Day hikes offer the opportunity to experience the incomparable scenery of the great outdoors, exercise your body, and improve your mental wellbeing. The best part is that it’s a low commitment activity — you can go as many or as few miles as you want, and you always have the option to turn around and head back to the trailhead.

Thankfully, day hiking has a very low barrier of entry, making for an outdoor activity designed for anyone. All you need to get started is a comfortable pair of hiking boots, loose-fitting clothing, and a hiking backpack for carrying supplies.

Choosing the perfect daypack for you means first identifying the features that matter most. These include comfort, size, organizational capacity, weight, and durability. The Osprey Talon 22 for men and the Osprey Tempest 20 for women score high marks in all of these categories. The Talon 22 is an ideal size for the average day hiker at 22 litres, packs a wealth of features and has adequate ventilation, convenient storage compartments, and plenty of padding.

Recently upgraded by Osprey, the pack serves for a variety of functions with bungee attachments for trekking poles, a blinker clip patch, helmet attachment, and ice axe loops. Weighing in at just 27 ounces, the pack is light enough for everyday use yet durable enough to handle any environment — from the lowest desert to the highest peak. The company incorporated its comfortable AirScape design into the back panel, featuring a layer of mesh over ribbed foam. The hip belts are cushy and include the BioStretch continuous wrap for stability across rugged terrain, and the shoulder straps are padded for extra comfort.

Organisational features include a hydration sleeve, two hip belt pockets, a top zippered pocket, two water bottle pockets, and an expandable front pocket.  Osprey is renowned for its high-quality backpacks, and the Talon 22 is no exception.

When you’re just taking a stroll or setting out for a few hours, you don’t necessarily need a fully-featured daypack — and you’d likely prefer to save the weight. What began as a simple accessory for larger packs transformed into a daypack with its own distinct utility.

Its 35-litre capacity is small but perfect when you’re not going far, and Amazon Basics didn’t skimp on comfort — the pack boasts a quality breathable mesh back panel and shoulder straps. The pack is certainly lightweight, weighing in at just 8 ounces, and it can be easily folded away into its side pocket when you no longer need it.

There are zippered pockets on the hip belt and standard side water bottle pockets, and the Ultralight features a small but functional front pocket, something groups of serious hikers consider a necessity. Best of all, there is an interior sleeve to hold a hydration reservoir, which makes up some ground for the lack of zippered pockets. When you’re not going far, and you want to travel light, it’s hard to beat this pack designed by Amazon Basics.

If you’re looking for a dedicated hiking pack that includes its own hydration reservoir, the Camelbak Fourteener 26 is a quality option with plenty of features. It lacks versatility in that it’s solely designed for hiking, but a few key features help make up for that, starting with the fact Camelbak recently redesigned the pack — and the improvement is noticeable.

Thick, spaced-out pads on the back panel provide for uniquely excellent ventilation, and its unique hip belt design is complemented by curious off-set storage pockets. In addition to these pockets, there are a ton of other organisational features that make packing your gear a breeze. The storage compartments are highlighted by a wide main zippered pocket, providing for easy gear access.

Perhaps its biggest drawback is that it’s a touch heavy, weighing at 2 pounds, 9 ounces — not including the hydration system. The Camelbak Fourteener 26 is made from durable materials, however, helping ensure its longevity.

When hiking, one of the last things on y our mind is the keeping your gear secure from theft. You’ve stocked up on water, packed your favourite trail mix, and that refreshing summit beer, but just because you’re venturing into the great outdoors doesn’t mean any ol’ backpack is safe from the possibility of being stolen. This is precisely where Pacsafe’s Venturesafe X12 can help. Though it’s one of the smaller picks on our list, the Venturesafe X12 is perfect for quick day hikes or strolls to the park.

Featuring a strategically designed interior storage system, the pack’s capable of toting light hiking gear, as well as an 11-inch laptop. Its padded shoulder straps and hip belt make it easy to take any weight off your back. If it’s a particularly light day, the hip belt can easily be removed and stored in the pack itself, or left at home. Pacsafe even included hydration pack compatibility and a handy water bottle pocket.

The star of the show, however, is its anti-theft technology. Featuring the brand’s PopNLock security clips, a Roobar sport locking zip mechanism, and its patented Carrysafe slash guard straps (with Dyneema), the bag excels at deterring pick pocketers or anyone bent on cutting it and running. An RFID safe interior pocket blocks any unwanted scammers from swiping personal data, which has become a standard feature on all Pacsafe packs. The Venturesafe X12 won’t break the bank and is worth every penny for the peace of mind it offers.

This is another Osprey pick on this list, and for good reason — the company excels in pack design. The Osprey Aether 55 for men and for women is hands down the most comfortable daypack you could ask for. The stretch mesh back panel features proprietary AirScape construction and a seamless hip belt interface that makes carrying larger loads hardly noticeable while providing for adequate ventilation. The custom Fit-on-the-Fly harness allows you to adjust this backpack to your torso, so you can go for miles without discomfort.

Although the Aether 55 is one of the heavier daypacks on this list — weighing in at 2.2 kilograms — if comfort is your priority, you won’t find a better selection. The only downside to a daypack with a structured harness is that it won’t compress like other models. The Aether 55 offers plenty of organisational features like an internal hydration sleeve which allows you to carry a reservoir on your journey, along with side mesh water bottle pockets.

There are two zippered pockets on the hip belt for when you need easy access to small items, a zippered mesh pocket on the top that also includes a key clip, an additional pocket ideal for snacks, and a zippered pocket on the main body. The integrated rain cover serves as an added bonus in inclement weather.