Introduction
As one of the seven summits, Mount Kilimanjaro is the dream of many hikers, however, it is not an easy route to climb since it is the highest mountain in Africa. It is a super challenging route for everyone. You should be very healthy to climb this high. Apart from that, you will need an excellent daypack to carry all the materials you will need on the road.
The best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro should have a capacity between 25-35-liter. Also, it should be an ergonomic design to provide the best comfort. All your necessary items, such as clothes, food, water, and money, should fit in the daypack. In this article, we tried to find the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro and examined the bags of several brands. Let’s look at their features together.
Gregory Baltoro
Gregory Baltoro has models in different capacities, but a 65-liter capacity will be more than enough. You can choose small, medium, or large sizes. Baltoro is recommended for men’s use. It is made from recycled material. Its bottom panel has a dual layer. Thus, it is more durable. It is a very comfortable product. Its back part is covered with breathable AirCushion. It prevents odor and sweating.
It has auto-rotating shoulder straps and The Freefloat A3 system that allows its back to take the body’s shape. When you wear the belt, the load is automatically distributed evenly with the help of the shoulder straps. Thus, it allows you to walk more comfortably and naturally. It has a large zippered hip belt pocket. However, the rain cover is not included.
It is easy to access the main compartment with U-shaped zippers. There are two zippered pockets on the top of the lid and also on the front part. There is also a meshed pocket on the front and a meshed bottle holder on the side. It provides easy access to water. The only problem with the product is that it is heavy and will get heavier after you put your things in.
Osprey Aether
The product has models with a capacity of 55 and 65 liters. So this is one of the large capacity products. Smaller ones will be more than enough for hiking Kilimanjaro, but these are great for those looking for a larger bag. Also, its large size makes it more suitable for men. Men can choose between small/medium or large/extra large sizes. But women should look at the other models of Osprey.
It is a very wide and useful product. AirSpace back panel and mesh-padded shoulder straps keep you comfortable all day. It has 7 pockets and the main compartment. You can easily access the main compartment from the front panel. There are 2 zippered hip belt pockets. You can put the small items here to reach them more easily later. But these pockets are not that wide.
There are also two meshed pockets for water bottles. Its inclined structure allows you to easily take the water bottle, while its depth prevents the water bottle from falling. There are removable sleeping pad straps. It can be useful for overnight hiking later. The rain cover is included, but this takes up space and reduces the capacity.
Arc’teryx Brize
This product is available in 25 and 32-liter capacities. Of course, how much stuff people take with them varies. But if you don’t like to take risks and prefer to carry a lot of stuff, 32 liters will be better for you. It has a simpler design than most other bags, and therefore, it is lighter than them. Being simple reduced the comfort but made it more organized.
Shoulder straps are padded and very comfortable. However, the waist belt has a thin structure and is not as comfortable as the other ones with meshed waist belts. There are also no different torso sizes. For this reason, we can say that it is not as equipped as other bags in terms of comfort. It’s not an uncomfortable bag, though. Aerofoam thermoformed back panel is used for back comfort.
There are not many pockets in the outer part. It has a large inner compartment divided into two by an inner sleeve. This is especially convenient for those who want to carry a laptop with them. Thus, the interior of the bag is organized more conveniently. There are also mesh pockets for the water bottles. The material is waterproof, keep a rain cover with you to avoid any problems.
Osprey Exos
Osprey Exos has models with different capacities, but we think a 38-liter capacity will be enough for hiking in Kilimanjaro. If you want a larger one, 48 and 58 liters are also available. One with a 38-liter capacity can carry up to 30 lbs, and the other two can carry up to 40 lbs. There are small/medium and large/extra large size options.
The AirSpeed suspension system reduces the bag’s weight and provides ventilation. The interior has a meshed design like its counterparts. The hip belt and shoulder straps are padded and very comfortable. 58 liters does not have a hip belt pocket, however, the other two have. It also has sleeping pad straps, but you can remove them if you don’t need a sleeping pad. The top lid is also removable.
It has a trekking pole attachment. Not everyone carries the trekking pole, but since Kilimanjaro is a slightly more challenging route, those who want to bring a trekking pole can keep it in this section when they do not use it. You can keep your water bottles and some other gear in mesh side pockets. It also has mesh pockets on the front, which are held by Insideout side compression straps.
Osprey Atmos
Atmos has small (62 L), medium (65 L), and large (68 L) sizes. So its capacity is considerably larger than other daypacks. It can be especially suitable for people carrying a lot of stuff. The anti-gravity suspension system in this bag makes your load feel lighter and easier to carry. Its meshed inner structure makes it both comfortable and breathable.
You can easily carry the small items you need to reach in the zippered hip belt pocket. The meshed side pockets are for carrying water bottles, but since they are narrow, you can carry other gear without worrying about falling. It also has a zippered pocket on the front. You can remove the top lid and sleeping pad straps if you want.
A removable divider in the sleeping bag compartment allows you to have a larger space by including this part in the main compartment when you will not use the sleeping bag. The fit-on-the-fly hip belt allows you to adjust it to fit your waist. The meshed pocket at the front is suitable for materials that you need to reach immediately, such as the rain cover that comes with the bag.
Osprey Kestrel
Kestrel is available in 38 and 48 liters capacities. Both capacities are suitable for hiking Kilimanjaro. There are two different sizes, small/medium and medium/large. Small/medium can carry weight up to 35 lbs. This bag’s interior consists of a breathable AirScape rigid foam back panel. It provides comfort as it is padded. One distinctive feature of this bag is it has access to the main compartment from side pockets.
As in all other products, there is a mesh pocket on the sides for the water. However, the top lid is fixed, so you can’t remove it. But it has removable sleeping pad straps and a sleeping bag compartment. There is a removable divider in this sleeping bag compartment, so you can take it out and can expand the main compartment. Its zippered hip belt pockets provide extra storage for small items.
It has a stow-on-the-go trekking pole attachment. If you bring a trekking pole, you can carry it in this section. Ice tool attachments are also available. This is a feature that distinguishes it from other bags. Not everyone may prefer to carry an ice tool, but it is useful for those who do. Additionally, it has an integrated rain cover, and you can keep it in its special pocket when the weather is sunny.
Conclusion
In this article, we want to help you to choose the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro. All the daypacks we have chosen are high-quality and comfortable. So we don’t have a favorite among them. All of them try to provide the best experience to users. That is why they have some similar features as well as unique ones.
As you can imagine, these are not cheap products. However, you can find them cheaper on sale. Especially when your goal is climbing Kilimanjaro, you do not want to waste money on poor-quality products. We bring the best quality daypacks together. It’s up to you to choose the best daypack for hiking Kilimanjaro among these.
