Osprey  Sportlite 25 Pack

I got this pack to do a R2R2R of the Grand Canyon. It was the perfect size for the 2 day hike. My favorite feature was how it compressed down after the first day's worth of food was gone, which made it comfortable and not swing around with the excess room. The variety of different pockets made it really simple to compartmentalize the different things I packed, so I was able to find everything when I needed to without digging to the bottom of my pack or pulling everything out. My primary complaint is that the hip belt pockets weren't big enough to comfortably fit my cell phone, and the pockets were set far enough back that it was an inconvenient reach to pull snacks out of them. Not a deal breaker, but worth mentioning for folks who like having easy access. I ended up purchasing the Osprey Hydraulics Sternum Strap and Tube Magnet Kit to go with my hydration system as there isn't a great option for clipping the hose otherwise, but I did like that the bladder rested in an entirely separate pouch so that there was that extra bit of protection between the things inside the pack and the water bladder. I ended up drenching myself multiple times during the hike because of the heat, and despite getting fairly wet, all of my things inside the pack remained dry. Overall way more comfortable than any pack has a right to be over 44 miles!

The Deuter Sportlite Daypack is a nice concept, however, I find the design pretty poor. 25 liters is a good size for a daypack: Extra gear (if needed) can be fit in this backpack with plenty room to spare. The hip belt pockets are another positive aspect of this pack, enabling small items (snacks, lipbalm, sunscreen, etc. ) to be easily accessible. The division into 3 compartments (excluding the separate water reservoir back panel) is also a nice concept: You can sort your items however you like, there is a smaller top pocket and two bigger compartments, the center bigger compartment has two additional pockets for extra organization. The side mesh pockets are also fairly generous: You can fit quite big water bottles securely in there (I used a 1-liter Smartwater bottle for reference), these pockets are quite high too, so no worries of them falling out whilst you are out-and-about. But, there are two major downsides which made me return this daypack to my local REI store. 1.) The water reservoir concept. There is a special compartment designed just for your water reservoir. As opposed to traditional packs, where the water reservoir is located in the main body of the pack, the Osprey Sportlite 25 has a compartment right behind the back panel, which is supposed to fit your water bladder. This was probably designed this way so the water bladder does not interfere/ take space away from the main body of the pack, yet a new problem occurs with this design: A full water bladder pushes against your back panel. When wearing this pack with my water bladder filled, it was immensely pressing against my (lower) back, causing the air circulation/ back ventilation to worsen drastically. I was sweating more than usual, which was uncomfortable on longer or more challenging adventures. 2.) The back ventilation (This is partly a consequence of Nr. 1). There is no significant ventilation concept on this pack, which is probably a consequence of this pack reducing weight as much as possible (as this is supposed to be a lightweight daypack). There is merely a mesh panel at the back, which would be fine, but paired with the water reservoir concept it provides insufficient ventilation. If you sweat more than the average person or are doing more strenuous activities and want to have the possibility of using a water reservoir (with a clever design), I would not recommend this pack to you.