Fjӓllrӓven Funӓs 25
£90.00 fjallraven.co.uk
The Funäs 25 is a well-constructed and well-thought-out pack that’s perfect for day hikes outside the winter months. It would be okay for winter too except that it doesn’t have ice axe attachments.
It weighs 1,240g without the useful rain cover, so it wasn’t the lightest but it’s still by no means heavy. It also feels very sturdy and supportive in use and the build quality means it will handle the roughest of treatment.
Add useful touches like the ergonomic back panel, a whistle on the chest strap and the reinforced bottom and you have an understated but tough daypack that should see you through many seasons on the hills.
Camelbak Volt 13 LR
£99.99 camelback.com
The Volt is very much aimed at mountain bikers as opposed to walkers although there’s no reason at all why you can’t use it for anything.
The distinctive feature of this ten-litre capacity pack is the three-litre hydration reservoir.
The pack itself was comfortable thanks to a combination of well-padded back and hip panels and shoulder straps. It’s light too – 520g without the reservoir.
Besides the main compartment there are several zippered organisational pockets as well as a useful helmet carry system that will take most lids.
Osprey Talon 22
£75 ospreyeurope.com
It's not that easy to find a daypack that caters for more or less any activity at any time of year, but the Talon 22 manages it, with features that include an ice tool attachment loop, easy and effective helmet storage with the ‘Lidlock’ system, the innovative ‘Stow-on-the-Go’ trekking pole attachment system so you can stow your poles without removing the pack and a large hydration compartment.
The 22-litre main compartment will carry pretty much all you need for a day on the hill even in winter, and there’s a generous stretch outer panel that will take extra gear plus stretch side pockets on each side.
Osprey have updated the carrying system to make it even more comfortable by adding an ‘AirScape’ backpanel with improved air chimneys, a new ‘BioStretch’ harness with updated contact mesh and a new ‘BioStretch’ hipbelt with zippered mesh pockets – this gives a lightweight yet supportive carrying system (pack weight is just 680g).
We like the fact that the main compartment is easily accessed by a three-quarter length zip, and there is additional storage space inside in a zippered mesh pocket as well as a zippered pocket in the lid.
Great design, light weight, year-round versatility and good looks all in one pack!
Jack Wolfskin Moab Jam 18
The Moab leans towards being a mountain biking pack but we’d be quite happy to use it for hiking as well. As is common with Jack Wolfskin products, it has plenty of features, many of which will come in useful on day hikes.
The main compartment has a hydration sleeve and port and is easily accessed through the top loading zipper. In front of this there’s another smaller zipped pocket for valuables and on the outside of the pack is a large external stowage area for a lid or jacket.
You also get two trekking pole attachments, an integrated, stowable rain cover, anchor loops for your bike lights and a sturdy, comfortable harness and hip belt system and Delrin frame, plus a wide back ventilation channel.
This makes the pack easy to carry whether loaded to the max or relatively empty, which is what you need for a smaller sized day pack.
Gregory Sketch 28
£70 gregorypacks.com
If you’re looking for one pack to suit both urban and outdoor needs the Sketch 28 may be the answer. It’s designed to carry a 15in laptop in a well-padded zippered side panel but it is also versatile enough to be used for less-demanding days in the hills.
The main compartment is accessed from the top and there’s also a zippered outer and side pocket, giving a total volume of 28-litres; the shoulder straps and back panel are well-padded and sternum and hip straps are removable.
Build quality is very good and we like the reflective logo and exterior lash points for bike lights. Sure, this isn’t a pack for major fell walking expeditions but it will more than adequately cope with easy day hikes as well as getting kit to the office safely.
Vango Dry 20
£55 vango.co.uk
with the Dry 20 you can lug awkward wet, heavy items like wetsuits around easily, or if you’re coasteering, canyoning or kayaking, keep your stuff dry on your back.
Made from fully waterproof, tough ripstop nylon the pack’s roll top is sealed once rolled and the pack can be compressed via an air valve. Comfort is provided by a ventilated back system, a sternum strap and removable waist strap.
There are three external zipped pockets, two of which are waterproof, and an attachment.
Build quality is excellent and whilst not quite as effective as a ‘traditional’ day pack for moving your stuff around, if you’re in a very wet environment on a regular basis the Dry 20 has got to be worth checking out.
Edelrid Satellite 20 UL
£80 edelrid.de
Edelrid describe the Satellite as a “featherweight daysack set to appeal to walkers and mountaineers who value minimal weight, without compromising on features”.
Well, it certainly does the former, weighing a paltry 490g thanks to the use of ultralight ripstop nylon, but I found the minimalist harness a faff to use – yes, you can adjust it to suit your own requirements but it takes time and it isn’t as efficient or user friendly as the others we tested.
It uses webbing located across the shoulder straps which have double pull cords at the base to adjust the height, with separate loops to tighten or loosen the webbing, whilst double pull cords at the shoulder adjust the angle, with once again separate loops for the same function. And yes, it’s as complicated as it sounds.
However, if you can live with this the Satellite is a great option if you want to keep weight to a minimum. The single compartment will hold all you need for a day in the hills; in fact there are even removable ice axe loops for winter use.
You also get stowable side compression straps to keep everything securely in place and a zipped pocket in the lid. According to Edelrid the pack is also supposed to have a removable moulded PE back plate although this wasn’t the case with the one we reviewed.
So, as a nice looking, superlight day pack the Satellite does the job superbly as long as you don’t mind the rather fiddly harness system.
Karrimor X-Lite 30
£79.99 karrimor.com
The X-Lite is an adaptable pack that is usable year round for non-technical outings into the hills – and if you want to keep weight to a minimum you can remove the Fformat back system.
The large main compartment has a hydration system sleeve and straps on the right-hand shoulder strap to hold the drinking tube in place, and the hip belt is substantial enough to give decent support and also features zipped pockets on each side.
There’s also plenty of external storage in the form of stretch panels on the sides and front and two zipped compartments in the lid, plus a walking pole/ice axe holder.
All in all the X-Lite provide all the basics you need in a daypack and also looks pretty good too.
Marmot Kompressor Verve 26
£80 marmot.com
If you’re looking for a lightweight pack for the summer you’ll be hard pushed to beat the Verve 26. It focusses on using the lightest but most durable materials possible, with an unladen weight of 770g, and Marmot reckon you can actually get enough gear for a two- to four-day outing into the pack.
Whatever you do put into it is very easily accessed thanks to the generous-sized, multi-directional zipper on the main compartment, which makes both packing and accessing your gear a cinch. Inside this there’s a hydration sleeve and port and a zipped mesh pocket for valuables (there’s also a second zipped pocket in the lid).
There’s yet more storage space on the outside in the form of two side water bottle pockets and a large external stash pocket.
The preformed shape of the pack and directional foam channelling on the back panel and shoulder straps allows for maximum air flow when being used, and in use the Kompressor feels both light yet stable.
The only thing I wasn’t sure about was the removable webbing waist belt which is very rudimentary and doesn’t give a lot of support with heavier loads, but I guess this is the kind of trade off you have to make if you want a superlight pack. Other than that the Verve 26 is a superb day or possibly even multi-day pack.
Arcteryx Chilcotin 20
£95 arcteryx.com
First off, lest you think the Chilcotin is a tad expensive it’s worth pointing out that it comes with a two-litre Source Widepack bladder which has a mould-inhibiting inner and an easy-to-use clip-in drinking tube. This all fits in a separate hydration sleeve in the main compartment of the pack.
The harness system is designed to keep the weight of the pack centred and prevent it pulling backwards, whilst both the back panel and shoulder straps are ventilated for warmer conditions. You also get two decent sized zipped pockets on the waist straps.
This all felt fine and stable but the sternum strap was a little fiddly to adjust and on-the-go adjustment is minimal (you have to remove the strap and place it on lower or upper loops on the shoulder straps to suit).
The 20-litre main compartment also features a small zipped inner pocket and two outer zipped pockets plus four straps for external gear storage, and the pack design looks neat and functional if a little idiosyncratic.
But as a general purpose day pack for summer use the Chilcotin is well worth checking out
