Travel Daypack Advice? - YouLookFab Forum

*sheepish wave* Hello... serial lurker here, back after a bit of absence to ask for your advice/opinions! I know there are some adventure/travel minded forum members here and I've put this in off-topic since it isn't really a fashion question, more of a travel gear question with an interest in aesthetics.

My husband and I are going on an eco-tourism type trip tin March and I am on the hunt for a daypack. I'll be taking it with me on excursions during the day and using it as my carry on item for the plane(s). I think I need 20-25L of volume to hold my DSLR, light jacket, water, snack, swimsuit, travel towel, and maybe a change of shoes. I'd like something with a hip strap, as we'll be doing a reasonable amount of walking/hiking.

Of course function has to come first, but I'd like whatever I choose to look decent at the airport/beach/skiing/and potentially for city sightseeing on future trips.

All of the contenders below meet my functional requirements, and I like the way they look. What do you think? Any other suggestions?

1. North Face Womens Borealis
http://www.thenorthface.com/ca.....women-39-s
2. North Face Womens Jester
http://www.thenorthface.com/ca.....-women-39-
3. Burton Bruce
http://www.altitude-sports.com.....bruce-pack
4. Burton Day Hiker (floral)
http://ca.burton.com/default/w.....10411.html
5. Burton Day Rider (floral)
http://ca.burton.com/default/w.....8;cgid=bag
6. Burton Day Hiker (grey)
http://www.amazon.com/Burton-W.....=142316314

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10 years ago

Kimberley

Veteran

Hi Emily! No advice here but I wanted to say I miss your WIWs! Hope you have a fabulous trip with your DH.

Meredith

Mostly just waving hi! I love the look of the NF, but would worry about them (and the Burtons) showing dirt. But I will leave real advice to the seasoned adventurers!

Neelie

Can you get to a store to try these on? I find backpacks all fit differently depending on the strap placement and how they attach at the top, and there is a wide range of comfort levels. Depending on how broad your back it etc can lead to different fits. They all look really nice, but I would go with whatever feels the best. And when you try them on put something heavy inside (say your purse) to feel them loaded up, not just stuffed with paper...
(love the white but they may show dirt a lot if you put them down on the ground etc)

Susie

Hi Emily!
If the size is right for you, I like the look of the last one, for it's simplicity. I also like 3's similar look and it looks a little more spacious, if you need that.

elpgal

Hi Emily, Search for Astrid's post on this topic a while ago. She got a lot of useful advice.

Emily

Thanks for the responses I guess I was mostly looking for a sounding board re: looks. I picked a bunch that I thought looked nice in a gear-ish sort of way, but by the time I'd done my online/in store research just didn't trust my eyes anymore in terms of what looked good. Leaning toward the grey day hiker at this point.

Re: function - I tried a few packs on in store (loaded, of course, Neelie!) and found that my short torso was a barrier to good fit, hence the search for a womens-specific fit online.

Zibbets

I'm a backpacker and I would go with a North Face that's made for women. When the compartments are full, you can roll up your jacket and put it in the strings on the outside, the water bottle pockets will be super useful, not just for water, and the teardrop shape will be more comfortable than the squared off Burton.

I like the first color best.
Have a great trip!

Astrid

I really love my new Osprey travelpack, so I had a look and they have a women's daypack that's really pared down. Great for in the city. Just a very basic hipbelt though and it might be too small for you:
http://www.rei.com/product/837.....escription

I've also heard good things about this hiking backpack, if you want one that's more "gear":
http://www.rei.com/product/865.....AndAnswers

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