With summer in full swing and those crisp autumn mornings on the horizon, many of us are stoked to be adventuring the days away till the first big snowfall! There truly is no better time to day hike than the dog days of summer and early autumn. Spirits are high as the seasons change and our feet bust out miles on trail. So with day hikes on the brain, I thought it was the perfect time to share the top daypacks of 2024.
There are an incredible number of daypacks on the market these days and they all are a little bit different. So after quite a lot of testing out the options, I’ve come up with 10 that are nearly perfect. Whether you enjoy shorts hikes or long hikes; biking or wandering around your city, you’ll find the perfect daypack on this list. So pull up a seat and check out the top daypacks of 2024 while the hiking is still excellent!
Check out the Top Daypacks of 2024 Below!
Mystery Ranch Coulee 20 Pack
If you’re planning on a fast-paced adventure and don’t need a whole lot of gear, Mystery Ranch’s Coulee 20 Pack is a phenomenal daypack. It has a lot of thoughtful design features such as a full-length front zip and two spacious stretch pockets out front. It has an adjustable torso length, which makes it excellent for custom fit! I can’t forget to mention its roomy hip pockets, which come in clutch for treats and big phones.
This daypack weighs in at about 2lbs 9oz, making it a lightweight choice for its size. Mystery Ranch is well known for quality builds and comfortable fits and our gear testers have found the Coulee 20 Pack to hit both of those marks perfectly! This backpack is available a women’s fit and men’s fit.
See the Mystery Ranch Coulee 20 Pack
Osprey Sportlite 25 Pack
If ultralight specs and minimal styling are your thing, the Sportlite 25 Pack from Osprey may be the daypack for you! It weighs in at a scant 1lb 11oz and has gender-neutral sizing. Because of its more minimal styling, the Sportlite 25 Pack has less organization options than your classic Osprey daypack, but I was impressed by the layout of the four pockets this backpack has. I appreciate the hip pockets and external access to the hydration sleeve! The main compartment of the pack is spacious as well, making it a perfect place for mountain layering options. All in all this is a wonderful no-frills daypack.
See the Osprey Sportlite 25 Pack
REI Co-op Traverse 32 Pack
This is the favorite of a handful of our gear testers when it comes to daypacks! REI’s Traverse 32 Pack is a powerhouse of a daypack that comes at a really nice price! Whether you’ve got a super quick overnight or an epic and full day planned, it will likely be a great option for you. It features a solid amount of padding on the shoulders and hips, giving it a comfortable fit that molds to your body shape over time. The hip belt has nice big pockets to boot!
This daypack has six pockets total, on top of a spacious main compartment that can easily handle all your gear and a full water reservoir. The Traverse 23 is available in an array of sizes and has a men’s fit, along with a women’s fit. A little bonus is that this daypack comes with a handy-dandy rain cover for when times get wet!
See the REI Co-op Traverse 32 Pack
KUIU Divide 1500
At 2lbs 2.5oz KUIU’s Divide 1500 is a powerhouse of a daypack! It has some of the nicest organization I have ever experienced in a daypack and fits so perfectly I forget I’m wearing it. I love its spacious hip belt pockets and adjustable sternum strap. The Divide 1500 balances out breathability and padding nicely, making it a good year-round choice for a daypack.
If you carry a tripod with you on adventures, this is a great pack option as it features an expandable pocket on the front meant for a tripod (or hunting rifle if that’s your thing). KUIU is all about quality! Quality of design and build. And this backpack exemplifies both of those standards that KUIU is so well known for.
Black Diamond Distance 22 Backpack
Running vests have become really popular for quick hikes. So much so that running vest styling has become a new design of daypacks! Such is the case with Black Diamond’s Distance 22 Backpack. And we love it! This daypack weighs in at just under 1 pound and has plenty of useful pockets and stash space for all of your essentials.
The Black Diamond Distance 22 Backpack has a great front stretch pocket, side pockets and very awesome chest pockets that are big enough to carry your phone and a water bottle. It’s constructed from super durable UHMWPE ripstop fabrics, which will hold up to harsh weather and brutal terrain. Our gear tester Jon absolutely loves this daypack for alpine adventures.
See the Black Diamond Distance 22 Backpack
Fjallraven Ulvo 23 Pack
If you’re in the market for a daypack that’s great for hiking and jaunts around town alike, the Ulvo 23 Pack from Fjallraven is sure to please. It has three exterior pockets and one very spacious main compartment that has a 15-inch laptop sleeve. It’s made from Fjallraven’s Bergshell fabric, which is water-resistant enough to handle most situations and can be waxed.
This is a versatile daypack that is comfortable to wear fully loaded for long bouts of time. It has a padded back panel and shoulder straps that are also ventilated. It comes in a handful of really nice colors, too!
See the Fjallraven Ulvo 23 Pack
NEMO Resolve 25 Active Pack
Here at Backpackers we were quite stoked when NEMO released their new backpack line. And the Resolve 25 Active Pack has been a real standout in their lineup! It’s a great daypack for long days in the mountains and wild places. Available in women’s sizing and men’s sizing, the Resolve 25 is such a thoughtfully designed daypack it may become your favorite.
Stand out features of this daypack are a spring steel internal frame to support heavier loads. Body-mapping geared towards your sweat zones create a noticeably drier and cooler pack experience. Five exterior pockets give great organization options. On top of all that, it has a tear strength 2–3x higher than the industry standard and is 20x more water resistant than comparable packs! You’ll also notice it has a unique shape to it, which NEMO designed to move with your body better than most daypacks.
See the NEMO Resolve 25 Active Pack
Exped Typhoon 25 Pack
No frills, a comfortable fit and fully waterproof? Sometimes that is exactly what fits the bill! And it’s why we love Exped’s Typhoon 25 Pack. It’s at home on a river adventure, in the mountains and even in the desert during monsoons! Weighing in at one pound, this daypack features a mesh back panel that is soft and comfortable, helping prevent objects inside the pack from poking your back.
This daypack has two large side stretch pockets and one internal pocket to keep your gear organized. If you need to bring some extra gear along, the Typhoon 25 Pack has two daisy chains that work great for attaching your gear to the outside of the pack. If you’re someone who likes a well made, basic daypack this is certainly the perfect pick for you!
Outdoor Vitals Skyline 30 Fastpack
Outdoor Vitals has become a top brand in recent years and it’s for great reasons. They make extremely thoughtful gear for adventures. Such is the case with their Skyline 30 Fastpack. This little daypack is a dream for those who love to hit technical terrain or bust out long days on trail. The medium size weighs in at 23 ounces. It features running vest style shoulder straps, creating a suspension system that evenly distributes pack weight. The shoulder straps also have great pockets that keep your essentials in reach.
This daypack has won multiple awards since its release and they are all well deserved. From comfort, to durability to the perfect layout and design, the Skyline 30 Fastpack is a top contender for one of the best daypacks ever!
See the Outdoor Vitals Skyline 30 Fastpack
Arc’teryx Mantis 26
Arc’teryx is known for being a top of the line brand for extreme mountain adventures. But they also make some awesome daypacks that are on the more mellow side of adventure. And that’s why I selected their Mantis 26 daypack for a top daypack of 2024. It’s versatile and can easily transition from a big dayhike to a nice day kicking around town. It has a nice spacious main compartment. Three other pockets are in just the right places to keep your items organized!
It features a 15 inch laptop sleeve and a DWR water repellent finish. A couple of our gear reviewers love the Mantis 26 for bike commuting and gravel rides because of its form factor and just-right fit to the back. It’s just big enough to fit everything you’d need for a day out and then some. Of course, it also looks great, which is always a big plus in such a versatile pack.
All images courtesy REI and respective brands, All Rights Reserved.
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