Daybreak Ultralight Daypack

Fits great, large storage area, feels durable. First day trip with it was great.

Using for daily commuting then easily converts to a day hike pack. Great versatility and seems like it should hold up for quite a while.

I'm a 5'7" avid day hiker (11-15 miles). My old Arcadia featherlight backpack finally conked out and I ordered this one that looked to have slightly more structure to it.

I found this pack to be just too much for the kind of stuff you'd take for a day hike (I pack a jacket, lunch, water bottle, suncream, and a few other miscellaneous items).

I'm also not keen on the fabric from which it is made: it's loud and sounds like a newspaper being crumpled when you walk or try to access something inside. The fabric's stiffness also means that the top of the pack is in contact with the nape of your neck (at least for me) unless you really squish it down.

Finally, I found it cumbersome to reach a water bottle with one hand while walking (read: you have to take the backpack off to get to your water). And because the outside side pockets are made of the same swishy fabric as the pack (rather than mesh), it's noisy trying to get to, or put away your water bottle.

This pack looks to be well made but I think Hyperlite needs to go back to the ergonomics drawing board on a few things. Suggestions: make the "DAYpack" a little smaller (or don't call it an ultralight daypack); make the side pockets out of mesh; and source a fabric that is quieter. 'Cause I'm hiking to hear nature -- not a swooshy backpack!

I'm a 5'7", small-framed woman who likes to hike 10 to 14-mile, good-elevation-gain day treks. In my opinion, this backpack is too stiff and too big to be considered an "ultralight daypack". Its biggest drawback is that the fabric is loud. Yes, loud... I'm out for the pleasure of being in nature -- not listening to what sounds like newspaper being crumpled while I'm hiking!

I'm pretty flexible but it's also nearly impossible to reach back with one arm to access a water bottle from the unfortunately non-mesh side pockets (read: the pockets are also made from the same stiff fabric).

For a day hike where a sandwich, water bottle, sunscreen, jacket, and a few extras are all you need, this backpack is just too much.

All in all it looks to be well made but they need to go back to the ergonomics drawing board (or don't call it an "ultralight daypack"). I'm sending it back.

I really like this daypack. It’s now been up to the Canadian Rockies, out to the Rubies, and used close to home in the Sierra. It’s light, comfy, and has exactly what you need in a pack (space, water bottle pockets, front pocket), and none of the extras you don’t. I love the patina it’s acquired (white version) from dirt and dust from various adventures.

Only cons are that the back can get warm in the summer, and the waist belt sits a bit high (I’m 5’9” tall). Neither are worth a complaint.