Packable Daypacks

A packable daypack is the second bag that lives inside your first one: it rides in your luggage nearly weightless, then becomes your day bag for hikes, markets, and city exploring. The trade-offs are structural. The lightest models are stuff sacks with straps, fine for a jacket and water bottle; padded, framed-light models carry a real day's load comfortably but pack bigger.

The ten packs below span 16 to 35 liters and under 3 ounces to about a pound. Weights and packed sizes are manufacturer figures, so you can judge honestly what each ounce of comfort costs.