All About Day Pack

Call me Pack-Man

Call me Pack-Man, a guy gobbling up miles and miles of trail, always with a day pack on my back.

All too often, my aching back.

For years and years, on hikes around the world, soon as I reached the top of that peak or that beautiful lake, I literally tossed off my pack in relief. (Some brands were so badly designed I was tempted to throw them off the mountain or into the lake.)

Manufacturers have sent The Trailmaster an array of low-tech, ill-conceived day packs, hardly more evolved than the rucksacks I carried during my Boy Scout days, and my response has always been the same: “Hey, hiking is not supposed to hurt.” Some pack-makers must have thought that by adding pouches, pockets and an outdoorsy logo to a flimsy book-bag, they’d fool us into thinking we’re purchasing a great day pack.

For years, even decades, day pack design lagged behind innovations in outerwear and footwear, but I’m pleased to report that pack-makers have closed the gear gap, and there are now some very good ones now on the market.  

If you know what to look for in a good pack, you’ll select one that will be a welcome companion not an albatross around your neck.

Day Pack Defined

A day pack is a soft frameless pack that attaches to your shoulders and usually includes a hip band or waist belt for support. A good one will last a lifetime.

High quality day packs are made specifically for hiking so there’s no need to settle for a bike bag, book bag or a pack fashioned for another sport. It’s best to purchase one at an specialty outdoors store.

Padding is crucial to a comfortable day pack. Padded shoulder pads are an absolute must, and go a long way in keeping the spring in your step. A good day pack has a padded back, as well. A wide padded lumbar belt is important, too, because you want to try and put the weight on your hips and take it away from your neck and shoulder muscles.

Before you purchase a pack, put a little weight inside it and walk around the store. Check to be sure it really fits your frame. We hikers come in all shapes and sizes (and there’s major body differences between the sexes) so be assured that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all day pack.

A modest-sized day pack is measures about 16 inches high, 12 inches wide and about six inches deep. A larger day pack can be as 18 inches or more in length, 14 inches wide and more than six inches deep.

Day pack capacity is measured in cubic inches, with 1,000 to 1,500 cubic inches sufficient for most all-day adventures. If you’re the designated donkey in your hiking group or a parent toting gear for several kids, consider investing in a “weekend” day pack, one with a capacity of 2,000 to 3,000 cubic inches. (Europeans and other hikers around the world measure day pack capacity in liters. A typical day pack has between 15 and 30 liters of cargo room.)

With the ten essentials, extra clothing, food, water, and a camera, figure that you’ll be toting 10 to 15 pounds of gear on a day hike. Sure you and the pack CAN carry more weight, but remember you’re going day hiking not backpacking. Remember that the suspension systems of most day packs are not designed to support heavy loads so if you put too much weight in a day pack, that load will pull on your neck and shoulders and stress your frame.

As a general rule, you can comfortably carry 10 percent of your body weight in a well-designed day pack. Consider 15 percent of your body weight or 25 pounds as an absolute maximum load, even with a superior day pack. 

Some day hikers, particularly those who hike in warm weather, prefer packs with a built-in hydration system. Remember that you’ll be giving up some storage capacity and have to pack around the pack’s built-in bladder sleeve. Some hydration packs are all bladder and no backpack—with minimal carrying capacity for anything but fluids. Other hydration packs are a better balance between water and cargo toting capacities.

Fanny packs have their fans among day hikers. Buy a good one with ample padding and storage. Look for rugged, covered zippers and easy access to pouches. Be sure the pack you choose comfortably carries water bottles.

Packing Your Day Pack

Let’s not over-complicate a simple procedure. Remember just two rules about packing a day pack:

• Pack items you’ll most likely use on the hike in the most accessible place.
• Pack the heaviest items at the bottom of the pack, the lightest ones toward the top.

Main Compartment Put heavier items that you won’t need to instantly access (extra food and water, first aid kit) in the bottom.

Sub-Compartment Some clothing, lighter items and switched-off mobile phone go here.

Top Pocket Store Maps, guidebook, binoculars, insect repellant, sunscreen and other items here for ready access on the trail.

Side Pockets  Mesh ones are particularly good for holding a water bottle. Easy access for snacks and a compact camera.

Rain and Your Day Pack

With all those zippers and all that stitching, day packs are obviously not waterproof—and not even the most boastful pack manufacturer makes that claim. In fact, few day packs fare well in wet weather so you need to consider how to keep your day pack’s precious cargo dry.

In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, some hikers attach splash covers, waterproof material with elasticized edges that repel rain. Few Americans use the splash covers although if you look hard enough at specialty outdoors stores, you can find a waterproof nylon cover that you can fit to your pack.

A more common “splash cover,” one with particular appeal to the budget conscious hiker, is a heavy duty plastic garbage bag with slits cut out for the shoulder straps. If you’re better prepared than I am, you’ll cut the bag to fit your pack before you leave on a hike.

A few of my Sierra Club hiker friends are very good with scissors and by the time they finish snipping garbage bag into a splash cover it looks like a professionally made custom product. I, on the other hand, must have missed scissors class in kindergarten and can never seem to cut the shoulder strap holes correctly.

I use a second-best garbage bag method: I carry bags to line the inside of my pack when the weather turns wet.

Features of a Good Day Pack

• Durable weatherproof fabric
• One-piece body construction
• Padded shoulder straps
• Padded back
• Wide padded lumbar belt
• Sufficient pockets and compartments to suit your needs
• Side pouch for water bottle
• Strong buckles and straps
• Storm flap-covered zippers
• Strong top grab handle

Hike on,

John McKinney
The Trailmaster