How to Buy a Great Daypack for Hiking

Daypacks come in all shapes and sizes, so it can be hard to know where to start when shopping for one. That’s why Matt Connors, director of product creation at Gregory Mountain Products, says to focus on what’s comfortable and long-lasting.

For instance, a padded back will help you carry your load in comfort. To keep you cooler, look for open mesh and perforations on the back panel and shoulder straps, which add breathability.

YOUR FIRST QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU NEED A DAYPACK FOR?

Determining when, where and how far you hike — and how much gear you’ll carry — is a first step toward narrowing choices. Do you want to go lightweight and minimalist or have abundant capacity and an assortment of pockets and features? Should your daypack be built for toughness or be lighter for trekking easygoing trails?

Then, of course, there’s price.

After answering those questions, look at these factors when choosing a daypack:

SUSPENSION

“Lots of daypacks can have too much structure,” Connors says. “When you’re carrying 10 pounds or less, you don’t need a lot of support.”

So save weight with a pack that’s not overbuilt. A webbing waist belt will help stabilize your load when you’re scrambling around on rocks, for example.

OSPREY DAYLITE ($65, osprey.com) and DAYLITE JR. ($45, osprey.com) are sturdy daypacks made for Scouts of all sizes. The Daylite has a spacious main compartment with a hydration sleeve and a clip so your reservoir doesn’t slouch. The front pocket is also big, with open inner organization pockets plus a key clip. Stretchy mesh pockets hold different sizes of water bottles. The shoulder straps and back are also made with mesh so they don’t soak up your sweat. A little bit of foam gives the back some structure without adding a lot of weight. And the waist strap keeps the load in place. (Waist strap not included on the Daylite Jr.)

MATERIALS

Fabric is key when it comes to long-lasting daypacks. For instance, a heavier fabric will resist rocks and abrasion; a wear-resistant fabric will feel solid to the touch. And you shouldn’t be able to see light through the stitching at the seams. If you do, they’ll likely rip out.

ORGANIZATION

Connor advises choosing a pack with good organization, but not one with tons of tiny pockets. And how you organize matters.

When you’re packing, put in your hydration reservoir first and bulky gear next. Store your compass, knife, headlamp and snacks in a smaller pocket for quick access. And always carry the heaviest weight, like water, low on your body.

GREGORY NANO 18 ($74.95, gregory.com) is the most spacious of these daypacks. I love the foam and mesh back and shoulder straps, as well as the ultratough nylon fabric on the front and bottom. The Nano’s hydration pocket separates your water from the rest of your gear, and elastic on both shoulder straps lets you thread your drinking hose through either side. The big zippered front pocket has mesh organization and a key clip, while the spacious main compartment has space for a puffy jacket and lunch, with room to spare.

CAPACITY

A daypack that can hold between 16 and 22 liters has enough space for most dayhikes for which you’re carrying extra layers of clothes, food, water and a few incidentals (camera, first-aid kit, fishing pole). If you want to carry more, especially in wintry conditions, look at packs with 28-40 liters of space. For a quick hike in good weather, a 12-liter pack works.

FIT

As with larger backpacks, the fit affects comfort, especially with more weight in the pack. Models made for youth have smaller, narrower suspensions. Teens can often wear adult models, in which small daypacks designed for 10 pounds or less often come in one size, while larger daypacks often come in two or three sizes and in men’s and women’s models.

THE NORTH FACE BOREALIS CONVERTIBLE PACK ($89, thenorthface.com) has less structure in the body of the bag, but it can be carried as a daypack or hip pack. As a daypack, it has two zippered pockets in addition to the main compartment, as well as a bungee cord system and a small stuff pouch. As a hip pack, the bag has a stuff pouch and a zippered front pocket. The backpack shoulder straps unclip so they can be stashed inside the bottom of the pack, which becomes the hip pack. It’s a clever system with good support.

Ask the Gear Guy

Not sure which gear to buy? Need tips for maintaining your equipment? Click here to send in your questions for the Gear Guy. Selected questions will be answered here and in the printed magazine.

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