Criteria for the best ultralight daypack

For a day hiking backpack to be included in this guide, it must meet the following criteria:

1. Sized for day hiking

The best hiking backpacks for day hikes store 20-30L of gear. Any smaller and you’re cramming or cutting important items. Any larger and you will start to have too much empty space and the pack may feel sloppy.

2. Lightweight or ultralight

Because there are so many good day packs that weigh about 20 oz or less, there is no need to stoop to anything heavier. While this is a somewhat arbitrary cut off point, it helps with the goal of keeping total base weight for day hikes under four pounds.

3. Good External Storage

Just like our backpacking packs, we have high standards for external storage on our day packs. Through a combination of lid and external mesh pockets, you should be able to store lots of handy gear on the outside of the pack.

4. Durable

A daypack should be durable and stand up to the rigors of the trail. This is usually achieved with high abrasion resistant ultralight fabrics like Robic Nylon, Challenger Ultra, or Dyneema.

5. Comfortable

The best hiking backpacks are comfortable without dedicating excess weight towards that goal. It just needs to be comfortable enough and nearly all backpacks check this box easily. Always remember, too many comfort features make a pack uncomfortably heavy.

Best Ultralight Daypack Pockets

The best hiking backpacks all have a full suite of three large external storage pockets. And just like the best backpacking packs, this means two side pockets for water bottles, and a rear center pocket for easy access to frequently used gear. If a daypack has a lid, it should also have a pocket there.

External pockets drastically increase how usable a pack is and are almost always worth their weight in handiness.

Best Ultralight Daypack Back Panel Configurations

The best hiking backpacks are usually frameless, and have some kind of foam back panel to prevent lumps and/or do double duty as a sit pad.

If you have never used a hybrid sit pad back panel before, know that it’s comfier than it looks. The panel will conform to the natural shape of your back, and never dig in or chafe anywhere. We acknowledge that it is a tad sweatier than aerated foam or stretch mesh paneling, but it is as comfy or comfier in all other ways. They don’t transfer weight to the hips, but this hardly matters for a lightweight daypack load.

If a backpack has no frame and no back panel, you need only line the inside with your spare clothes, like a fleece or a puffy jacket, to act as a buffer against lumpier objects like water bottles or a first aid kit.

Day Hiking Backpack hip belts

Unlike much heavier backpacking packs, most daypacks are not designed to transfer weight onto your hips. As such, you will see a much dinkier assortment of hipbelts, and some daypacks forgo them entirely. The hip belts on the packs in our guide are mostly just nylon webbing, and are designed to give a secure fit.

How to pack a day hiking backpack

While this depends largely on a combination of what you’re packing, what conditions you’re expecting, and personal preferences, we will do our best to give some tips.

We like to keep water bottles, bathroom kit, a few snacks, and rain gear on the outside for easy access. First aid, repair kit, and essential knickknacks sit at the bottom of the main compartment as they’re least likely to be used. Then put your fleece and puffy jacket on top of that. You might consider storing a hat and gloves in the pockets of the fleece or puffy, since they will most likely be used together. Top it off with your lunch and you’re good to go.