hit me with your favorite daypack!

Looking to purchase a day pack. I don't have a hydration bladder, so the packs geared toward just hydration aren't what I'm looking for.

This will be something I take with me to Canyonlands (and probably use closer to home, too; tired of trying to cram everything into my pockets or not taking something because I've nowhere to stash it). We're base camping with day hikes when we do Canyonlands, so it'll need to fit day hike type gear. I'm assuming this will be water, snacks, a jacket, sunscreen, hat, garmin, map/compass, camera, minimal first aid kit, etc. Small stuff.

My full pack is a Deva 60 or 65 or something and I love, love, love it. I carry about 30 pounds in it quite happily.

Daypacks I've seen haven't been insanely expensive, so I'm not too worried about price. They've pretty much all been under $100 and many are much, much less.

Thanks, all.

I just picked this one up a fews weeks ago when it was on the deal of the day for about $40. It is basically a smaller version of the REI flash pack. http://www.rei.com/product/848005/rei-stoke-29-pack-2013-special-buy

I have the Tactical Tailor Urban Operator pack. Made in USA, Lifetime warranty, very durable pack.

I am assembling an external frame day pack using an Alice pack frame and a Spec Ops Recon Ruck Ultra. I will be using shoulder straps and hip pad by BDS Tactical. In hindsight the straps and pads by Fire Force USA might have been a better choice for my needs, but both are fine products. Again, all the gear is Made in USA, Lifetime warranty, and very durable.

Both packs have their place and will see regular use. As you can see, for my daypack needs I am more about bombproof durable than light weight.

I'm still trying to find one. Everything out there either weighs 3 lbs. (my overnight pack weighs only 27 oz. and I refuse to carry a heavier daypack) or doesn't fit me. More and more daypacks are becoming "unisex" with the shortest torso length being 17" and most being 18". My torso length is 15". I tried an Osprey Talon 32 with an adjustable torso, but like every other Osprey pack I've tried, it just wasn't made for my body.

I have a women's version of the REI Stoke 19 (bought on closeout because it had been discontinued) which fits me fine but is too small except for short fair-weather dayhikes (the kind where I'm home by lunch so don't have to take one). Unfortunately the women's version of the Stoke 29 had already been sold out--it would have been perfect. The unisex version REI carries now is far too long in the torso for me.

Just try on a bunch of different packs, with the gear you'll be taking. If you're going to use it in Canyonlands, you need to be able to carry 3 to 4 liters of water in it, so take the bottles and fill them with water! You'll probably not find one without a hydration pocket, but you can either cut it out (once you're sure the pack is a keeper) or use it for long skinny stuff like maps.

I use an REI Flash 30 pack that I bought in 2010. It doesn't weigh a ton like so many day packs out there. It also doesn't have a full suspension, only a bendy framesheet. But the padded hip belt does manage to transfer most of the weight to my hips. It works well enough for me, but I rarely carry more than 2 liters of water or more than a total of 12 lbs.

It works well enough for me. YMMV.

I use a nearly 20 year old L.L. Bean day pack that has served me well over the years. It has a sewn in closed-cell foam pad that stiffens the "suspension" and handles a 15 pound load with comfort. Like most day packs it is essentially just a bag with shoulder straps.

Mostly alternate between two, depending on load.

A Patagonia frameless (model disremembered) for lighter loads. It fits perfectly and has hip belt wings for load and motion control, ample pockets and is reasonably watertight.

A Gregory Z20 for heavier loads. With a perimeter tubing frame and trampoline mesh backpanel, it rides well even with snowshoes attached and isn't sweaty. Fit, as above, is perfect for me.

Cheers,

On reflection, I realize I only mentioned my outdoors daypacks. I also have a Wanderlite Packable Daypack that goes in my suitcase for urban travel. It's great in that it has only one pocket. Some museums check all pockets so having too many isn't always good. It packs up small and really is for loads under 10 pounds. Think maps, sweater, bottle of water, maybe a few souvenirs. There is no shoulder strap padding; they are just straps of material. Perfectly adequate for under 10 pounds. This little pack has been all over the world with me, like a man-purse (smile). Also Made in USA.

I have a few other small packs that have more specialized use. A Jansport Merit (not made in USA) makes a good carryon when I take a weekend trip by plane. There are probably one or two more but I think these are the main ones. Lately the Tactical Tailor pack has been getting the most use.

I use a Golite Peak as a day pack. I like how I can reduce the volume of it when I only have a little stuff. I don't think it is made anymore as the Peak. IIRC, Golite has made the Jam pack a series of packs (different volumes) so instead of the Peak, Jam, and Pinnacle they just have different volumes for the Jam. Anywa, the Peak is my goto day pack.

Black diamond bb is a great simple, light, day pack that I've used for years.

I have two Jansport daypacks that I got on clearance at Target for $12 each. They are built to last. One of them I use almost daily. I carry everything you list and probably a bit more. The other I have as a loaner, and I use both as panniers when I pack up my burro. This is the pack I use most. It's not light, but it's well padded and can carry a heavy load. You could probably haul bricks with it, but weight is not an issue when I day hike.

I have an exponent day pack that's like a small frameless backpack. I've used it for longer bushwhacks and brought enough extra stuff to do an honest UL overnighter (in case I get stuck). It's a good heavy duty pack, but it's not as good as the Jansport for day hikes and too small to use for a comfortable overnighter, so it mostly hangs on my gear rack.

And I have a very cheap, small, and super lightweight "Outdoor Products" daypack I bought at WalMart. I bring this when I am going on short dayhikes and want to travel light. If I'm backpacking and will be setting up a base camp I'll use it as my food bag and then bring it on day hikes. You can't put much weight in them, but it will carry 1 liter of water, snacks, FAK, small cell phone, small GPS, map, compass, and a lightweight rain/wind jacket just fine. The first one I had ripped at the seams. I might of stuck a couple pint cans of beer in it with all the other stuff above when that happened.

Thank God, Bill. We use a couple of old Jansports that we bought for the kids when they were in school (they are now 25 and 29, respectively) and don't really see any reason to change.

These get used by everyone, and for everything from a quick picnic to an occasional peak run...and they just keep working,

My wife and I had a Jansport we bought in 1985 that we used constantly for our hikes until it was retired two years ago. I have no idea if they still make Jansports that sturdy now.

I must have 5 or 6 day packs and the only "name brand" one is a Golite "Day", which I actually use as a 2-3 day pack.

My very favorite "day" pack is a lightened (cut all the useless bling off it) book bag from Walmart. If you have kids, you probably already have one somewhere...mine is recycled from my kids school days. It's been all over the world with me. I think it has a Jansport label on it.
It's my main motorcycle back pack too, since it will bungee on my luggage rack without hanging over the sides. Use it in the kayak too.
Another favorite is a flimsy little pack that rolls up very small, I picked up somewhere like Old Navy. Not as robust as the book bag but very handy.

Don't get caught up with name brand "backpacking gear" packs. Surf your local discount store and use your imagination. I don't like dedicated hydration packs, and prefer platypus's with a drink tube...then, any pack can be a hydration pack.

An inexpensive option would be the Gregory Miwok. I have used it for awhile and would recommend it for its cost to functionality ratio.

Day packs for only day hikes and those used on backpack trips have different requirements. For the day-trip only pack I like a sturdy pack that will last and one with very good suspension. I have a Arcterex Khamsin 38- not that it is the best but I bought it when most of my day-"hiking" was technical rock climbing. The pack is big enough for multi-day climbs and has all the do-dahs for climbing gear and rope. For day-hikes when backpacking, I pay a lot more attention to pack weight and multiuse. I generally do not take a day pack as such because my Golite Quest compresses to a daypack. When I use my Kelty, I either use a 1 lb Granite Gear pack that doubles for my main bag that I use on the external frame or a 9-oz REI day pack that doubles for a sleeping bag sack.

For your intended use, what about a hip-pack? There are some hip-packs that also have water bottle holders on each side.

@ Dave H. That is a nice pack, too bad the reservoir in the hydration sleeve of the main compartment isn't included in the initial purchase.

Thanks for all the replies!!!

Sounds like there are lots of options.

I'll probably be shopping this weekend. I do have an old backpack I could use, I guess, but I also have an REI coupon here... :p Plus I'm going to tell myself that when my daughter goes backpacking with me (ha!), she can use the daypack as her pack. Of course, that's assuming it fits her and she ever goes with me. (The lies I tell myself...)

Anyway, thanks again.

If your daughter is younger than 7 or so, then a normal day pack (school bag) won't fit her. You can make it work, but....It is better to get her a smaller pack for that age. If she is older than 8 or so, then a normal sized school bag would work.

Whatever you get her, it should have some stiffening in the back and a hip belt, to transfer at least part of the weight off her shoulders to her hips. That would be better for her to use for school, too!

Well, I suppose it would depend on how much you expect to take on a day hike. I've seen (believe it or not) a 50L pack listed as a day pack. Personally, I consider anything under 28 liters as a true day pack. My own personal opinion/preference for a full day hike is something that can carry any food I want to eat along the way, emergency 1st aid, water, emergency rain gear (read: poncho), compass, emergency survival kit, and anything else too big to stick in a pocket. So, with that said, I have an Osprey Axis 18L hydration compatible pack that is (for me anyway) DA BOMB! I use it mainly as a computer bag, however I'm able to stick a Maxpedition FR-1, EDC organizer and Beefy organizer down inside along with my Nook, 15" laptop, plus some minor extras. There's a spot foe an MP3 player inside, and the outside has a bungy-style web attachment thingy on the front. The straps are comfy and it has a nominal hip strap. The only thing I don't like about it is the lack of a water bottle holder. It isn't really made for hiking, but I've used it for just that and it's been great.

Black Diamond Bbee. I regularly fit a shell jacket, water bottle, softball sized first aid kid, phone, wallet, keys, and a few cliff bars in it. Small, light, comfortable. If I could change one thing about it I'd add a low profile, durable external attachment system - mesh pocket or bungee thing.