Some things to consider when buying a daypack

Daypacks are used for a lot of different activities. They can be used for everything from carrying books to and from school to hiking up the steepest hills. Truly, they are a very versatile member of the backpack family. This also brings with it something to consider. Which daypack is the right one for you?

As with just about everything else, the first and most important thing you have to consider is where and how you are going to use it. By definition the daypacks are small and that will put some restrains on the situations that it can be used in. You would not want to buy a daypack if you were going on a week long walk in the mountains for example. As you can tell from the name they are mainly meant for short trips that last a day or less. (What are daypacks?)

However a lot of people use them to carry books to school as well. Some of the models work perfect here as well. The problem is that you should usually not use the same kind of daypack to school as you use when hiking. The reason is simple. A daypack that you use for school is often a bit bigger than the one you would use when hiking. There are some similarities though.

When you are buying a daypack, the first thing you should look for is a pack that is big enough to fit whatever you intend to have in it. This might be obvious, but it is still important. If you are planning to bring a camping stool you would need a daypack that is quite big for example. (If you don’t know what a camping stool is, check out this camping chair guide) The second thing is almost the exact opposite. You don’t want the daypack to be bigger than you need. There are two reasons for this. Firstly a daypack that is too big becomes a bit heavier, and secondly the stuff you have in it will not lay stable.

The third, and maybe most important thing to look for, is the shoulder straps. They should be reasonable wide. If you have to narrow straps, they will often hurt a lot. Also look for straps that are padded well.

Hope this helps you a bit. I know that I haven’t covered the materials yet, but that is a quite large subject which I will address later.