Best Packable Travel Daypack

Hey TravelAddyx!

We wanted to share with you our absolute favorite travel daypack that we've been using for the past year:  the ZOMAKE Lightweight Packable Backpack 30L.

First off, for our first review, let us share with you that immediately prior to beginning our travels, Stephen thought Eli (who is known not to have much restraint and loves to pre-plan for every imaginable circumstance under the sun...and moon, and stars...and...well, you get the point) was going a little overboard with purchasing items deemed necessary by all the travel bloggers out there.  And yes, there were some items Stephen was right about NOT needing and Eli tested them and promptly returned them.  Our overall approach is that you can generally spend less on a product the first time around and if it's horrible, you can replace it once with something better.

That said, this backpack is a travel necessity for anyone and it won't be pitched out or left behind anytime soon.  It's been perfect for our needs and the price is budget-friendly. It is extremely lightweight and folds into its own zipper pocket, making it easy to pack in our suitcase and perfect for traveling.  Eli has been able to pack it in his suitcase and we use it nearly everyday as a daypack when we reach our destination. Plus, when we're not using it, he can easily fold it up and store it in a small space, like a drawer, or hang it on a coatrack in our AirBnB.

Another great feature of this backpack is that it's water resistant. We've been caught in a couple of downpours while traveling and our belongings and picnic lunches stayed dry inside.  

The 30L capacity is perfect for a daypack. We've been able to fit all of our essentials for a day of sightseeing: 2 water bottles, umbrella, selfie stick, portable chargers, snacks, a camera, a towel or blanket and a light jacket. The backpack also has a variety of pockets and compartments, making it easy to organize and access our things.  Oh yeah...we also usually carry an extra reusable grocery bag inside, in case we run across a great farmers market (read about the ones we explored in France), farm stand or need to run into the grocery store on our way back to the flat.  It definitely takes some of the weight off our arms (especially if there's a bottle wine...or two...tucked away, safely inside!).  IYKYK. :)

The straps are comfortable and the backpack sits nicely on our backs. It's is also very breathable and rarely becomes too warm on our back (though yesterday, Eli asked to swap for a bit and when he took the backpack off, he had a perfect sweaty backpack shape on his t-shirt! lol).

Overall, we highly recommend the ZOMAKE Lightweight Packable Backpack 30L to anyone looking for a versatile, durable and compact daypack for travel. It's made our adventures that much easier and fun.  There's nothing like being able to pack up a little picnic, take a stroll and plop ourselves down for a lovely knosh on a grassy knoll somewhere in this beautiful world of ours.  We hope you'll do the same.   As of this post, it's a bargain at $21.99 and you can pick yours up here.

I recently had some friends mention that they couldn't wait to hear more about our adventures in Patagonia, but the other said they needed to know more about the GEAR before making the journey.  That said, full disclaimer, we are not gearheads, nor avid hikers.  We enjoy it, but only to a certain point.  However, we have been around many trekkers who have been at it for a long time and there are some highly recommended, higher quality and higher ticket daypacks and small travel backpacks that may better suit your needs and you may want to consider for your upcoming travels.

Our recommended size for a reasonable daypack is anywhere from 20L to 35L max.  Anything smaller just doesn't hold enough to bother with carrying and anything larger, like a 40-50L pack, especially if it has any sort of structure to it, would be better suited for carrying additional camping, hiking, or climbing gear, clothing, and anything needed for overnights  on the trail or to replace a carry-on suitcase entirely (more on our choice for that solution in another 'Best of' post).

So here's our lineup of Best Travel Daypacks: