Osprey Daylite Plus Review-A Hiking and Lifestyle Pack for Everyone

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The Osprey Daylite, and Daylite Plus together round out Osprey’s entry level backpacks. Featured, durable, and affordable, the Osprey Daylite Packs are ideal for daytime travel adventures, college students, and commuters. 

Related: We recently compared the Osprey Daylite Plus to the REI Flash 22-a similar daypack. Check out our full comparison here to find the best daypack for your needs.

The Osprey Daylite Plus-Pros and Cons

Osprey Daylite Plus

Pros	Cons
High Quality Materials and Constructions Durable Good for light Day Hiking, Great for Students and Commuters Zippered Compartments Offer Easy Access to Gear, Books, or Supplies Can Be Attached to Larger Travel Packs for Day Time Use Backed by Osprey's Almighty Guarantee	Only Truly Comfortable when Straps and Buckles are Fully Adjusted Mesh Water Bottle Holders May Be Prone to Tearing
You Should Get this Gear Because:
A Light, Comfortable Every Day Backpack, That's Also Okay For Hiking
Check Out the Osprey Daylite Plus on Amazon!	Take a Look at the Osprey Daylite Plus at REI
	Osprey Daylite Plus Pack | REI Co-op $65.00

The Almighty Guarantee

Backpacks go through a lot. They get scraped, thrown, dropped, and dragged. Things get torn and broken all the time. Osprey knows that their buyers will subject their product to all manner of nasty conditions. They stand by their name, and will repair or replace any damaged gear-good for the life of the product.

Intrepid adventurers like yourself can test the Osprey Daylite to the absolute limit. No matter what you do to it, Osprey will back it up. Feed it to hungry marmots, take it skydiving, chuck it into traffic. The Almighty Guarantee has your back.

Features and Specs

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Daylite Plus’ nitty gritties, as per Osprey’s Website:

• One Size Fits All
• Unisex
• Capacity: 20 Liters/1220 cubic in.
• Weight: 1 Lb
• Compatible with several Osprey Backpacking and Travel Packs
• Main Compartment, with several smaller pockets.
• Interior Sleeve for Laptop, Tablet, or Hydration Sleeve
• Front shove-it pocket for easy access to items.

Travel Pack Piggybacking

Much like those fish that live on the backs of sharks, the Osprey Daylite Plus attaches onto travel packs. Intended to provide travelers access to a small day pack while travelling abroad, the Daylite Plus (and regular Daylite)  can transcend it’s limited status as a daypack

While testing the Daylite Plus, I did not get a chance to try out this feature set as I do not have access to a compatible pack. Instead, I’ll take Osprey’s word that it’s a handy idea. Still, I can’t help but thing that I’d prefer a daypack that simply flattens, and rolls up for easy storage, rather than walk around with extra bulk. 

Just for the record, compatible packs include the popular Aether, Aerial, Volt, Viva, Farpoint 80, Porter, and several more that I’m too lazy to list. 

Capacity

With a 20 Liter Capacity, the Daylite Plus might be on the lower end of the hauling scale. There is enough room in the Daylite Plus for a laptop, a few notebooks, pens, and computer mouse (I keep live mice in a fanny pack.)

All I could need when commuting to school and work, basically. A sweater, down jacket, and snacks can also find room within the Daylite Plus. The two side water bottle compartments can hold nalgene and hydroflask sized bottles, and hydrations sleeve fits a water bladder. 

Pockets and Compartments

The Daylite Plus has pockets in abundance. There are enough compartments on this thing to pack for like five different activities. 

First, there is the main compartment, designed to fit your big stuff. With it’s wide zipper, the main compartments allows users to easily access books, notebooks, laptops, tablets (both stone, and electronic) and clothing. The laptop compartment doubles as a hydration sleeve. 

Next, a zippered mesh organizer pocket, just in front of the main compartment, is a good spot to put pens, chargers, snacks, and other misc. items. A built in Key Fob helps to secure your keys.

Further still, the front Shove-It Pocket, is where I like to store my extra layers. When weather comes and goes, I can add or remove a jacket in a flash.

Last, but not least, a small front zip pocket, on the front side of the shove-it pocket, can hold a phone, snacks, sunscreen, or map.

Clearly, there are more than enough pockets on the Daylite Plus. Organizers, rejoice!

Comfort

The Osprey Daylite Plus is not a skinny, minimalist pack. There are no wiry straps digging into your shoulders. No-it’s well padded, tender, and loving. This pack clings to you like the furry embrace of a Koala. When worn properly, the Daylite perfectly seats itself upon your shoulders. 

I’ve found that Osprey’s pack frames fit me well. They conform to the shape of my back, and do a good job of distributing weight. The Daylite Plus proved to be no different. 

Despite it’s comfort, I think there are better options. The Daylite feels good, but it needs to be worn in a particular way to reap the benefits. In my opinion, the Daylite’s Strap and frame system is over-engineered. 

I found that the Daylite needed to be adjusted fully, with all the sternum and waist straps clipped, and the shoulders pulled tight, before it could sit well on my back. Otherwise, the pack would hang low, and the straps would dig into the base of my neck. It was only a minor nuisance, but it could prove painful after miles of hiking. 

Durability

Built with quality and care, users can expect the Osprey Daylite Plus to hold up to the rigors of both urban, and outdoor life. Made from tough 210D Nylon Double Diamond Ripstop, I have no worries about the strength of the Daylite. I wouldn’t choose this pack if I’m, say, canyoneering, but regular scuffs and scrapes are no sweat.

If the Daylite does have an Achilles Heel, it’s the side water bottle pockets. Made of mesh, the side pockets are bound to rip. As they snag twigs and scrape against rocks, holes form. The holes grow larger and larger, until a water bottle can no longer fit. It’s a flaw built into many backpacks. 

Hiking Performance

Using a strong internal frame, I found the Daylite to be able to support fairly heavy loads. Sometimes, I like to overpack, and take way more stuff than any day hiker could need. It’s either that, or I take way too little, and end up dehydrated and cranky.

Moderation issues aside, here’s what I typically bring along:

• (2) 32 oz. Nalgene water bottles
• Light Rain Layer
• Light Fleece Sweater
• Beanie
• A Small Notebook (for solo tic tac toe)
• A pen
• Several Backup Pens
• Camera
• Camera Batteries
• Headlamp
• Snacks
• Maybe some more backup pens (just in case)

The Daylite series is a fair hiking pack. At one pound, It’s not the lightest pack, but it will do. With a hydration sleeve, and solid internal frame, the Daylite can support any day hiker for miles. 

The Daylite Plus kept surprising me with cool features. The internal foam frame can be removed to either lighten your pack weight, or to provide a handy seat on a long hike. I didn’t use this feature much, but I appreciated that it someone thought of it. 

At times when I needed to bend forward, the Daylite presented one more flaw. The side bottle compartments are not quite deep enough. Taller bottles, such as Smart Water bottles, or hydroflasks would fall out. Bottles need to be lashed under the side strap to stay put. The next redesign of this pack will benefit from deeper water bottle pockets. 

Lifestyle-School and Commuting

Clearly, the Osprey Daylite Plus is meant for urban use. Students, Starbucks Novelists, and office workers will benefit from it’s many compartments. Daylite packs are perfectly designed to sort your supplies into easy access pockets. The Daylite’s interior is shaped like a filing folder, eager to store your important documents, books, and takeout menus.

If the Daylite Plus has one flaw holding me back from adopting it as my lifestyle pack, it is the fit, and comfort. As I mentioned, in order for it to seat comfortably on my shoulders, I needed to clip and adjust both the shoulder, and sternum straps. Otherwise, it would awkwardly hang low on my back, and dig into the base of my neck. 

Once adjusted, the Daylite rode as comfortably as any other backpack. This may seem like a minor gripe, but I found it to be an extra and unnecessary step. I don’t always want to adjust a backpack if need to remove it multiple times per day. I like to lazily sling my backpack over one shoulder, sunglasses on, strolling around like a cool guy. The Daylite Plus can not hang. 

Ultimately, I found the Daylite Plus to be a good pack for any student that studies as hard as they can hike. So much so that I have included the Osprey Daylite Plus on my list of the best hiking backpacks for students.

Osprey Daylite Plus Alternatives

The Osprey Daylite Packs are high quality backpacks, but they may not be right for everyone. If it’s not to your liking, the following are packs similar to the Osprey Daylite, and Daylite Plus

• REI Co-op Flash 22 -A unisex pack designed for hiking, the REI Flash 22 is a pack similar in in both price and capacity to the Osprey Daylite series. Recently, we tested out the REI Flash 22, and gave it good reviews. The Flash 22 has less features than the Daylite, but I found it to be just as comfortable. Check it out at REI!
• Patagonia Refugio 28L Pack (REI, Backcountry)-The Patagonia Refugio 28 Liter Backpack shares many of the same features as the Daylite series. It is pricier, but it comes with a much higher carrying capacity, and a Patagonia lifetime guarantee.

Conclusion

Travelers, Hikers, Students, and Office Commuters can all find a good use for the Osprey Daylite Plus. The interior of the Daylite Plus is sized to fit work and study materials, but it’s suspension system, breathability, and water reservoir allow the Daylite to Transition seamlessly to trail use. At an affordable price point, Osprey’s Daylite Plus is a do-it-all lifestyle backpack. 

Where to Buy the Osprey Daylite Plus Backpack

Daylites can be purchased wherever outdoor goods or backpacks are sold. Here are a few links to aid in your search.

Amazon:


REI Co-op:

• • Osprey Daylite Plus Pack | REI Co-op $65.00

Backcountry:

Daylite Plus 20L Backpack $64.95

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Timothy Carlson

Lead Editor and Content Contributor at Hike The Planet!

Timothy started Hike The Planet! as a Fun Way to Scratch His Creative Itch. Timothy is a Rock Climber, Thru Hiker, and Aspiring Trail Runner. He Has Lived and Traveled Throughout the Southwest, but Currently Makes His Home in Southern California.

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