From tearing up the tracks to strutting the tarmac – a good daypack offers durability, versatility, and clever storage. Be you a city slicker or an overnight hiker, every bag has its benefits and every brand has its blessings.
Here, we list our top ten best-selling daypacks and hiking bags for 2025, based on sales data from the past 12 months. We’ve stuffed in some new numbers too, while others you may have seen before. From compression straps and lashing loops to bladder compatibility and adequate capacity, this blog bears the load of identifying the best packs and hiking bags so you don’t have to!
Stripped of the pointless and peppered with the necessities – read on for your top ten pared-back yet jam-packed daypacks!

This blog bears the load of identifying the best packs so you don’t have to. Image: Salomon
10. Caribee Avalanche 34L Backpack
The Avalanche 34L Backpack by Caribee is your trusty sidekick for everything from weekend bush bashes to daily urban adventures!
Built tough for the rough and tumble of Australian conditions, this top-loading pack boasts a generous 34-litre capacity to handle all your gear with room to spare. Whether you’re heading off on a camping escape, smashing out a gym session, or navigating the daily commute, the padded back panel and shoulder straps keep you comfortable during those longer hauls. From the campsite to the office, its sleek design and practical features ensure you’re sorted for whatever the day throws at you.
The Caribee Avalanche 34L Backpack — your go-to gear hauler for life’s next adventure!
Built tough for the rough and tumble of Australian conditions.
9. Caribee Valhalla 26L Backpack
The Valhalla 26L Backpack by Caribee is the adventure-ready daypack that conquers both the concrete jungle and the great outdoors!
With a nifty 26-litre capacity, this pack handles everything from Monday meetings to weekend escapes; room for all your tech gear, and then some. Dual padded laptop and tablet sleeves cradle your precious electronics, while the organiser panel keeps all your smaller gadgets and gizmos where you need them. From the boardroom to the campground, its sleek design and practical features make it the standout choice for anyone who refuses to compromise.
Be you a city slicker, uni student, or weekend warrior – the Caribee Valhalla 26L Backpack has got your back!
Handling everything from Monday meetings to weekend escapes.
8. Deuter Futura 24 SL Hiking Backpack
The Futura 24 SL by Deuter is the gear carrier that delivers when day hikes get demanding!
Built specifically for smaller frames with shorter back lengths and narrower shoulders, this slimline pack pulls no punches when it comes to comfort and performance. The innovative Aircomfort back system combines padded shoulder straps, ergonomic hip fins, and a flexible steel frame with mesh ventilation to keep you cool and comfortable on those longer hauls. From rain covers to wet gear pockets, this top-loading pack is loaded with thoughtful features that handle whatever the Australian conditions throw your way.
The Deuter Futura 24 SL — where function meets comfort for those epic day-long adventures!

This pack pulls no punches when it comes to comfort and performance.
7. Deuter Speed Lite 17 Hiking Backpack
The Speed Lite 17 Hiking Backpack by Deuter is the lightweight pack for the fast-paced on the tracks!
Owing to padded shoulder straps, snug hip fins, and adjustable belts around the waist and sternum, this backpack makes light of the heavy endeavours. Take the pressure off with load adjustment straps, working with the flexible V-frame to promote the transfer of your load to the hip fins.Stash the snacks and knick-knacks across the two stretch pockets, and store the dank, damp clothing in the elasticated inner compartment. External attachment loops mean you can get a handle on your walking poles too.
The Deuter Speed Lite 17 Hiking Backpack is kick-butt baggage, without the bulk!
The lightweight pack for the fast-paced on the tracks.
6. Caribee Patriot 18L Military-Style Backpack
The Patriot 18L Daypack by Caribee is the rugged operator that carries your gear on demanding day-long expeditions!
Built tough with heavy-duty, reinforced construction that performs when the going gets rough, this pack brings field-tested reliability to your outdoor adventures. Hydration compatibility allows you to slot in a separate 2L reservoir for easy on-the-go thirst quenching, while the padded harness system, sternum chest strap, and detachable webbing hip belt keep you stable and comfortable during those longer hauls. MOLLE webbing attachment points on the front offer tactical gear mounting options, complemented by side accessory and bottle pockets for quick-access storage.
The Caribee Patriot 18L Daypack — when you need military-grade reliability for civilian adventures!
Built tough with heavy-duty, reinforced construction that performs when the going gets rough.
5. Deuter Speed Lite Pro and Pro SL Hiking Backpacks
The Speed-Lite Pro Series by Deuter doesn’t just swagger up the mountainside — it absolutely slays every summit with packs that pack tight, weigh light, and perform right when the trails get tough!
Available in regular and SL versions, these trail-blazing beauties feature Deuter’s skeleton-structured LiteAir back system for featherweight comfort that moves like you do. Built from bombproof 120D recycled polyamide with perforated shoulder straps, wet gear stash spots, and more pockets than you can poke a trekking pole at — this series owns the trails from dawn till dusk!
Packing tight, weighing light, and performing right when the trail gets tough!
4. Deuter Futura 26 Hiking Backpack
The Deuter Futura 26 Hiking Backpack is the kick-butt baggage that packs a punch on the tracks!
Owing to snug hip fins and an adjustable sternum belt, this backpack makes light of the heavy endeavours, offering comfort and efficiency in its ergonomic design. Stash the snacks and knick-knacks across the two stretch pockets, and store the dank, damp bundles in the elasticated inner compartment. External attachment loops mean you can get a handle on your walking poles too, while load adjustment straps reduce the wobble of your load. On full show is the front pocket and front zip access, and topping it off is the lid compartment for additional storage.
The backpack that makes light of the heavy endeavors.
3. Deuter Giga Urban Daypack
The Giga Urban 28L Daypack by Deuter is the everyday hero that tackles the endless hunt for a pack that’s comfortable, perfectly sized, and easy on the eyes!
Built for those who refuse to choose between style and substance, this versatile urban warrior boasts a generous 28-litre capacity that handles everything from Monday morning meetings to weekend city escapes. The padded laptop and tablet compartment keeps your tech cushioned from life’s bumps and knocks, while the internal valuables pocket ensures your important gear stays secure during transit. Stretch side pockets accommodate drink bottles and brollies for quick-access convenience, complemented by a top document compartment that keeps papers crisp and an internal organiser pocket for all your smaller essentials.
The Deuter Giga Urban 28L Daypack — where sleek meets street-smart!
Built for those who refuse to choose between style and substance.
2. Low Alpine Edge 22L Day Pack
Slay the slopes with a daypack that (back)packs a punch!
Be you an urban outfitter or an outback bucketlist ticker, the multifunctional design features a padded sleeve with hook-and-loop closure to protect a 15-inch laptop. Constructed with a PFC-free outer fabric, it features a large, easy-access main opening, a front pocket for stashing the smaller items, and a top pocket with zippered access – so there’s always backpack room on those jampacked days on the move!
Enjoy Lowe Alpine’s Air Contour breathable carry system of a structured back panel and harness yoke for optimized comfort, and keep your baggage tight and together with side compression straps. Larger stretch mesh pockets on the side hold the odds and ends, pole loops guarantee on-the-go convenience for holding your hiking poles when not in use – and this pack has every biker’s back with a reflective bike light loop too!
From the urban outfitters to the outback bucketlist tickers.
1. Low Alpine AirZone Active 26 Backpack
Taking the (forest) floor for 2025 is the AirZone Active 26L Backpack by Lowe Alpine – built for the kick-butt hikers, hit-the-road bikers, and all-round outdoor explorers!
With upper and lower side compression straps, keep your baggage tight and together, while stretch side pockets hold your drink bottles and a top pocket with secure zipper closure keeps the knick-knacks intact. Its main compartment features a zippered opening, while a front pocket holds those mid-track snacks and the TipGripper attachment point guarantees on-the-go convenience by holding your hiking poles when not in use. Owing to the internal pocket too, separate the valuables from the everyday – plus, hipbelt pockets hold the odds and ends like compasses, gloves, and other gadgets. With Lowe Alpine’s AirZone lightweight yet breathable carry system – you don’t sweat, you (g)Lowe thanks to maximised airflow! Plus, call for attention when you actually need it thanks to a light loop and a whistle on the sternum strap.
Embellished with a key clip and a rain cover for the wetter weather, the Lowe Alpine AirZone Active 26L Backpack is the pack that never backtracks!
The backpack that never backtracks!
We’ve got to mention these guys!
Caribee Moonlite Compact and Aspen Waist Bags
Not to be presumptuous… but we know what you’re thinking.
‘Is this the same bag Hermione Granger uses to pack everything but the kitchen sink? Where’s the rest of it?’
While they’re not your traditional daypacks, Caribee’s waist bags are bonafide bestsellers that master the minimalist approach with practical perfection! The slick Moonlite rocks black polyester construction with rear zip pocket and front utility sleeve, while the eye-catching Aspen brings serious style with main storage plus twin front zip pockets — both featuring adjustable webbing belts that hug you just right. Whether you’re walking the dog, playing tourist, or smashing weekend errands, these cracking bum bags let you grab your gear and bolt out the door without breaking a sweat!
Caribee’s waist bags are bonafide bestsellers that master the minimalist approach with practical perfection!
What does your ideal daypack feature?

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