In the next six months I see myself doing only day hikes, maybe up to five hours. Of course some of these will be in the winter. I don't know where I'll go with hiking, whether I'll catch the bug and get into it big time, so I'm not sure if I should get one small daypack for now, and then later add a larger pack if needed.

I went to a reputable shop yesterday and was mentioning my needs, and the recommendation was for an Osprey Stratos (36L). With the the thinking that I could use it for both shorter hikes, and have the capacity for carrying more gear if in the future I add some lightweight sleeping gear, or stay in a B&B and need extra clothes, toiletries, etc.

Thoughts one 1 vs 2 and what your experience was?

FYI - I live in Ontario, Canada and hikes are well below the tree line, and not too technical.