ashenA tough climb like Mount Kilimanjaro demands the best supportive travel gear. We have spoken about the Umbwe route to Kilimanjaro before and it’d be obvious that a reliable daypack is needed to accommodate your belongings. So in this post, we will suggest a few recommendations for what we believe could be the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro for you. You will carry extra clothing layers, snacks, sunglasses, electronic devices and some travel gear. Additionally, you will start from a hot environment and end up in ice and freezing weather. Due to the aforementioned reasons, this particular backpack should possess not just functionality but also comfort and durability. What exactly should we look out for when buying a daypack to conquer Kilimanjaro?
Things To Check When Selecting A Daypack For Hiking Kilimanjaro
- Lightweight (Obviously!)
- Useful pocket placement for easy accessibility
- Good hydration reservoir to store the water bladder
- Rain cover
- Adjustable hip belt, sternum strap and of course lift loader straps
- Load balancing compression straps
- Strong built gear loops to attach hiking gear
The ideal Kilimanjaro Daypack Size is between 30-35l. How so? because a smaller version will make packing a stress as you load and unload while a larger size is just not required unless you want to add more weight. Also, the porters will do the gear shifting from site to site so you will need to carry a few minor things. However, bear in mind that this pack will stay on you for several hours everyday from start to stop. Therefore, you definitely need a close to perfect fitting comfortable pack. And it is well recommended that you practice with it in high altitude hikes prior to Kilimanjaro.
With these factors in mind, take a thorough look at the daypacks we recommend below that we deem is appropriate to help you conquer Kilimanjaro.
Best Daypacks For Hiking Kilimanjaro
Osprey Talon 36
- 2.68 lbs pack weight| 15-25 lbs load range recommended
- 34 Litres (2.59 lbs) and 36 Litres available
- Bluesign-approved recycled 100D x 210D wave check high-tenacity nylon with PFC-free DWR for main material
- Injection-molded, die-cut foam AirScape backpanel
- BioStretch harness and hipbelt
- Wide-mouth, bucket-style main compartment
- External hydration reservoir sleeve
- Dual upper and lower side compression straps
- Well designed pocket placement and gear attachment loops
Number one in our list for the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro. Well, Osprey does not need a special introduction to adventurers. They introduced some great backpacks to the outdoor community such as the Farpoint 40, 55, Talon etc. The Talon 36 specs speaks for itself. They also have the Talon 34 if you think that’d be enough. The most important feature of this pack is the AirScape backpanel. It is like the exhaust for your excessively accumulating back heat. Plus it also helps in getting the perfect fit to the body. Together with the BioStretch covered shoulder straps and hipbelt, neither mobility nor breathability is restricted. Side stretch pockets are well capable of holding a water bottle, map etc.
The rest of the pocket placement is as follows. Top panel external zippered slash pocket, Large stretch mesh front panel pocket, mesh harness pocket and dual-zippered fabric hipbelt pockets. You can see how easily accessible your minor accessories are going to be. The external hydration sleeve makes refilling pretty easy. However, you know that we aren’t just convinced with paper specs. Here’s what the users are saying.
First of all the users are pleasantly surprised with the amazing adjustability of this pack. They claim that it fits perfectly for anyone when adjusted right. Regardless of your height and frame, the Talon can be perfectly adjusted. The next outstanding feature that everyone appreciates is the outside placement of the hydration bladder. They say that placing it next to your back makes refilling so much easier. Finally, the gear attachment loops are also very welcome among climbers, trekkers. All these compliments on top of the pack being extremely breathable, comfortable and lightweight.
Gregory Men’s Inertia 30 H2O
- Weight: 1.72 lbs
- 210-denier Honeycomb CryptoRip nylon material
- Magnetic sternum strap
- Mesh-encapsulated, ventilated back panel
- Padded, gender-specific hipbelt and shoulder harness with load lifters on the shoulder straps
- Quick-release 3D hydro reservoir with 3L capacity and dedicated hydration sleeve
- Optimum pocket placement
- Travel gear attachment loops
A little lighter in weight and capacity but still gets the job done. Gregory too is a brand that has earned a well deserved reputation for manufacturing strong, reliable outdoor backpacks. The Men’s Inertia 30 ticks off the checklist of what you require from a daypack needed to conquer the Kilimanjaro. Plenty of breathability with the ventilated air mesh in the hipbelt, shoulder harness and most importantly the back panel. Got five exterior pockets at convenient locations for easy access. Exterior stretch and accessory pockets for your snacks, torch, minor electronics and water bottles while the zippered quick access pocket is great to store your valuables like the wallet and passport. However, the hydration sleeve is not outside of the pack unlike in the Talon. Although, the hanger system allows one-handed, snap-and-go reservoir installation. Anyway, this is what the users have to say.
They are loving the pocket placement, especially the stretch mesh outer pockets, the stability once the fit aligns with your torso and the internal organization. A customer from Durham, NC who is 5’7″ and150 lb states that there was ample room to carry a double hammock with straps, food, extra clothing, hiking shoes, books all with room to spare. Furthermore, she mentioned that the torso length fits perfectly with the inertia once adjusted. Now although there are female specific hiking daypacks, you can definitely count in this one too. However, a handful of users suggested that it would have been better for breathability if there were some side vents to allow more airflow.
Deuter Unisex – Adult’s Trail Pro 32
- Weighs 1430 g| 3.153 lbs
- Body length: 44 – 54 cm | Body height: 170 – 195 cm
- Polyester, nylon material
- Aircontact back system with Delrin Frame Rod
- Chest strap, movable ActiveFit shoulder straps
- Integrated, Detachable Rain Cover
- Detachable raincover
- Device for hydration system
- Good pocket placement
- Attachment points for gear
Everything you need for a multi day tour in one item. Weight of the load is optimally transferred to the spring steel frame and the Aircontact pads perform a pump effect, thus maintaining constant air exchange. Ventilation channel between the Aircontact cushions enhances breathability. Additionally, the airy 3D AirMesh lining Now this pack is somewhat limited in terms of adjustability as it has the specified height and torso restrictions. But the Load adjustment straps allow accurate positioning of the backpack with your torso.
The waist belt is not removable but it tucks into pockets on both sides which is an innovative design. Zipped front pocket for your valuables, Lid pocket, internal pocket. One zippered side pocket and one stretch side pocket provide a variety of storing solutions for water bottle, electronics etc. It is hydration compatible though it excludes the Deuter Streamer 3.0. Anyways let’s see what the users are saying.
The common user feedback was that the storage was excellent due to the spacious upper compartment with two internal smaller compartments and a compartment that can be loaded from the bottom. Quite functional and much organized. Leon, who used this pack for long trekking via ferrata claims that the weight allocation is great and it was extremely breathable and comfortable with a good fit. Plus, like every other user, he complements the compartmentalization to be very functional. The only issue with this daypack is that it is a bit heavier than the other without a dedicated hydration reservoir sleeve. But it does have the rain cover which should come in use at some point in Kilimanjaro.
Osprey Skarab 30
- Weighs 1.54 lbs
- Materials: 420HD Nylon Oxford, 600D Polyester and 210D Nylon Dobby
- Dedicated hydration compartment
- Adjustable sternum strap with magnetic bite valve attachment
- Dual upper and lower compression straps
- Plenty of pockets with appropriate placement
- Gear attachment points
Not much different from the Talon though just the size and weight. So basically it will be the same review overall. Same method of ventilation using the AirScape suspension and back panel. Identical bucket-style main compartment opening, pocket placement, gear attachment loops and the sternum strap plus the dedicated hydration compartment.
One thing we noticed across all user feedback is that they are overwhelmed by the vast storage space that can host it all. Kendalyn is a mom of two young kids and she claims that the Skarab holds change of clothes for all of them, snacks, accessories like sunscreen and more clothing layers. Definitely way too much space for day hikes. Just like the Talon, the torso is on point as the majority claims, due to the hipbelt and harness. Valerir Smith who bought this pack off Amazon states that the waist pockets are great for easy access without having to take the pack off.
The pros go on and on about the pack and amidst those there were a few common cons that we picked out. Some were complaining that the small strap holding the hydration bag in place is way too short and is difficult to thread through the opening when the hydration bag is full. There is also a complaint about the side pockets zip top down thus allowing some things to fall out when opening the pocket. Also, if you want to zipper it back up, you have to either take the pack off or have someone do it for you. However, the pros override these cons and everyone is satisfied with their purchase.
Conclusion
So there you have it! We hope this guide shed some light to select the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro. You won’t go wrong with these daypacks and you are obtaining great value to the money you pay. There is so much more to discuss about the gear you carry to Kilimanjaro such as the best jacket, sleeping bag and hiking boots. But those are the topics for a different day.
