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Post by cweston on May 31, 2020 19:23:45 GMT -8
I have an REI flash 18 that I use as a summit pack, but it’s a little small for regular day hiking (and not particularly well structured.)
I have a regular urban/college type North Face pack, but am considering something a little more optimized for day hiking.
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Post by bradmacmt on May 31, 2020 20:35:31 GMT -8
My wife and I both use Gregory Zulu 30’s. We’re both very pleased with them. She found the men’s S/M fit her better than the woman’s model. I use the M/L.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on May 31, 2020 21:30:49 GMT -8
I think the first question is whether you want a hipbelt or not.
I've been using an Osprey "Daylite" lately, for both hiking and around town/travel. Clean lines, not too many pockets/compartments, but does have water bottle pockets (a must for me). No hipbelt though. The Daylite is smaller than you're looking for but there's a 20L "Daylite plus". Oh, and pretty cheap compared to most daypacks (IMO).
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jun 1, 2020 1:26:42 GMT -8
I have a discontinued Gossamer Gear. The closest thing they have to it now is their Minimalist 24L Daypack, but mine has a lid and doesn't have the loops on the sides. I put things like wallet, granola bars, and phone in the lid, then jacket/gloves/whatever in the main compartment. It weighs nothing and has more than enough room for a jacket and similar stuff.
Mine has what amounts to two sternum straps, like the current model. I never use the lower pair.
I have to say that I prefer the lid on the version I have, since rain can get in the cinch top of the new bag. It's a pure cinch top, not a roll top.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jun 1, 2020 3:25:09 GMT -8
My daypack is over a decade old, and is no longer made. Looking at what's available, I'd probably choose either the Mystery Ranch 25L or the Patagonia 28L, depending on which one I liked better once I could put my hands on it. 28L is enough for me to use on any 2 night trip.
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Post by trinity on Jun 1, 2020 3:47:00 GMT -8
I have a Deuter, I think it's an AC Lite 22, or the equivalent. As I tend to do with backpack purchases, I spent many hours in an REI loading up various daypacks and walking around the store. The pack bag is a little over-engineered for my taste (both top and panel-loading, more bells and whistles than I need), but I found it the most comfortable pack they had available. It has a fairly beefy suspension for a daypack, a good rigid back panel that does a good job with load transfer. My back sometimes gives me trouble on long dayhikes, so a good suspension was essential, i.e., a rigid backpanel and both a sternum strap and a hipbelt. I've noticed over the years that Deuter packs tend to fit me pretty well.
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Post by cweston on Jun 1, 2020 4:35:51 GMT -8
I think the first question is whether you want a hipbelt or not. Good point. I'm definitely thinking of a daypack with a real hipbelt and suspension system. My back sometimes gives me trouble on long dayhikes, so a good suspension was essential, i.e., a rigid backpanel and both a sternum strap and a hipbelt. Yes. This is me. I have a lumbar disk injury. An actual backpacking pack with a real hipbelt forces your hips forward, which is just what the doctor ordered for low back problems. (There's actually no time when my back feels better than a couple days into a BPing trip, between carrying a pack, sleeping on the ground, and perhaps most importantly, no sitting.)
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Post by bradmacmt on Jun 1, 2020 5:05:09 GMT -8
Good point. I'm definitely thinking of a daypack with a real hipbelt and suspension system. I agree. I find eliminating a decent hipbelt and suspension in the name of weight savings to be a poor exchange. Like all packs (provided a good fit) a slightly heavier pack with an actual suspension will end up "lighter" at the end of the day than one without.
OTOH, what "dayhiking" looks like to you can determine what your pack looks like. In the North Central Rockies we tend to carry a bit more gear for safety.
My wife a couple weeks ago:
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Jun 1, 2020 7:06:09 GMT -8
Osprey Kestrel 38 - I am on my second one (2019). The first, pictured my employer bought me for hiking out pipeline in WY and MT (2008 model). No longer made, but I still have a Kestrel 28 that gets turns on the local nordic trails. It is too small for me for daily use as I solo a lot in Central Rockies topography and I have this about being prepared to suffer an unexpected overnight. My 2008 K38 instead of becoming a wall hanging is now hugging a Ponderosa pine with four gallons of water and liter of fuel as a cache at an undisclosed arid location. It was finally fraying about to die of sunstroke. The Kestrels have an Airscape suspension they share with with my Aether Pro 70 and mother-ship Argon 110 in the Osprey line up. So you have a wireframe and frame sheet with a working hip belt. The Airscape suspension comforms to you, unlike the Ospreys' Anti-gravity, and works better with my insulted back. My 2019 K38 is supposed to be the same volume as the original but is slimmer front to back. The stretch side pockets are deeper and better fabric. I have carried ski's and snowshoes easily with both. Both have seen service as a three season day and half pack. It is not large enough for a canister inside but is a big enough to use an Ursack day hiking in Griz country. Photo of 2008 Kestrel 38 on a day and half trip.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jun 1, 2020 11:39:42 GMT -8
I have two of the Osprey Talon series: the Talon 33 and the Talon 44. I like the packs, and all of the Talon series apparently have hipbelts. The suspension for my two are not bad, and there's provision for hydration, though it's in a unique location (at least IME): behind the suspension system, and not inside the pack. There are pluses and minuses about this, of course: 1) no leakage in pack, but 2) possibility of condensation "leakage" onto your back, which you may or may not like. (I put my hydration bladder inside a Reflectix bag when carrying either of my Talon packs.) www.rei.com/search?q=osprey+talon+pack
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jun 1, 2020 15:09:45 GMT -8
I have a Kestrel 32 and a 38 that I use according to need. They're a bit heavy for the volume, but their suspension stands up to a lot weight and they're good in scrambly situations. I use them a lot in desert hiking, carrying a lot of water, so difference relative to something like the Talon really matters. I use a Talon 22 for some lighter load applications, but I don't reach for it as automatically as the Kestrels.
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Post by bradmacmt on Jun 1, 2020 15:35:05 GMT -8
I had a 1998 Osprey Kestrel that I loved. However, the majority of the new Osprey packs have yokes that my wife and I both find too narrow around the neck. The older Ospreys had more articulated shoulder straps at the neck. The new ones, not so much. Gregory seems to get this...
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Post by cheaptentguy on Jun 22, 2020 17:04:55 GMT -8
My go-to day pack is the North Face Diad Pro 22. Very simple and meets all my needs for most day use trips. It doesn't have a hip belt, but I've run a lightweight strap through the loops (ice axe loops?) at the bottom of the pack to provide a little more stability and put some of the weight back in my hips. (Usually, I'm packing pretty light anyway.) I've really enjoyed it over the years and at this point can't really justify needing much more, especially in the southeast where there's never much technical to contend with on hikes. I did get a Granite Gear Taku 24 on closeout to use when I wanted to carry more weight, especially in the winter, but now I don't use it as much. It's a great pack in general, but it's a bit heavier than I want, and I just keep gravitating towards the lightness and simplicity of the Diad. The Diad is bright orange too, which is helpful mixed use wilderness areas. Both of these packs on got on great sales and have been pretty pleased with. Incidentally, they're both out of production.
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Post by oldbill on Jun 23, 2020 3:23:26 GMT -8
+1 on Zulu 30. Bought a size I could use for winter day hikes in the White Mountains. Might be considered too big for most 3 season day hikes on the East Coast but total weight isn't an issue. Strapping snowshoes on takes a bit of work. Hip pockets are great.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jun 23, 2020 9:10:21 GMT -8
As I routinely carry dSLR gear I’ve kept using my Mystery Ranch Snapdragon on my day hikes for quite a few years now. It’s current variant is their 3-day Assault. My lightweight small pack is an REI Flash 18 while my midsize is a truly ancient Chouinard Crag Dubh: what they have in common is minimal frills and complications: pretty much just a simple open sack.
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