Daypack Reviews

Black Diamond Trail Vista 28

Review: Black Diamond Trail Vista 28

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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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A backpacker descending the trail off Maze Overlook in the Maze District, Canyonlands National Park.

Why and When to Spend More on Hiking and Backpacking Gear

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By Michael Lanza

You need a new backpack, backpacking tent, rain jacket, boots, or a sleeping bag. You’ve read reviews. You’ve winnowed your short list to a handful of possible choices—with a significant difference in prices. That’s when you struggle with the question that pushes the frugality button in all of us: Why should I spend more?

This story will explain why some gear is more expensive and give you specific advice on buying five big-ticket items: packs, tents, rain jackets, shoes and boots, and sleeping bags.

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A backpacker hiking over Park Creek Pass in North Cascades National Park.

5 Expert Tips For Buying the Right Backpacking Pack

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By Michael Lanza

If you’re super fit and strong, hike with a pack of any weight 50 or more days a year, and have never known any sort of injury or ache in your body, then don’t bother reading this article. But for everyone else, knowing how to find the right pack for backpacking and other outdoor activities—and for your body—will make a world of difference in your enjoyment when carrying that pack for hours a day on a trail or up and down a mountain. This article will lead you through five steps to accomplish exactly that—helping to ensure that you spend your gear money smartly.

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The Gregory Kiro 24L.

Review: Gregory Kiro 24L Daypack

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Daypack
Gregory Kiro 24L
$120, 24L/1,465 c.i., 1 lb. 12 oz./793.8g
One non-adjustable unisex size
backcountry.com

I can say this about Gregory’s Kiro 24L: I made a genuine effort to hike too far for its comfort limits, but I failed. From a 12-mile (19.3-kilometer), 4,400-foot (1,340-meter) dayhike in New Hampshire’s Southern Presidential Range in late May to a nine-mile (14.5-kilometer), more than 5,200-foot (1,600-meter) dayhike of 12,662-foot Borah Peak, Idaho’s highest, in July, and a roughly 19-mile (30.6-kilometer), 4,500-foot (1,370-meter) October dayhike and off-trail scramble up and down 10,716-foot Mount Cramer, the second-highest peak in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains, the Kiro 24 had the capacity and all-day comfort for it all.

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The Deuter AC Lite 16 daypack.

Review: Deuter AC Lite 16 Daypack

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Daypack
Deuter AC Lite 16
$100, 16L/976 c.i., 1 lb. 14.7 oz./870g
One non-adjustable size in men’s and SL/women’s models
summithut.com

On dayhikes of up to several miles, including a hike up and down the West Rim Trail in Zion National Park and a peak in my local foothills with 2,000 feet of vertical in just over two miles, I found Deuter’s AC Lite 16 quite comfortable with the type of loads that many dayhikers do not exceed. Plus, this daypack has a design and basic feature set that will please many hikers as much as its price.

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