I fly with only a carry-on. That is not a flex, it is a survival strategy for someone who has missed one too many connections. For years I told myself a daypack was a luxury I could not fit in my bag. Then I spent a week in the Sawtooths with the Outlander packable daypack folded into the bottom of my carry-on, and I stopped making that excuse.
The Outlander 20L/33L packable daypack weighs almost nothing, folds into its own pocket, and has become the single most useful thing I pack. Here are ten reasons it belongs in your carry-on too.
Stop hauling a second bag through the airport
The Outlander packable daypack folds small enough to disappear into your carry-on, then unpacks into a real hiking pack at your destination. Check today's price on Amazon and see why I never travel without it.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It folds into its own pocket, so it costs you almost no space
The whole pack stuffs into a small pocket that is part of the pack itself. In my carry-on it takes up less room than a folded sweater. I have packed it for weekend trips, week-long trips, and one two-week trip where I still had room to bring back a bottle of local hot sauce. On that two-week trip I also carried a paperback and a pair of trail shoes in the same bag, and the folded pack still sat flat against the bottom.
It turns your carry-on into a base camp
Land, drop the suitcase at the hotel, pull out the daypack, and you are ready to hike without carrying your whole life on your back. I have done this in Boise, in the Sawtooths, and on trips where I only had an afternoon between meetings. The daypack means I never have to choose between traveling light and hiking at all. On a work trip to Salt Lake City last spring, I landed at noon, checked in, and was on a trail by 2:30 with the Outlander on my back.
It is light enough that you forget it is on your back
I am 5'6" with a short torso, so I notice a heavy pack quickly. The Outlander is light enough that I have finished a 6-mile foothills loop and realized I never adjusted the straps once. That is the highest compliment I can give a pack. I weighed it on my kitchen scale before a trip and it came in under two pounds, which is why it disappears into a carry-on without eating into the weight limit.
It has a sternum strap that actually helps
A lot of packable daypacks leave the straps to slide off your shoulders. This one has a sternum strap, and on my narrow shoulders it is the difference between a pack that rides and a pack that wanders. On a 9-mile day in the Sawtooths with 2 liters of water and a jacket, the straps stayed where I put them. My left knee complained a little on the descent, but that is a knee problem, not a pack problem. I cinched the strap down before the long downhill and the pack stayed put instead of swinging with each step. There is no padded hip belt, so keep the load modest and the heavy things low.
It holds a surprising amount of gear
The 20L version fits a 2-liter water bladder, a puffy jacket, a first aid kit, snacks, sunscreen, and a camera. The 33L version swallows all of that plus a change of clothes and a packed lunch. I have used the 33L as my only pack for a full day of hiking and never felt like I was leaving something important behind. On a 10-mile loop in the Sawtooths last fall, I carried a fleece, a rain shell, two liters of water, and lunch, and the main compartment still had room to spare.
It has side pockets that actually hold a water bottle
This sounds like a small thing until you try a pack whose side pockets spit your bottle out on the first steep section. The Outlander's side pockets are deep enough that I have bent over to tie my shoes and my bottle stayed put. That is the kind of detail that makes a pack feel designed by someone who hikes. I tested it on a loose gravel descent in the foothills, where I stopped three times to retie a boot, and the bottle never moved.
It works as a personal item on budget airlines
When I fly with a personal item only, the Outlander folds into my main bag and gives me a second bag at my destination without paying for a second bag. I have used it this way on several trips and it has never caused a problem at the gate. That alone has paid for the pack many times over. On a flight to Portland I watched a family pay for three checked bags at the counter, and I walked past with the Outlander folded inside my one bag.
It is durable enough for real trails
I have taken this pack on rocky trails, through light rain, and on one trip where I accidentally sat on it while it was full of gear. It still looks and works like new. The zippers have not snagged, the stitching has not pulled, and the fabric has not worn through. For a pack that folds into a pocket, that is impressive. I have put about 200 trail miles on mine since last summer, including a wet morning on a granite ridge, and the only sign of use is a little dust in the seams.
It keeps your nice bag from becoming a gear bag
Before I owned a packable daypack, I used my everyday carry-on as a hiking bag. That meant sand in the wheels, a muddy bottom, and a broken zipper pull on one trip. Now the Outlander takes the abuse and my carry-on stays clean. My carry-on has outlived two of my old hiking setups because of this one change. I also stopped carrying a damp towel against my clothes, because the daypack has its own compartment for that kind of thing.
It costs less than a single checked bag fee
I have paid checked bag fees that cost more than this pack. The Outlander is priced like a reasonable travel accessory, not like a piece of expedition gear, and it does the job of both. For the price of one checked bag fee, you get a daypack you can use for years. I bought mine three years ago and it has been on every trip since, which works out to pennies per hike.
What I'd Skip
The Outlander packable daypack is not a technical climbing pack. If you need a suspension system for a 30-pound load or a frame that transfers weight to your hips, this is not the pack for you. It is also not the most breathable pack I have worn on hot days, and the shoulder straps are simple rather than plush. For a pack that folds into its own pocket, those are fair tradeoffs. I would skip it only if your hiking is all heavy loads and long expeditions. For travel, for day hikes, and for anyone who wants a real pack without a second bag, it is hard to beat.
For the price of one checked bag fee, you get a daypack you can use for years.
Pack it once, use it everywhere
The Outlander packable daypack has been in my carry-on for every trip since I bought it. If you want a real hiking pack that does not cost you a second bag, check today's price on Amazon.
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