All black backpacks

I've had a few (incl custom Zimmerbuilt). The surface gets hotter but it doesn't transmit too deeply into the contents at least in the mtns. Not sure I'd test that during summertime in the Sahara though.

I made an all black backpack but since summer, so I don't know for sure. So far hasn't been a problem. I'm not a big hot weather backpacker though.

You probably want to put meltable food in the middle.

If you were doing lots of hot weather in the sun probably white would be better.

It does dry out faster if you're in the sun, but not as useful for a pack as a sleeping bag or jacket or tent

Getting hot is nice when the pack is wet from rain or morning dew. Less so, when you've got meltable stuff inside. The most I've overheated a pack was a Spring climb to 14,000 and between the intense sunlight and the reflection off the snow, the chocolate inside was a mess.

But putting temp-sensitive food inside a sleeping bag is a very effective way to keep it warm or cold. I smuggle frozen salmon across state lines all the time doing that and can keep 2 pounds of sockeye fillets frozen for 12-20 hours by carefully wrapping it in clothes. It turns out that clothes are pretty good insulation.

For truly hot weather backpacking (>80* F all day long, approaching 100* in the sun at hottest), I avoid anything that can melt. Period.

No chocolate, no fudge, no potentially non-shelf stable foods (sausage, cheese, etc.) get carried in that weather. Doesn't matter what color my pack is (and I've tried both light and dark colors), it's going to get hot in that pack. So, easy to eat stuff that isn't melty: Payday bars, GORP, chips, pretzels, hard candy (though these can be hard to get out of the wrapper occasionally if it gets hot enough), peanut butter, tortillas, etc.

For moderately hot backpacking (>50* nights, <95* high for the day), I still avoid chocolate except for my midmorning snack. Even then, it's still 50/50 on whether it's melted. I also avoid potentially non-shelf stable stuff.

For comfortable backpacking (>20* nights, <85* highs), I don't worry much at all about what I carry, no matter the color of my pack. I do try to avoid eating chocolate in the afternoons (unless it's a dry drink mix; I like Nido and Carnation Instant Breakfast mixed up as an on the go snack), as it may still be melty at that point.

Hope it helps!

I've used all black pack for 10 years or so. No problems with things melting.

Black hides dirt.

I have a Gossamer Gear G4 pack, all black, strictly for winter use. This is my first winter testing out this pack so I can not give you a fair answer.so far, to date..I have not noticed a difference..but it is winter in NY..

I had an old GoLite Quest in all black, and even in Southern Arizona/Grand Canyon in April/May, I didn't notice a lot of difference between the black pack and say, a red one. Actually, I was surprised to see how little it mattered. I'd agree with the previous poster who said that the heat didn't really transfer below the surface of the pack (and I'd also agree that in really hot weather, you need to insulate your food inside your pack).

For me, the temperature of a black pack is not the problem.

The problem with black for is it makes things harder to see down in that black hole when trying to find something… especially if that something is also dark colored and small.
This may seem like a small thing, but I found is so frustrating I swore I would never buy another black or dark color pack.

billy

a white pack liner like a trash compactor bag can also help offset the dark color if you are having trouble finding things in a black pack.

All I have are black backpacks. No issue with overheating.

All my stuff inside is in yellow cuben sacks so I can find things more easily.

The material that the pack is made out of is VX-42 which is white on the inside so I don't have that problem of looking on black on the inside of the pack.