The Best Hiking Backpacks in 2019
Related Gear:
The 15 Best Laptop Bags [Find the Right Bag For You]
A Minimalist Way of Keeping Your Money (Best Minimal Wallets in 2023)
The 20 Best Sling Bags in 2023
One of the most enjoyable ways to use your EDC gear is taking them to the great outdoors. When you’re on the trail, climbing, or camping, having a good hiking backpack can make your next adventure that much better. The best hiking backpacks often feature technical materials, durable construction, and thoughtful features that make them worthy of your EDC too, even when you’re far from the great outdoors and deep in the concrete jungle. In this guide, we’re highlighting some of the best hiking backpacks with a “city to mountain” versatility that can pull double duty as your urban EDC bag too.
Arcteryx Arro 22
PurchaseKey Features
Padded 15" laptop sleeve
Hydration pack compatible
WaterTight zippers
Specifications
Materials
420D Cordura / 210D plain-weave nylon
Capacity
22L
Weight
2.2 lbs
The Arro 22 features an iconic outdoors design that blends into an urban environment. Based on a popular technical pack, the revised Arro 22 features a hydration bladder compartment and a tube port to keep you going when you’re out hiking. Plus, its vertical zippered daypack design makes loading and unloading this pack easy. A dedicated laptop sleeve protects your computer, while WaterTight zippers keep it safe from rain.
Evergoods MPL 30
PurchaseKey Features
Fits up to 15“ laptop
Top and side carry handles
Integrated harness and waist belt
Specifications
Materials
420D HT Nylon
Capacity
30L
Weight
3.1 lbs
The MPL 30 doesn’t look out of place when you’re in the city, or traveling to and fro, but it’s designed to be a great hiking backpack as well. Its 30 liter capacity gives you enough quick-access space for a day’s excursion, and there’s an internal stretch pocket that’ll house up to a 15" MacBook Pro laptop. Its outdoors chops really shine with its integrated harness and contoured back panel, though, as it lets you carry your gear more comfortably wherever you find yourself.
Osprey Nebula
PurchaseKey Features
Dual mesh stretch water bottle pockets
Dedicated laptop and document sleeves
Lifetime warranty
Specifications
Materials
630/420/210D Nylon Dobby Blend
Capacity
34L
Weight
2.43 lbs
The low-profile design of the Nebula proves that the right bag can pull double duty just fine. With 34 liters of space there’s enough room for 1-2 days of gear, but if you’re travelling light you can cinch it all down with the compression straps and stabilize your load. The breathable backpanel helps with ventilation when things get hot, whether that’s down in the dumps of a subway station or outdoors hiking a desert mesa. And no matter what happens to your bag, you can count on Osprey’s seriously impressive lifetime warranty to keep things in order even when the going gets tough.
Hydro Flask Journey 10L
PurchaseKey Features
Insulated design keeps water stored in hydration bladder cold for 4 hours
Ergonomic articulated back panel for comfort
Internal stretch mesh pockets for organization
Specifications
Materials
Waterproof fabric with taped seams and coated zippers
Capacity
10L
Weight
2.9 lbs
Cold water is a great thing to have during a hot day, whether your out on the trail or commuting to work. The unique technical design of Hydro Flask’s insulated hydration pack and bladder lets you enjoy cold water outside for approximately four hours. And at 10 liters capacity, the pack lets you carry the essentials for a day trip, and keep those essentials safe even during an unexpected downpour thanks to its taped seams and water resistant zippers.
Black Diamond Nitro 22
PurchaseKey Features
SwingArm straps allow easy movement
High-flow OpenAir back panel and hip-belt for ventilation
Hydration and trekking pole compatible
Specifications
Materials
210D ripstop nylon / 210D dobby nylon
Capacity
22L
Weight
2 lbs
The updated Black Diamond Nitro 22 features a breathable back panel and a lightweight reACTIV suspension system that makes carrying your gear around everyday an easy task to accomplish. The shoulder straps in particular are designed to give you a full range of movement so you can make the moves you need to in a flash whether you’re out camping or checking in to the next hotel. There’s a full 22 liters of space for your gear, and intelligent spots to place trekking poles for extended outdoors excursions.
Patagonia Stormfront 30
PurchaseKey Features
Waterproof and submersible
Space for 15" laptop and other valuable electronics
Fully-adjustable padded shoulder harness and removable waistbelt
Specifications
Materials
800D nylon with TPU coating and DWR finish
Capacity
30L
Weight
1 lb 13 oz
The worst thing that can happen to your gear is to get wet, especially if you carry around valuable electronics like a laptop or your camera gear. When you absolutely, positively need to keep your gear safe from the weather, Patagonia’s Stormfront Waterproof pack is there for you. Its primary feature is a resilient yet lightweight TPU-coated nylon design that’s so watertight that you can actually submerge the pack in water and keep your gear nice and dry in the process. So go ahead and leave the city, forge that river out there, because even if you fall in your stuff will be safe.
Fjällräven Ulvö 23
PurchaseKey Features
Waterproof roll-top design
Padded computer sleeve accommodates up to 15" laptop
Easy-access smaller zippered pocket
Specifications
Materials
400D polyamide bergshell made with 31% recycled nylon
Capacity
23L
Weight
1.43 lbs
The Ulvö brings a traditional rolltop design into the modern era with durable and waterproof Bergshell fabric made out of 31% recycled nylon. That rolltop design keeps your gear dry but it also makes for a secure bag when you’re out and about in the city. For your essential quick-access items, there’s a dedicated zippered pocket, and the main compartment also features a padded computer sleeve that’ll fit up to a 15" laptop computer.
Mystery Ranch Gallagator
PurchaseKey Features
Unique 3-zip design
Hydration compatible
Multiple compression straps
Specifications
Materials
210D Robic Nylon and YKK DWR coated zips
Capacity
19L
Weight
1.3 lbs
The unique three-zipper Y opening of the Gallagator sets this Mystery Ranch bag apart from the rest. Basically it lets you fully unzip the entire bag and get to the gear stashed in the main compartment without any hassle. Packing the bag is a cinch as well, and with around 19 liters of space you can fit what you need for your day. The stretch compartment can fit a laptop, but when you’re going to take it up a mountain switch that out for a hydration bladder and start your journey.
Related Gear:
The Top 8 Everyday Carry Wallets for Men in 2023 (EDC Wallet)
The 12 Best Flashlights to Add to Your EDC in 2023
11 Best Bug Out Bags in 2023
North Face Borealis (Refresh)
PurchaseKey Features
Dedicated 15" laptop compartment and padded tablet sleeve
Updated FlexVent suspension system
Extended side mesh water bottle or gear pocket
Specifications
Materials
600/500/520/210D nylon mix
Capacity
28L
Weight
2 lbs 11 oz
The Borealis is one of The North Face's crowd-favorite bags, and this updated version adds easy-to-access pockets and a new FlexVent suspension system for increased user comfort, making it a bag that's suited for both urban and outdoors carry in 2019. Another great feature of this bag is its dedicated zippered compartment for your 15" laptop. A hydration pack can fit there when you're not on your way to work, and it can also serve to keep your most important documents safe when you're away from home.
Topo Designs Rover Pack
PurchaseKey Features
Heavy-duty bombproof design
Extremely slim, with lots of compression straps as well
Inner sleeve for laptop or tablet
Specifications
Materials
1000D Cordura nylon
Capacity
20L
Weight
1.4 lbs
The 1000D Cordura nylon construction of the Topo Designs Rover Pack is ready to take on all the bumps and scratches daily carry brings, whether that’s in the city or out in the sticks. The spacious 20 liter main compartment is easily accessed with a flap top with dual side buckle releases; and the top itself has its own zippered compartment for frequently accessed essentials. There’s a padded internal sleeve that’ll accommodate up to a 15" laptop, and the heavy-duty YKK zippers will handle more than a few trips both near and abroad.
Do you have a favorite backpack that performs as well as in the city as well as the outdoors? Let us know in the comments below!
Who Likes This (14)
11 others
Discussion (3 total)