Daypack
Black Diamond Trail Vista 28
$220, 2 lb. 2.2 oz./972g (size M/L)
Sizes: S/M, M/L
blackdiamondequipment.com
I like to mix in a lot of trail running with my hiking—frequently jogging flats and downhills—but at the same time, I often need to carry a lot of stuff, like when I’m testing out multiple layers and carrying my camera equipment. I found Black Diamond’s Trail Vista 28 nearly perfect for these scenarios: Testing it over many long run-hikes in the Wasatch mountains, including a couple with over 7,000 feet of elevation gain and one half-marathon, it provided everything I could want out of a hiking daypack while still being stable enough to jog in with light loads.
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The Trail Vista looks much more like a backpack than a running vest, but the fit still hugs me tightly enough to run in for moderate distances (provided the pack load isn’t too heavy; more on that later). The harness has running-vest features like a pocket and pole carrier, making it wonderfully easy to stash folding poles or a half-liter soft flask in the front; I like that BD has taken features from their running vests to more hiking-oriented packs, as both of these are useful regardless of your preferred speed.
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Unlike a running vest, it doesn’t have dual sternum straps, so it’s not as stable when the hipbelt isn’t buckled—but the single sternum strap locks in place on both sides, allowing it to be securely positioned for maximum stability. The hipbelt is quite wide: While this improves comfort for hiking, it also reduces mobility slightly when running, and unbuckling it causes the pack to bounce slightly, especially with more load in it—so this pack probably isn’t the best option if you run more than half the time. But for hikes with a bit of jogging, or steep uphills that I then ran down, I found it worked fine.
The Trail Vista’s comfort is further bolstered by a ventilated EVA foam back panel, ventilated mesh shoulder straps, and a continuous, ventilated hip pad. I had no issues with undue heat or sweat accumulation under the Trail Vista, even on hot summer days in the desert, and same for chafing (no problems). I credit BD’s new slide-fit adjustable harness with seriously bolstering the pack’s fit and adjustability: Each shoulder strap can be independently slid in and out of the back panel to precisely accommodate various torso lengths. Furthermore, two side compression straps near the top of the pack are well-placed to stabilize the internal load and keep it from bouncing: I had no gear flop while running, as long as the pack load wasn’t too heavy.
Let’s discuss the caveat to this stability and comfort: despite its cavernous internal volume (seriously, this thing feels much closer to 35- and even 40-liter ski touring packs I’ve used than 20-odd liter hiking bags) the Trail Vista’s lightweight, X-shaped internal frame can only support about 15 pounds before starting to deform, which means less weight capacity than many packs in this volume class. To be clear, it doesn’t immediately become problematically uncomfortable at 16 pounds—but as the carried weight increases, especially up around 25 pounds, the Trail Vista increasingly barrels and transfers load to the shoulder straps and chest.
Therefore, this pack only provides great stability and comfort if its relatively-large volume is not used to carry heavier gear. I do think stronger hikers would have no problem carrying 25 pounds in this pack, especially for shorter days; just be aware that it won’t transfer that load to the hips as well as a more-supportive pack. It also becomes much less comfortable to run in this pack as the weight approaches—and especially exceeds—that 15-pound line. All that said, I almost never find myself carrying 15 pounds or more on a dayhike, so I think the Trail Vista 28 works well for its intended purpose and simply has a bit of extra capacity for when it might be needed, such as when carrying lots of extra layers or light but bulky gear.
The Trail Vista contains a lot more features that will appeal to many hikers. For storage, two large mesh side pockets (more than big enough for a liter bottle each) and a very roomy front mesh pocket provide plenty of external space. The hipbelt pockets are big for a daypack, but not spacious enough for my phone.
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The lid pocket feels massive compared to other daypacks: it easily swallowed my DSLR camera and a shell with room to spare. I found this super convenient, as I can pull my camera out of this pocket behind my head without taking the pack off (note the downsides that many small items in this large lid will rattle while running, and large items stored alone here could flop forward and strike my head if I bent over far enough).
An internal zipper pocket provides even more room to organize small items, and the pack is fully hydration-compatible, including a separate internal sleeve for a bladder. The pack fabric doesn’t keep precipitation out, but the pack does have a rain cover, stored in a small pocket on the bottom. And finally, a loop on the front provides an ice-axe carry, though the axe would have to be clipped into a side strap, making it slightly less stable and upright than carry systems with a second loop.
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Black Diamond Trail Vista 28
The Verdict
A comfortable and very spacious hiking pack with every feature I want in a daypack, the Trail Vista 28 provides enough weight capacity and more than enough volume for dayhikes and carries well enough for occasional running, though it’s not the most comfortable or stable pack for jogging long distances.
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If you like the look of this pack, but don’t think you’ll ever use that much space, we recommend getting the Trail Vista 20 instead.
See “The 10 Best Hiking Daypacks” and “5 Tips For Buying the Right Backpack” (which includes daypacks) and all reviews of hiking gear at The Big Outside.
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—Nate Lanza
Note from Michael Lanza: An avid backpacker, dayhiker, backcountry and resort skier, climber, and trail runner—and my son—Nate Lanza has spent an inordinate amount of time outdoors since he was a preschooler and has two decades of experience on wilderness adventures. He is The Big Outside’s managing editor, writing stories about trips, reviewing gear, and continuing to spend as much time in the backcountry as he can. At The Big Outside, we review only what we consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all gear reviews and expert buying tips.