You know we love a functional, well-designed, sustainable piece of gear here at Terradrift. And there may be no more impactful piece of gear than the (not so humble) daypack. After all, it accompanies you on all your hiking–maybe even biking or travel–adventures, holds your 10 essentials, and gets carted onto mountain, desert, and coastal trails. It will probably be with you for years if not decades (if you’re taking care of it and repairing it, of course), and gets caked with not only dirt, but memories. So choosing the right one–and one that’s kinder to the planet–is an important decision. Fortunately, we’ve tested a whole bunch and these are the best daypacks of the year in our opinion (that are also highly sustainable).
Best Daypacks of 2025
Nemo Resolve Endless Promise 25: The Fully Recyclable One
Perhaps the most sustainably-designed daypacks on the market, the Nemo Resolve Endless Promise packs (available in 15L and 25L) are not only made of recycled material, but are crafted from almost entirely one single material for one single reason: so this pack can be recycled at the end of its life. Yup, this pack is circular, meaning it’s recycled AND recyclable. And we can tell how much thought went into crafting this baby, from the uniquely-designed water bottle pockets on each side, to the comfy shoulder straps, to the reposition-able bungees. We also love the thoughtful shoulder strap pockets and removable hip belt. This hiking pack is a winner, for sure.
Our only small gripe: because of the thick material covering all the zippers, they aren’t as quick and easy to get into as we’d like. Check out our full review of the Nemo Resolve HERE.
How it’s sustainable: Made of recycled materials, PFAS-free, recyclable, Bluesign Approved.
Pros
- Super sustainable
- Comfortable
- Ultra durable
- Customizable lash straps
- Shoulder strap pockets
Cons
- Only available in a couple of colors
- No exterior stash pocket
Deuter Speed Lite Pro 23/25: The Best Pack for Women (But Also Men)
For light and fast adventures where you still want all the functionality of a fully-featured pack, few options beat this compact, lightweight, comfy daypack. Its slim profile (there’s also a smaller 17/19L and large 28/30L–the larger capacities are the men’s/unisex packs) holds everything we need, plus it has plenty of pockets, including a big, stretchy stash pocket on the front–a must in our opinion–attachments points and customizable lash options galore. There are multiple pockets on the running vest-style straps, bungees for trekking poles, ice ax loops, hip belt pockets, and a hydration sleeve (Hydro versions of the packs even come with our favorite HydraPak reservoirs).
It’s light, which makes it an excellent option for hikes where you want to cover some ground, plus the highly flexible and lightly padded mesh shoulder straps are comfortable and breathable to the max. The SL version of the pack (women-specific, pictured above) even has straps designed for shorter torsos and curves. That’s a huge win. The back panel is lightweight and padded with a semi-ridged foam to offer just a touch of structure and breathability. Frankly, it’s everything we want in a daypack and nothing we don’t. We may even like it better than the Speed Lite we tested last season. So if you like the colors available (purple or black for women, light green or black for men/unisex), we’d recommend this one in a heartbeat. It will be accompanying us on plenty of hikes this season.
How it’s sustainable: Made of 100% recycled materials, Bluesign Product, Green Button certified, comes with a lifetime repair warranty.
Pros
- Comfy straps
- Plenty of pockets
- Lots of lash points
- Lightweight
- Comfy, breathable hip belt with pockets
- Available in several sizes
Cons
- Only available in a few colors
REI Co-op Flash 22: For Ultralighters
You know we’re all about ultralight backpacking here at Terradrift, but I, especially, like to keep my daypacks ultralight, too. My favorite pack for that is the REI Flash 22 pack. It weighs a pittance (14oz), nothing is bulky or overbuilt, the straps are breathable, adjustable and functional, and there are pockets galore. There’s even a hydration sleeve and port plus two nice deep water bottle pockets (that are still easy to get bottles in and out of when on the move).
I love that the hip belt is low profile and super breathable if my pack is full and I want a little extra support, When I don’t, it easily tucks into the back panel and completely out of the way. It has all the bells and whistles of bulkier packs but with more packability, less weight, and a friendlier price point. Do keep in mind that as an ultralight pack, it doesn’t have a frame or excessive padding to make carrying heavier loads more comfortable, so if that’s a dealbreaker, consider looking elsewhere.
It won’t likely be quite as durable as packs made of more robust nylon, so if you’re hard on your gear, this might not be the pack for you. For less brutal adventures, though, especially for ultralight hikers, it’s a dream.
How it’s sustainable: Made of recycled materials, PFAS-free, from a Climate Label Certified brand, Bluesign approved.
Pros
- Bright colors + neutrals
- Lots of pockets
- Separate reservoir pocket
- Ultralight
- Feature-rich
- Stashable hip belt
Cons
- one size fits “all”
Pingora Lucid 20: For Moving Fast and Packing Light
We love how simple and slim this small hiking backpack is while still having almost all the bells and whistles we love, like shoulder strap pockets, a front stash pocket, zippered accessory pockets, and exterior lash points. Plus, the shoulder straps are minimally padded and ultra flexy, the webbing hip belt is removable, and it’s just a pleasure to carry. It feels much smaller than a 20L, but we like that, including that the front zipper pocket is its own space, as in, it doesn’t extend into the main pocket or vice versa if one of the two is packed full.
One major ding, though: the stretchy side pocket that is usually designated for a water bottle is too tight. We found it barely fit a slim Nalgene, and that was when the pack was fairly empty. That means this pack is best suited for die-hard water reservoir fans, not so much those who prefer water bottles.
How it’s sustainable: Made from deadstock fabric (leftovers from other brands that would likely end up in a landfill otherwise). Starting in spring 2025, these packs will all be PFAS-free.
Pros
- Plenty of pockets
- Ultralight
- Slim profile
- Stashable accessory straps
- No-slip shoulder straps
- Vest-style harness with pockets
Cons
- The water bottle pocket isn’t large enough for anything but a Smart Water Bottle
Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25: For Photographers
If you’re a photographer, you know how hard it can be to find a daypack that comfortably carries your equipment PLUS all your gear for hiking. Most packs are best suited for one or the other. Not the new Peak Design Outdoor Line (currently on Kickstarter with a product ship date of January at the latest). It’s designed for photographers who love to hit the trail and explore. It fits camera cubes perfectly, has a quick-stash front pocket, deep water bottle pockets, endlessly customizable lash and attachment points, and is ultra durable to boot. Plus it’s sleek enough for urban travel if you’d prefer not to look like you just got off the trail when hoofing it around the city. Watch our full review of the line HERE.
It is a heavy pack, though, and the water bottle pockets aren’t accessible when you’re hiking, so there are a few downsides.
How it’s sustainable: Made of recycled materials, Bluesign approved, and Peak Design is Certified Climate Neutral.
Pros
- Durable
- Lots of pockets
- Customizable lash points
- Shoulder strap pockets
- Works seamlessly with other PD gear
Cons
- Water bottle pockets can’t be reached without taking the pack off
- Wide and dense shoulder straps may be less comfy for smaller hikers
Gregory Kiro 24: The Streamlined All-Rounder
It’s maiden voyage was a 10-mile summit hike in Utah and it more than help its own. It was comfortable to carry on the warm day, was plenty big enough for all the snacks and supplies a person could need, offered a place to stash trekking poles when we didn’t need them, and offered lots of organization in the way of pockets. One big stash pocket on the front was perfect for an extra layer or spare hat, and a front zippered pocket offered a secure place to stash keys and a wallet. There’s only one water bottle pocket (there’s a vertical zipper pocket on the other side), but it’s slanted and supremely accessible while hiking. There’s also an interior bladder hanger, pocket and tube port that allowed us the option to choose between a bottle or bladder.
The patented CloudControl hip belt is wide and stretchy, so it’s not designed to transfer any weight off your shoulders, but when it comes to offering stability while maintaining maximum comfort when the belt is snug, there’s no belt that does it better. That also means there aren’t any hip belt pockets if that’s a deal breaker and the hip belt isn’t removable or stowable. But the straps are squishy and comfy for all-day wear and the back panel is surprisingly breathable.
Looking for a plus-size day pack? Gregory has those, too. Check out the unisex Citro 30 or women’s Juno 30.
How it’s sustainable: Made from about 40% recycled materials (nylon and polyester), PFAS-free. Gregory’s carbon measuring project found this pack produces 26% less carbon than a similar bag made of non-recyclable materials.
Pros
- Plenty of pockets
- Blue interior makes it easy to see what’s inside
- Lightweight
- Lightly padded back panel
- Slide-adjustable sternum strap
- Stretchy hip belt
Cons
- Not the most sustainably-designed pack on this list.
Bottom Line: The Best Daypacks of 2025
Selecting a hiking backpack is a highly personal experience. After all, everyone wants something a little different, from a pack that fits their body perfectly to one that has tons of accessory attachment points to one that’s packed with pockets. But these are some of our faves that we tested this year and think you’re likely to find one that suits no matter what type of hiker you are. So grab a sustainable daypack, pack smart, hit the trail, and wander on.
