best daypacks

Arc'teryx Aerios 30 hiking daypack.

Review: Arc’teryx Aerios 30 Daypack

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Daypack
Arc’teryx Aerios 30
$190, 30L/1,831 c.i., 2 lbs. (men’s regular)
Sizes: men’s and women’s regular and tall
rei.com

Even in the context of how much continued, impressive innovation has occurred in the category of hiking daypacks in recent years, the Arc’teryx Aerios 30 raises the bar for versatility and sheer ingenuity. Marrying the best elements of traditional daypacks and running vests, this comfortable sack combines a reasonable weight with bountiful capacity, a smart feature set, and top-shelf durability. It also has one flaw, though not one that constitutes a dealbreaker.

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Deuter Speed Lite 24 daypack.

Review: Deuter Speed Lite 24 Daypack

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Daypack
Deuter Speed Lite 24
$120, 24L/1,465 c.i., 1 lb. 11 oz.
One size
backcountry.com

With the Speed Lite 24, Deuter set out to make a pack that does it all. Weighing well under two pounds—low for a pack with this much capacity—it’s marketed as an ultralight, all-around daypack for long trail days, technical rock climbing, and even snow climbing. I wanted to see if such a light pack could fill all those roles, so I tested it extensively, including a 4500-foot, eight-mile hike up Ferguson Canyon and a 3,000-foot scramble up the South Ridge of Mount Superior in Utah’s Wasatch Range.

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Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 daypack.

Review: Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 Daypack

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Daypack
Mystery Ranch Coulee 25
$189, 25L/1,525 c.i., 2 lbs. 11 oz. (men’s S/M)
Sizes: men’s S/M and L/XL, women’s XS/X and M/L
backcountry.com

NOTE: See my new review of the update to the Coulee 25, the Mystery Ranch Coulee 30.

The long arc toward lighter gear in the outdoor industry has undeniably brought many benefits to those of us who love going into the backcountry. But the flip side of that trend sometimes manifests in compromises in comfort, features, and durability. The Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 represents a very impressive balance between achieving all of those laudable traits while keeping the weight modest—making it one of the best daypacks on the market today.

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Black Diamond Trail Blitz 12 ultralight daypack.

Review: Black Diamond Trail Blitz 12 and REI Flash 18 Daypacks

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Ultralight Daypacks Black Diamond Trail Blitz 12 $50, 12L/732 c.i., 6.5 oz. One size backcountry.com REI Flash 18 $40, 18L/1,100 c.i., 9 oz. One size rei.com When considering whether to carry a light daypack or summit pack for side hikes or peakbagging on a backpacking trip, I’d normally weigh the length of the side hikes—i.e., how far I’d have to …

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The Gregory Miwok 18 daypack.

Review: Gregory Miwok 18 and Maya 16 Daypacks

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Daypack
Gregory Miwok 18/Maya 16
$110, 18L/1,098 c.i., 1 lb. 12 oz. (men’s)
One men’s and women’s size, adjustable
moosejaw.com

Look at a row of modern daypacks in any store or at an online retailer and you’ll see an increasing number that strive to strike a balance between good carrying comfort and capacity, with a smart feature set that’s not over-engineered, and low weight. Many of them are using the template employed by Gregory’s Miwok and Maya daypack series for years. Carrying the recently updated Miwok 18 on sections of a five-day trek through northern Spain’s Picos de Europa Mountains, and on an eight-mile, 5,200-vertical-foot dayhike of Idaho’s 12,662-foot Borah Peak—with some third-class scrambling—I was reminded of everything I’ve liked about this pack for a long time, and had an opportunity to evaluate a fine, major improvement these outstanding daypacks have just received.

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