready to do her part. However, this was uncharted territory for me. I had no idea what to look for in a kids pack.

Thankfully, the folks at REI do.

Prior to departure, we walked into our local REI and had my daughter try on a few packs. My inclination was to get a smaller-size adult pack that she could grow into. After all, if we were going to spend the bucks to get her own pack, I wanted it to last as long as possible.

Turns out, I was wrong. As soon as she put on the first bag designed for an adult, we could see how wrong I was. The shoulder straps arched well above her shoulders and simply didn’t fit properly, no matter how hard we tried.

The kind folks at REI suggested a couple of their youth bags, and the difference was remarkable. They fit!

We ended up going with the Tarn 40. My daughter chose red. Because of course. It was snug on the shoulders and around the waist, she could tighten the straps and make it more secure, and it didn’t clumsily weigh her down.

REI markets the bag as ideal for multiday trips. Their intention is for multiday hiking/camping trips, and I can’t argue with that. But I’m here to say that it’s also fantastic for extended international travel and backpacking. We took it on a 6-week trek throughout Mainland China (and Hong Kong), and it held up beautifully.

The Tarn 40 is an internal frame, 40-liter capacity bag that weighs a shade under 3 pounds. So, depending on the size of the kid, it’s a decently sized bag but not cumbersome or unnecessarily weighty. It’s designed for 12-16 inch torsos and 22-36 inch waists, so it’s certainly flexible and can absolutely grow with your child.

One of the great features of the Tarn 40 is an adjustable back panel that is held in place with super strong Velcro. As your child grows, you can adjust the height of the shoulder straps relative to the rest of the bag. It’s what allows the bag to grow with your kid.

My daughter was 8 years old and about 4’2″ (50 inches), and the bag was perfect. In the year since, she’s obviously grown a few inches, but the bag still fits like a glove.

Designwise, the bag is a top loader with two exterior pockets and two mesh water bottle pockets on the sides. Those pockets were a big selling point for us. It’s crazy how many large packs don’t have them, and that simple feature was a definite “must have” for us.

An 8-year-old carrying a bag like this is not a common sight in China, and we got all of the stares, comments, and questions that go along with that. Nearly all of those remarks, though, were impressed surprise. People simply couldn’t believe a kid was capable of hoisting a fully loaded bag on by herself – let alone carrying such weight for extended stretches of time.

Let me tell you, we put the Tarn 40 to the test. And by extension, my daughter put herself to the test. This was the first time she had attempted backpacking of this magnitude.

The bag traveled by plane, train, car, bus, rickshaw, and boat. She carried it down city streets, through the countryside, and into the mountains. After 6 weeks, the thing was busting at the seams and considerably heavier than it began.

And we never once heard a complaint. I call that a win.

The Tarn 40 retails for $99.95 at REI and is available online and in stores. For a hundred bucks, you really can’t go wrong. This is the pack your kid needs for all of his/her outdoor and travel adventures.