U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- I have been hunting for the perfect daypack for decades. Too many companies over-engineer their packs. Decades ago, I tested one with a CD that came with it to tell you how to use all of the features. Wow! That one was the ultimate over-engineered pack. I personally knew the guy. He is a good outdoorsman; granted; it was a full-sized pack. But in my mind, I want my daypack super lightweight. I don’t want a thousand pockets, waist belts, bulletproof armor, or whatever else. I want a pack that is as light as a butterfly. And not too big.
Unfortunately, the nearly everyday pack that I see now is way over-engineered. They have waist belts etc. etc., in my day pack, I want to be able to throw in a lightweight Frogg Togg raincoat, have some fire-starting gear, an Aquimira water bottle, a map, and some snacks for the day hike.
No doubt, eventually, once or twice per year, you’ll carry more weight than you planned, so my daypack has to be semi-stoutly built. I remember decades ago; I had a rinky-dink backpack. I was up on top of a mountain in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area, a good 3 ½ hour hike up. I shot a buck. I boned it out, but since I was going to hike back up the next morning to pack it out on my frame pack, I carried the rack back down that trip to reduce weight on the next trip out. It was about to fall apart when I got to camp. So I learned then that even though I want a lightweight daypack, it still needs to be semi-stout because I’ll invariably pack more weight than I planned for.
Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20 Backpack
So with all of the above said, I was overjoyed when I found the Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20 backpack. For my needs, it is the perfect daypack. It is well made but not super heavily constructed, reducing weight.
The Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20 has the main pouch, which is 1,220 in. Inside of it is one pocket and one zippered bag. It also has three Velcro straps on which you could hang a ring of keys. There are two side pouches to carry water bottles.
I don’t want a waist belt on my daypack for two reasons:
- 1. It increases weight. I’m not going to be carrying a heavy load, so I don’t need a waist belt.
- 2. It increases the price of the pack.
The Canyon 20 comes with a waist belt, but this one is tolerable for me for two reasons:
- 1. It is a super lightweight belt.
- 2. It is a removable waist belt. How cool is that?
And the more I thought about it, the more I liked that it has this lightweight waist belt. Here’s why. Like I’ve said, the Canyon 20 is a medium to lightweight built pack. So if I’m carrying a heavier load, the waist belt would help take the weight off the shoulder straps. So when I’m backpacking and using it for a daypack when hiking out of camp or flyfishing every day, I can leave the waist belt in the truck. Another cool deal on the waist belt is that it has a zippered pocket on each side of the belt.
Now for one more feature that I didn’t even notice at first blush. It has a pocket on the bottom that conceals a rainfly. There is enough room in it that you could also put a few items in the rain fly pouch.
So, as we come to a close, the Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20 is the perfect daypack for my needs. It offers everything that I have been looking for and is lightweight. It only weighs 21 ounces! So, if you’re like me and have been looking for a lightweight daypack that is not over-engineered, check out the Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20-day pack. I love it.
The MSRP on the Alps Mountaineering Canyon 20 Backpack is $89.99, and as is usual, we will close with the company specs.
• Lightweight 200D nylon double ripstop fabric
• Lightweight and durable
• 3D mesh suspension
• Reverse-direction lid provides easy access
• Hidden daisy chain
• Integrated trekking pole loops
• Side compression straps
• Stretch side pockets
• Mesh valuables pocket with key clip
• Removable waist belt with pockets
• Hydration compatible
• Includes rain cover
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
