Best Day Hiking Backpack with Hydration

Have you been looking to buy a day hiking backpack that comes with a hydration bladder for your next trail adventure? Many outdoor lovers would absolutely appreciate finding the right day hiking backpack; something that is not only light in weight but also loaded with all the right accessories to make their next outdoor experience a relaxing and efficient one.

The problem is that there are so many different day hiking backpacks to choose from on the market today. You might end up getting so frustrated that you choose not to buy any at all. If you are one of those people; the frustrating kind, then this is your lucky day.

We are going to give a concise review of the best day hiking backpack as tested by our outdoor adventure enthusiasts. This list is by no means complete or absolute. It is, however, narrowed down the list of the best possible options. It will help you come to that all-important decision to buy a specific backpack much quicker.

Here are three of the best day hiking backpack with a hydration reservoir:

Osprey Talon 22

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The Osprey Talon 22 is an exceptionally lightweight backpack. That, however, doesn’t mean that it isn’t versatile nor fully loaded with all the right kinds of goodies.

At only 624g in overall weight, this backpack can take up to 22L in volume capacity and has seven exterior pockets built into the design. Many day hikers will appreciate the two pockets that are situated on the hip belt (which is cushioned, by the way). These pockets are perfect for holding your iPhone, GPS or even a small digital camera for taking pictures of all those beautiful sightings when you are out there in the wild.

There is, however, one stand-out feature that ensured this backpack made into this list – it’s hydration sleeve. The Osprey Talon 22 has a hydration sleeve that is separately situated from the main compartment. This sleeve is big enough to fit a 3L hydration pack to keep you well hydrated on the trail. Furthermore, it has an assortment of equipment attachment allowances and loops that can hold a wide range of trekking gear such as trekking poles and even helmets.

Pros:

• It’s designed to be extremely adjustable and comfortable
• It has lots of storage space for such a small bag

Cons:

• It has a thin back panel, and this means that you will feel some of the contents of your bag rubbing against your back as you hike

All in all, this is a wonderful day hiking backpack with the capacity to carry all that you may need for a hike lasting for slightly more than three hours or so.

Osprey Tempest 20

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This one is specifically designed for the ladies. The Osprey Tempest 20 is pretty much the female version of the Osprey Talon 22. It’s lightweight and packed full of excellent features and built for comfort. This bag, however, is slightly smaller and therefore perfect for women and even men who have smaller torsos. It does have pretty much the same features as the Osprey Talon 22:

• An external hydration sleeve
• An ice-tool loop that has bungee tie-offs
• Various loops and attachments that allow you to easily carry your trekking gear such as trekking pole
• A LidLock helmet attachment for your trekking helmet

The main difference is that this bag has extra padding to make it that much more comfortable.

Pros:

• Very comfortable and practical
• Can be easily adjusted to fit various sizes

Cons:

• Although it has a smaller capacity (20L), it’s slightly heavier than the Talon 22

While this daypack for hiking is slightly more comfortable than the Talon 22, the fact that it only has a capacity of up to 20L makes it a bit too small for longer day hikes. Other than that, it’s a wonderful bag for short outdoor adventures.

Osprey Stratos 36

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Osprey Stratos 36 is a big backpack. With a 36L capacity, this bag is best used for longer day hikes or even those that turn into an overnight trip. It has plenty of packing space for everything that you might need. While it’s true that the series has a bunch of other smaller bags, the Osprey Stratos 36 is quite huge and as such might not be as versatile as the smaller day backpacks but does offer storage options.

One of the best features is that it is comfortable. It has a pre-curved hip belt that is complemented with adjustable and padded shoulder straps and finished off by a well-ventilated back panel which makes this bag one of the most ergonomic and comfortable options in the market. With a 36L capacity, this bag can carry up to 14kg and the fact that it’s built for your comfort is absolutely essential to its design.

Furthermore, this hydration daypack comes with a host of features that any day hiker and even campers would appreciate:

• Seven exterior pockets for all your gadgets and easy access items
• A hydration sleeve
• A rain cover
• A sleeping bag compartment (zippered) as well as removable sleeping pad straps

Pros:

• It is extremely comfortable to carry
• It has a large capacity
• It is easy to load and use in general

Cons:

• It doesn’t have a stretch mesh which makes it difficult for you to access some of the gear on the side pockets

Even though this backpack is slightly pricier than the other two on this list, it more than makes up for that by the fact that it offers so much more. It is definitely a contender when choosing the best outdoor gear for your next adventure that will not only offer you the kind of storage options you are looking for but also makes sure you are staying hydrated on your hike.

Owner’s Manual

Please refer to this owner’s manual for information on product features, use, maintenance, customer service, and warranty.

These three options covers every aspect that you might need for carrying your trekking gear as a day hiker. If you want an easy to carry, smaller backpack, buy any of the first two, but if you are something a little bit bigger and more versatile, then you should go for the Osprey Stratos 36.