7 Best Daypacks for Hiking and Travelling

Last updated: April 7, 2022

If you’re an avid hiker and you enjoy going for longer day hikes, it’s important to take a proper hiking daypack with you. Even for the shorter and easier walks, a sturdy yet lightweight backpack can be super helpful.

When choosing a new daypack for your outdoor adventures, you need to make sure you pick one that will not only last for several years, it also needs to be comfortable to carry around such that you don’t have to sacrifice on the pleasure of hiking.

In this article we’re going to discuss 7 excellent daypacks suitable for hiking, considering criteria such as size, weight, comfort, materials used, and price.

Top Pick: Blackwolf Titanium 35L	Runner Up: Deuter Speed Lite 20L
1.1 kg	0.49 kg
35 Litres	20 Litres
Check Price	Check Price

Top 7 Hiking Daypacks:

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Here we go, 7 high quality daypacks for hiking. Pick the best one that matches your personal needs and expectations.

1. Blackwolf Titanium 35L Daypack

This is a day pack that you can use for outdoor recreation as well as for work. With a 35 litre capacity, it’s rather spacious but certainly not too big. It has lots of space inside and various pockets, so that it can be used to carry all your hiking essentials, as well as your laptop and other office essentials.

It even has a separate bottom section that you can use to store an extra pair of shoes. If you’re using this as a travel bag, it also has a RFID protected pocket which is handy for storing your credit cards or passport.

As a hiking bag, its meshed and arched support design provides constant airflow between the bag and your back, so you won’t get to sweaty when hiking or exploring new cities. Its side pockets easily fit 1L bottles or hiking poles, while its bottom pocket is conveniently placed for easy access, even when it’s slung on your back.

2. Deuter Speed Lite 20L Daypack

Another lightweight and practical bag that’s good for all-around use is this popular Deuter Speed Lite daypack. Its V-line design and anatomically-fit shoulder straps keep the overall profile slim so you can still squeeze through crowds while wearing this bag without bumping into people.

Its back panel is cushioned and has a flexible fit that should be comfy for a wide range of torso sizes. It also has a breathable padded foam back which allows air flow so that you won’t sweat as much while carrying the bag.

With a 20L capacity, it’s a reasonable sized pack that can carry more than just the bare essentials. Whether you’re using this as a hiking or climbing bag, there will be enough room for a headlamp, a rain jacket, snacks and water bladder or bottle. It has a top pocket for the small essential stuff like keys, mobile phone or a wallet. There is also an inner sleeve that you can use for storing your hydration reservoir, or even a small laptop if you insist on bringing your work with you while away.

It has side pockets which can fit a slim water bottle. It also comes with a detachable hip belt to secure your load. There are also some lashing options for an axe, helmet or trekking poles on the outside. It’s also water repellent and abrasion resistant because of its thick weave. The bag material has PFC-free coating, which makes this daypack environment-friendly and safe for you.

3. Caribee X-Trek 28L Backpack

This daypack has enough room to carry everything you need for your hike or for your urban needs. It has twin compartments to organize your stuff more efficiently. But if you’re using it for commuting around the city, you can streamline it by tightening its external QR compression system.

It’s made of polyester fabric and boasts of a bio-form padded harness system that allows you to carry the load comfortably, while its sternum straps provide greater stability especially when running. There’s also a whistle incorporated into the strap.

The padded back has the usual channels which allow the heat to escape. But as a safety feature, it has a thin plastic layer behind the padded bag to keep whatever sharp objects you have stored in the pack from sticking into your back.

It also has external mole attachment points on the front which you can use to hook on any extra gear. When you’re using it for running, it’s compatible with a 2L or 3L hydration reservoir. You can store your small items in its front pocket organiser panel, and there are side pockets for water bottles.

4. Marmot Kompressor Meteor 22L Daypack

If you want to keep your trekking fast, light and fuss free, then this daypack is suited for you. With a 22 litres capacity, this is a lightweight pack that doesn’t scrimp on the design essentials. This latest design upgrade features more padding to make carrying your load comfortable. Should you wish to make it even lighter, you can remove its foam framesheet.

The nylon outer is weather-resistant and very durable. It has air mesh shoulder straps which help keep the load centered and stable while keeping the back portion breathable. There’s a waist belt included but it’s not padded. There are side zippers to allow you to easily grab your things from the main compartment and it has water bottle holders on both sides.

And because you can never have too much water on a hiking trip, the pack also comes with a reservoir clip hanger and a hydration port. Whether you’re hiking, travelling or commuting, the Marmot Kompressor Meteor gets the job done.

5. Blackwolf GoGo 12L Daypack

The Blackwolf GoGo is a small but incredibly sturdy daypack that is perfect for shorter hikes, but also for daily commutes and general everyday use.

As the title suggests, the Blackwolf GoGo is very compact with a capacity of 12 litres. This daypack is designed for comfort, with a pleasant air mesh back harness that prevents unwanted back-sweat, and padded shoulder strap for ease-of-use.

If you’re looking for a comfortable, high quality hiking backpack that can easily carry your drinking bottle, snacks and personal items on shorter hikes, the Blackwolf GoGo is a great choice.

6. OZtrail Day 30L Pack

This daypack is suitable for carrying heavier loads. The OZtrail Day 30L Pack is a backpack that can hold more gear than your usual daypack. With 30L, this is basically designed for heavy duty hiking and trekking. But of course, like any rucksack, it’s also versatile enough to be used to store your stuff during your gap year trip to Europe.

It has a zip open panel loading style, with an adjustable front cram flap and solid stretch mesh side pockets. To help stabilize heavier loads, the ventilated foam shoulder rise straps are adjustable.

Ditto with the waistband so you can carry the load more comfortably. The back panel is constructed out of fixed length mesh covered air contact foam to allow airflow. It also comes with an integrated rain cover and an attachment system for your walking poles.

7. Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Daypack

The Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil daypack is the odd one out in this list of hiking daypacks, as it’s the perfect pack for when you’re traveling. Weighing only 72g, it can easily be carried around in a super compact sized carry bag when not in use.

Don’t be fooled though, the Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil can carry up to 250x its own weight, which translates to almost 20kg. It’s comfortable as well, with reinforced ergonomic shoulder straps and with a water-resistant fabric that keeps your belongings dry in mild drizzle.

This daypack is perfect for shorter hikes when traveling, or otherwise for extra storage space when you most need it.

Here are some tips for things to consider when looking for a new suitable daypack for your hiking adventures:

1. Price
2. Weight
3. Capacity
4. Pockets
5. Comfort

Let’s discuss these factors in a bit more detail.

1. Price

You get what you pay for, that’s true enough. But that doesn’t mean you should overpay. More than often you’d pay more for products sold by high-profile brands, but you won’t always get a better quality product.

That said, if you want your hiking daypack to last and you want it to be comfortable, don’t go for cheap. A good quality and comfortable backpack does cost a bit more than your typical everyday all-purpose backpack.

2. Weight

While the weight of your daypack is mostly determined by the stuff you put in there, keep in mind that some daypacks do actually weigh quite heavy when empty.

And when hiking, especially with the longer and more challenging hikes, every gram matters. So please do consider the weight of the product when choosing a new hiking daypack.

3. Capacity

This one is a bit of no-brainer of course, but it’s important to look at the capacity of the hiking daypack you’re going to purchase.

You want to be able to put all your necessary gear in there, but you also don’t want to buy a daypack that is basically too big for the type of hikes you’re going to undertake.

4. Pockets

Some people like their daypacks to be plain and simple, others prefer to have various pockets and other bells and whistles. Some daypacks literally just have one large pocket, while others come with multiple side and inner pockets.

This ultimately depends on your personal preferences, and how important it is for you to be able to pack individual items separately. For example, it can be handy to put things like your keys and wallet into a separate compartment. Also, an external holster for your bottle of water can come in very handy.

5. Comfort

This is perhaps the most important thing to consider. Your daypack needs to be comfortable, especially when you’re going out hiking.

Features such as shoulder straps and an air mesh back system exist to make carrying your daypack around so much more comfortable. So please do consider these types of features when selecting your new hiking daypack.