Howdy folks. Welcome to part 2 of our 3-part series on the best hiking day packs. If you missed part 1 (where we checked out the awesome Berghaus Twenty Four Seven), you can find it here. Today however we’re looking at our pick for ‘best bargain’ hiking day pack: The Naturehike Packable Backpack.
Naturehike Packable Backpack
Size
This packable has – as the name may have revealed 🙂 – two sets of measurements: one for packed down / compressed size and one for when it’s in use. Out of its case, the pack measures 42cm in height x 23cm in width x 17cm in depth. Once packed down it comes in at a pretty modest, but now quite pocket-able, 7 x 12cm.
Weight
The estimated weight of this pack is given at 120 grams – once we checked ours on the weigh-in it came in at 127, which is well within what I usually give as a margin for error.
Materials and design
This pack is made of 30D Nylon, and is advertised as waterproof. While we always take waterproofing claims with a pinch of salt, we were pleasantly surprised to find pretty much no seepage when we ran this pack under a tap.
In terms of gear organisation, there are only two elements here: the big main compartment and a small external pocket on the front of the bag. The external pocket is perfectly sized for your standard phone / multi tool / whatever. There are also two elasticated side pockets on the bag which will fit a couple of small water bottles.
There’s no chest or waist clip on this pack, but the adjustable shoulder straps are made from breathable mesh which is a nice touch. All in all, it’s a basic but solid design, especially for a pack this size and price.
The only slight design issue I can see coming in at this price point is that the shoulder straps are a little thin – meaning, again, this one may get uncomfortable on a 6 hour walk with heavy load. But with packable backpacks, that is always going to be an issue: it comes down to whether you want the portability.
Comfort
So, speaking of comfort, what’s it like to wear? Well, with packables it’s tricky, as it generally all comes down to how you pack the bag. If you put a whole heap of disorganised heavy nonsense in there, chances are you’re going to be uncomfortable from the moment you put it on. If however you pack well, and use something like a partially inflated pillow as a kind of internal frame for the pack (what we did 🙂 then it’s just fine for most multi-hour walks. For the price, we certainly weren’t complaining!
Verdict
This Naturehike Packable Backpack certainly triumphs as our ‘best bargain’ pick. While it’s very no-frills, considering the price this is a perfectly solid entry-level day pack. And for those of us whose outdoor gear cupboards are overflowing, having something that packs down so small is always a blessing!
Well folks, hope you enjoyed this review. If you want to pick up this pack and try it yourself, you can do so via Amazon. Make sure you stay tuned for the 3rd and final part in our best hiking day pack series, where we reveal our pick for best all rounder! And in the meantime, check out the rest of our blog for more ultralight hiking tips, tricks and gear reviews.