The Best Daypacks of 2024, Based on Months and Miles of Testing
Daypacks are essential companions for day trips, offering convenient storage for essentials like water, snacks and extra layers. Along the way, they deliver top-tier comfort, durability, ergonomics and plenty of pockets for organization. To identify the best daypacks on the market, we rigorously tested models from well-known brands, including Osprey, Gregory, Cotopaxi and Black Diamond, evaluating them on factors like fit, functionality and overall performance. After miles on the trail, we named the Osprey Daylite the best overall for its comfort and price point, while the Gregory Citro 24 H20 (men’s) and Juno 24 H20 (women’s) offered the best value.
Here’s an overview of my top picks:
Best Daypack Overall: Osprey Daylite
Best Value Daypack: Gregory Citro 24 H2O
Best Daypack Under $50: Decathlon Quechua MH100 Pack
Best Sustainably-Made Daypack: Cotopaxi Lagos 25L
Best Daypack For Travel: Matador Freefly16
Best Ultralight Daypack: Black Diamond Distance 15
Best Daypack For Families And Large Loads: Six Moon Designs Wy'east
Best Daypack For Plus-Size Hikers: Gregory Arrio 22 Plus Size
Finding a daypack that fits you properly and has useful features, like well-placed pockets, will simply make your hike more enjoyable—or at least less miserable, says Wesley Trimble, communications and creative director for the American Hiking Society (and he has hiked more than 10,000 miles, so he should know).
Because not every daypack holds up on the trail, I put the leading contenders to the test: Over the last year, I’ve hiked with 20 different daypacks uphill and downhill, as well as while riding bikes and sking at the resort, to see which are really worth your money. Here, the eight best daypacks to keep you happy and healthy on the trails this summer.
How To Pick A Hiking Daypack
The best daypack for you depends entirely on what kind of terrain you usually traverse, how far you usually go and what extra layers and supplies you like to bring along.
Here’s what you should look for when buying a hiking daypack:
Comfort And Fit
A well-fitting backpack is all about support: “Carrying a backpack changes your center of gravity, putting additional pressure not only on the mid and lower back, but also on your hips, knees and ankles,” Tanneberg explains.
Your backpack should fit properly and snugly so that load is evenly distributed throughout your body.
Tanneberg’s must-haves for a proper fit for healthy biomechanics include:
A pack height that corresponds to your torso length, from the base of your neck down to your hip bones. (Note: Some bags come in different sizes and others are ‘one size fits all,’ so measure your torso and then check the pack measurements.)
A hip belt, which should sit right above the hips and can be adjusted so the pack fits snugly with no space between the bag and your back.
Shoulder straps that can be tightened to hold the top of your backpack snugly against your mid- and upper back, and are padded enough to be comfortable.
A sternum strap, which should sit flush across the chest but not be too constrictive.
Note that the bigger the daypack (the larger its capacity), the heavier the load, so the more padding you’ll want in the shoulder straps and the thicker you’ll want the hip belt to be.
Because proper fit is so important to evenly distribute the load, I highly recommend women look for a women’s-specific design for packs over 20 liters, which is about the size at which the weight becomes enough to create hot spots or back strain if the pack doesn’t fit properly.
Keep in mind that how you pack your daypack also determines how the load is distributed across your body, so put the heaviest items at the bottom.
Follow this link, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/article/best-daypacks/?sh=11d0e2671911, to read the rest of the article.
