Recently, there have been discussions of the ultra-light day packs. The one’s weighing about 2 ounces and can fold down to attach to a key chain. I think we all agree these are meant for casual, light use.
Then there are the sturdy day packs, weighing in at around a pound and nowhere near foldable, collapsible or whatever.
Then there is the middle ground. The foldable/packable day bag that takes up little room when folded up, weighs about 1/2 a pound, and holds a lot.
The Packbarefoot Wanderlite Packable Day Pack. fills that niche.
The bag is made of 420d nylon, fills out to 18 x 14 x 8, has a packing capacity of 1925 cubic inches/32L, weighs 9 ounces, and rolls down into the size of a soda can—maybe a little bigger.
The backpack straps are 2” wide and made of soft nylon. They are fairly comfortable even when carrying a heavier load.
There is a small pocket in the front. The main compartment has a clamshell like opening for easy packing.
I loaded it up with 9 lbs worth of stuff including the two water bottles seen in the above photo. The Wanderlite seemed sturdy and held the weight with no problem. I felt it could easily hold a few more pounds. Because it’s so lightweight, it doesn’t keep it’s shape and items do tend to shift around.
This “Made in America” bag is a good option for those looking for a versatile, lightweight, no frills day bag. It’s $28 and available from the factory in Colorado. It also comes with a lifetime warranty due to defects in materials or workmanship.
Now, if I could just convince them to make a something similar but in a shoulder bag and one that could be worn across the body.
Barefoot Packs supplied a Wanderlite for review.
(Frank II)
Frank@OBOW