The Best Backpack Daypacks
Daypacks are small hiking packs, typically 15 to 35 litres, and the honest news is that this is the least complicated purchase in outdoor gear. Almost everything at a sensible price works.
Pick the size by the day, not the trip. 15 to 20 litres for a summer walk with a jacket, lunch and water. 25 to 30 if you carry a camera, extra layers, or someone else's things. Over 30 and you are buying an overnight pack.
The features that actually matter:
- A hip belt that does something. On anything over 20 litres a real padded belt transfers weight; a thin webbing strap only stops the pack swinging.
- A back panel that lets air move. The difference between a mesh-tensioned panel and flat foam is a dry shirt.
- Somewhere for water you can reach without stopping and taking the pack off, whether that is a side pocket or a bladder sleeve.
- A rain cover or a liner. Almost no daypack is waterproof, whatever the fabric claims. A dry bag inside is cheaper and works better than any cover.
What changed since 2010: the ultralight end got genuinely good. Packs around 500g with a frameless design and a decent belt now carry a day's load comfortably, which was not true then, and they stuff into a corner of a suitcase. That makes a lightweight packable daypack a reasonable second pack for travel rather than a compromise.
The unchanged test: put it on, loaded, and reach behind you for the water bottle. If you cannot, buy a different one.
Part of the guide to backpacks and daypacks.