These Hiking Backpacks Can Fit a Surprising Amount of Gear

Whether you hike for the views, the solitude, or the workout, there's something incredibly rewarding about sweating in the sunshine surrounded by natural beauty. Wherever your affinity for hiking comes from, we highly recommend being prepared with the right daypack full of essentials because, let's face it, being stuck on a trail without enough food, water, or warm clothing is not a good time.

What to Consider

While some hikers carry tons of gear and need the fanciest pack to hold it, others will prefer a smaller pack that's lighter in weight and simpler to manage. We recommend considering the storage capacity, comfort, hydration compatibility when shopping for the best hiking daypack.

Capacity: On shorter hikes, a minimalist daypack of some water (around 20 liters) and a snack are plenty. For longer day trips where weather can be unpredictable, and cell service is often limited, we recommend a larger, more feature-packed daypack (15 to 30 liters) that won’t force you to leave something important behind. You'll also want enough space to pack plenty of food and drinks, warm layers, a first aid kit, and any of the other essentials to keep you safe, dry, and comfortable.

Comfort: Many premium packs have fancy suspended back panels with breathable mesh, which are worth it when you are hiking in warmer weather, spending more than a few hours on the trail, or carrying heavier loads. For quicker trips, though, sometimes simpler is better, and a little padding on the shoulder is all you need. If you're looking for a comfort-enhancing feature, invest in a hiking daypack with a padded hip belt, which helps take the weight off your shoulders and keeps your pack sturdy in place.

Hydration: All of these hiking daypacks accept hydration reservoirs, but not all of them will include the reservoir. If you have extra reservoirs or another pack you can pull one from, this isn't a deal-breaker. But if you are only buying one pack for multiple uses, it's definitely worth buying one that includes a water reservoir.

Best Hiking Backpacks

• Best Back Support: Mammut Ducan Spine 28-35 Hiking Backpack
• For Light and Fast Adventures: Gregory Arrio 22-Liter Backpack
• Best Technical Daypack: Osprey Talon 22 Hiking Daypack
• For Wet-Weather Hiking: Deuter Futura 32-Liter Backpack
• For Quick Day Trips: Mammut Lithium Speed 20-Liter Backpack
• Large-Capacity: CamelBak Palisade 32 Hydration Pack, 100-Ounce
• Best Hot-Weather Pack: Hydro Flask Down Shift 14-Liter Hydration Backpack
• Stylish and Sleek: Osprey Archeon 25 Pack
• Running Vest Combo: Camelbak Octane 25 Hydration Pack, 70-Ounce
• Best Multisport Pack: Dakine Seeker 10-Liter Hydration Pack

How We Chose

Since there are a ton of hiking daypacks on the market, we did the hard work for you by researching backpacks with careful attention to features, size, quality, price, and fit. Many packs were selected based on positive firsthand testing experiences, while others were chosen based on hours of research on current technology, trends, and surveys of user reviews. By combining our never-ending desire to be outside with our knowledge of the industry, we are able to present the best array of options to you, our audience.

So the next time you set out for a day hike, load up one of these top-rated hiking backpacks and hit the trails for a heart-pumping, tree-smelling adventure.