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After we completed a new round of testing, the updated Osprey Skarab 18 (for people over 5-foot-8) and the Osprey Skimmer 16 (for people 5-foot-8 and under) are still our choices for the best hydration packs. Small Gym Bag For Men
A hydration pack—that is, a backpack with a built-in water reservoir—makes it easier to stay hydrated on the trail.
After six years of testing, we still like the updated Osprey Skarab 18 (for people over 5-foot-8) and Osprey Skimmer 16 (for those under 5-foot-8).
They’re well made, relatively inexpensive, and big enough to hold the gear and water we needed for a three-hour hike.
This pack is affordable, easy to use, and comfortable for hikers who are taller than 5-foot-8. The hydration system holds more than enough water (2.5 liters) for a hike of three to four hours.
This slightly smaller version of the Osprey Skarab 18 holds just as much water and shares that pack’s simple-to-use, comfortable design. It works well for anyone 5-foot-8 and under.
This pack offers everything we love about the Osprey Skimmer, plus features to make longer hikes more comfortable, including a cushioned hip belt, extra pockets, and a breathable mesh back panel. It works best for people 5-foot-8 and under.
Similar to the Osprey Mira 22 in every way but size, it has a slightly taller profile, making it a good fit for people who are over 5-foot-8.
We tested the packs’ water reservoirs by leaving them in a freezer overnight and taking them on a day of hiking with up to 20 pounds of gear.
The best packs have hip belts, to ease the weight on your shoulders, and mesh or foam back panels, to help keep your back cool.
And can you buy spare bladders? That’s key—the plastic on reservoirs can break down over time, often before the packs wear out.
The packs we recommend can accommodate trail food, a first aid kit, an extra layer or two, an emergency blanket, a headlamp, a phone, and incidentals.
This pack is affordable, easy to use, and comfortable for hikers who are taller than 5-foot-8. The hydration system holds more than enough water (2.5 liters) for a hike of three to four hours.
This slightly smaller version of the Osprey Skarab 18 holds just as much water and shares that pack’s simple-to-use, comfortable design. It works well for anyone 5-foot-8 and under.
The Osprey Skarab 18 and the Osprey Skimmer 16 are our favorite hydration packs for half-day hikes. Though Osprey designates the Skarab as a men’s pack and the Skimmer as a women’s pack, the Skarab is a good size for anyone over 5-foot-8 while the Skimmer is a good size for people 5-foot-8 and under.
These bags have been our top picks for day hikers since 2017 despite some design changes, for several reasons: Their padded straps and articulated backing make them comfortable to carry; their HydraPak Hydraulics LT bladders are easy to fill; and the recycled ripstop nylon is durable enough to last for years. They have few internal pockets and a simple waist strap instead of a true hip belt, but they offer more than enough storage and water capacity (2.5 liters) for a half-day hike.
In 2023 HydraPak redesigned the reservoirs’ bite valves, making them easier to open and close with a switch you can toggle one-handed. The new reservoirs also have an improved slide-and-seal system at the top of the bladder, which makes it slightly easier to fill.
This pack offers everything we love about the Osprey Skimmer, plus features to make longer hikes more comfortable, including a cushioned hip belt, extra pockets, and a breathable mesh back panel. It works best for people 5-foot-8 and under.
Similar to the Osprey Mira 22 in every way but size, it has a slightly taller profile, making it a good fit for people who are over 5-foot-8.
If you need a pack with enough space and features to keep you comfortable on an all-day hike, we recommend the Osprey Mira 22 (for people 5-foot-8 and under) and the Osprey Manta 24 (for people above that height).
These bags have more storage space (including many pockets and zippered pouches) and better support than the Skimmer and Skarab, and they are more comfortable. They are, however, made with the same durable, recycled nylon fabric and also come with a 2.5-liter HydraPak Hydraulics LT water bladder. This version of the bladder incorporates a detachable hose, though, which makes loading the bag and cleaning the system easier.
In 2023, Osprey updated the Mira and the Manta hydration packs to include better bite valves (with on/off switches), a new slide-and-seal system for the water bladder itself, and a better adjustment system for the straps around your torso.
These bags are on the larger side, so they’re easy to overpack (do you really need that extra down jacket?). They’re also about twice the price as the Skimmer and Skarab packs. But these bags’ cushioned hip belts and breathable mesh backing override those drawbacks for hikers who are spending more time out on the trail.
Jenni Gritters is a freelance journalist from Central Oregon with a decade of experience writing about health, the outdoors, parenting, and purchasing. Jenni has previously edited guides for Wirecutter’s outdoors, kids, and sleep sections, and she has covered gear ranging from headlamps and down jackets to hiking poles and backpacking tents.
This guide builds on research from James Meigs and Jennifer Stern, who wrote a previous version in 2017.
If you’re planning to head out for a half- or full-day hike and you want to stay hydrated, this guide is for you. Do you need a hydration pack? Short answer: Nope! But a hydration pack makes it easier to stay hydrated because the drinking straw sits several inches from your face.
Water bottles often aren’t quite big enough to hold the water you need for a half-day hike. Plus, a bottle can mess with your backpack’s weight balance, given that it’s prone to sliding from side to side. And if you stick a bottle in an outer pocket of your pack, it’s apt to fall out when you bend over, leaving you with no water at all if it pops open.
When packs came in two versions marketed as men’s and women’s (some companies, such as Osprey and Gregory, do this) we tested both. In general, we found that women’s packs best fit our testers with a smaller frame—that is, at or under 5-foot-8. For example, according to Osprey, the Osprey Skarab 18 is designed to fit an 18- to 22-inch torso, whereas the Osprey Skimmer 16 is designed for people in the 15- to 19-inch range, which we found to be accurate in our testing as well. The Skimmer’s pack shape is also slightly narrower and a bit shorter than that of the Skarab. The same held true for our other Osprey picks, the Mira 22 and the Manta 24.
Some companies say their women’s bags accommodate wider hips, but we didn’t note any marked differences in that regard between the men’s and women’s packs we tested, even during our longer hikes. In some cases, the only difference beyond color was that the men’s packs were a few inches taller than the women’s packs. Thus, people 5-foot-8 and under will likely be most comfortable wearing so-called women’s packs. People over 5-foot-8 will probably prefer men’s packs.
A good hydration pack will have the following qualities:
First we filled up the reservoirs in the sink (not always an easy task). Then we did an initial taste test, noting any plasticky flavors in the water.
Next, we took each pack out for a 3- to 5-mile hike. We trekked through the North Cascade mountains on hot summer days; carried our own gear (and that of our children) during hikes through the Olympic Peninsula’s coastal, mountain, and rain forest paths; meandered through dusty Central Oregon terrain; wandered through fog and smoke on the San Juan Islands; and endured long, drizzly fall days in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
During these hikes, we packed each bag to its full water and gear capacity. A pack’s weaknesses—those nagging pressure points, or a lack of balance—reveal themselves more quickly when you’re carrying a full load. While out on the trail, we also took notes on comfort, moisture-wicking, ease of access to water and gear, any leaks, and overall bag experience.
Then we put the hydration bladders through additional paces at home: We filled them up, compressed them under 20-pound bins for five hours (to simulate being thrown in the trunk under lots of other packs), and then checked for leaks. The bladders went into the freezer overnight so we could see how they might handle being accidentally left in the car overnight in winter. We checked for damage again. After this, we left the packs out to dry for 12 hours, checked for retained moisture (so much) and made notes about how easy the bladders were to clean (not easy).
Finally, we took our favorites out on the trail for a final spin. And we scoured online reviews for notes about durability over time and looked back at our own long-term testing data.
This pack is affordable, easy to use, and comfortable for hikers who are taller than 5-foot-8. The hydration system holds more than enough water (2.5 liters) for a hike of three to four hours.
This slightly smaller version of the Osprey Skarab 18 holds just as much water and shares that pack’s simple-to-use, comfortable design. It works well for anyone 5-foot-8 and under.
The Osprey Skarab 18 (best for people over 5-foot-8) and the Osprey Skimmer 16 (best for people under 5-foot-8) have been our picks since 2017 for half-day hikes.
They’re comfortable enough and easy to use. Our testers found the design of the Skarab and Skimmer hydration packs to be comfortable when carrying loads of up to 15 to 20 pounds. Unlike Osprey’s higher-end packs (including our upgrade picks, the Manta 24 and the Mira 22), the Skarab and Skimmer don’t have a fancy suspension or ventilation system for your back, nor do they have an articulated hip belt. Instead, the back panel is made of mesh-covered ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, which is good enough for keeping the bag off your back on hot, sweaty days, and it allows for decent venting. Because of well-made loops, the zippers are blessedly easy to maneuver, and the bags have daisy-chain attachment points across the front, which can be helpful if you want to clip on extra gear.
They have just enough storage. Though they’re designed for shorter outings, these packs are not as small as many of their minimalist competitors, like the Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack. Even when the 2.5-liter HydraPak bladder was full, we were able to easily fit an insulating layer, shell, hat, gloves, first aid kit, and lunch into the packs. Previously, this pack had two side pockets, capable of fitting a water bottle; however, because the pockets weren’t fully enclosed at the bottom, you couldn’t stow a set of keys or another small item. In 2023, the company redesigned the pack’s side pockets; now, they’re fully contained and made with elastic, so things don’t fall out.
The fit is easy to adjust. As with most of the packs we tested, the chest strap linking the two shoulder straps can be adjusted up or down for comfort on both bags, although the process requires some elbow grease. A magnetic, adjustable, daisy-chain-style clasp holds the mouthpiece of the water hose close to your face, against the chest strap.
These HydraPak water reservoirs are the best we tested. With the 2023 redesign, they’ve been improved even more and continue to beat our bladders from other brands. The HydraPak systems are fairly easy to fill and drink from. The 2.5-liter bladders hold more than enough water for a short day hike, even in hot climates, and we didn’t experience any leaking. When you slide the reservoir into the back of the pack, make sure to clip it to the buckle in the bag to hold it upright. The hose on the Skarab’s and Skimmer’s hydration packs doesn’t detach, but the bite valve has been redesigned to more easily turn on or off to prevent leaks during transport, which is a wonderful update.
The reservoir is easy to clean. These reservoirs have a zip-lock setup: A plastic clip slides across the top of the reservoir’s panel to seal water in after filling up; this also makes it easier to push out any air bubbles. This design, which allows for a very wide mouth, made the HydraPak reservoirs the quickest to dry—after 12 hours they were mostly free of residual moisture because the entire top can be held open; most competitors still showed signs of moisture after 24 hours of dry time. We did note a very faint, plasticky flavor in the water when we left the reservoirs filled overnight, as well as during our first few times using these bags. We recommend washing the bladders once or twice before you take them out on the trail for the first time.
They have the same warranty as our upgrade picks. Bladders typically fail before the bags themselves—Osprey is one of the few companies to offer stand-alone replacement reservoirs. Osprey also has an All Mighty Guarantee: Aside from the reservoir (which is covered for only a year), the company promises to repair or replace the pack if it suffers any sort of damage or defect—forever.
They come in larger sizes, too. The Skimmer comes in additional (although more expensive) capacities of 20-liter and 28-liter (which has a padded hip belt with pockets); the Skarab comes in 22-liter or 30-liter configurations (again, with a padded hip belt).
Jenni has owned a Skimmer hydration pack going on seven years, and it looks nearly as good as it did on day one. The ripstop fabric is decently water resistant, plus it’s easy to clean and tough to snag or rip. After four years, though, the water bladder did give up the ghost; it became discolored and started to taste plasticky.
This pack offers everything we love about the Osprey Skimmer, plus features to make longer hikes more comfortable, including a cushioned hip belt, extra pockets, and a breathable mesh back panel. It works best for people 5-foot-8 and under.
Similar to the Osprey Mira 22 in every way but size, it has a slightly taller profile, making it a good fit for people who are over 5-foot-8.
The Osprey Mira 22 (best for people 5-foot-8 or below) and the Osprey Manta 24 (best for people above that height) are higher priced, but they have the features we liked in the Osprey Skimmer and Skarab packs, with some significant upgrades.
They are extremely adjustable bags. The best thing about the Mira 22 (also available in 32 liters) and the Manta 24 (also available in 34 liters) was their adjustability; they offer many more pulls and straps than any of the other bags we tested, and they can be tailored to your exact body. In 2023, Osprey added a molded ladder torso adjuster, which allows you to place the shoulder straps in the exact right place. Straps at the top of the shoulders let you pull the bag’s weight forward or release it backward, depending on your posture.
They are the most comfortable packs we tried. The cushioned hip belt eliminates the load of the bag on your shoulders (putting it instead on your hips, which is much more comfortable during longer hauls). And the ventilated, open mesh backing kept us cool and dry, even on the hottest summer days; one tester remarked that wearing this pack felt like a Tempur-Pedic mattress on her back.
They have plenty of storage. The Mira and Manta hydration packs have four zippered pockets and three internal mesh pockets. Plus, the hip belt contains pockets to hold important gear; they’re even large enough to fit most phones. And the main compartment on the Mira and the Manta is big—so big, in fact, that our testers found it easy to overpack. These upgraded styles from Osprey are decked out with trekking-pole attachments, zipper pulls, and an integrated rain cover. They also have two side pockets, one of which has the same back-facing slit that Osprey removed in the newest iteration of the Skarab and Skimmer (these slits risk dumping small items but make it easier to grab bigger ones).
They have the same great reservoir as the Skimmer and Skarab packs, but with a detachable hose. This add-on isn’t necessary, but it makes the bladder easier to fill and empty, and it makes the hose easier to clean. (Warning: Before you detach the hose from the reservoir post-hike, make sure to close the spigot at the attachment point and suck all the remaining water out of the hose—otherwise you’ll end up with water on the floor.) As on the Skimmer and Skarab, the hose emerges from the top of the pack, and the mouthpiece snaps into a magnetic snap across your chest; the new daisy-chain-style chest strap is sometimes tough to wiggle apart with one hand. HydraPak also recently added an easier-to-use on/off switch to the bite valve to keep it from leaking and redesigned the zipper-style opening at the top to make it easier to fill.
The packs have a lifetime guarantee. Osprey’s bags are generally durable, and the Mira and Manta are no different. If something does happen to your pack, Osprey offers an All Mighty Guarantee. Aside from the reservoir (which is covered for only a year), the company promises to repair or replace the pack for any reason—forever. As with the Skimmer and Skarab, you can expect the pack to outlast the reservoir. Osprey sells replacement reservoirs, should yours eventually spring a leak.
If you want a lightweight backpack for travel and short hikes: You might try the CamelBak Arete 18 Hydration Pack, which would be just fine for brief hikes and also works well for knocking around town. It’s not a pick, though, because it’s not as comfortable to carry as our Osprey picks. It’s fairly basic in design, with a dry-bag-like construction, few pockets, and no hip belt. The Arete pack is too small to overfill, though, so your shoulders won’t end up feeling too sore. They will end up sweaty, however, given this pack’s lack of articulated backing. The Arete pack comes with the 1.5-liter size of CamelBak’s reservoir (a full liter less than the bladders of our picks). And we found that the CamelBak reservoirs retained a bit of a plastic taste, which lingered even after we’d used them several times.
If you’re looking for a comfortable backpack with plus-size options: Consider the Gregory Citro 24 and Juno 24, which are almost as comfortable as the Osprey Mira 22 and Manta 24, and much more comfortable than many of the other bags we tried. Unlike hydration packs from Osprey, many Gregory packs also come in plus sizes (the size we tested does not, but the next size up, which has all the same features, does: the Citro 30 and Juno 30). Gregory packs are slightly less high-end in their materials, though. The mesh backing felt a bit itchy, and the hydration bladder (which you need to buy separately) had a small fill hole (which meant a lot of spilling). That small air hole also meant it took more than two days for the bladder to dry out (even after being held open by a whisk in the drying rack), and this made us worry about the development of mildew over time.
If you want more organization for a lower price: Look at the Deuter Compact Exp 14, which is similar in price and size to the Osprey Skimmer 16 and Skarab 18. It offers articulated mesh backing, more internal pockets than our top picks, and a padded hip belt with a storage pocket big enough for a phone. It was also lighter than the Skimmer and Skarab by about half a pound. But it doesn’t include a water bladder—you need to buy your own to add to the designated pocket—and it worked much better for our taller testers than for our shorter testers. Still, if you’re taller than 5-foot-8 and you don’t mind buying a water bladder separately (or already have one you love), you might consider this option. Deuter offers a free lifetime repair policy (no matter the reason for damage).
CamelBak Octane 22 Hydration Hiking Pack with Fusion 2L Reservoir: The low-profile, lightweight nature of this bag makes it feel more like a running pack than a hiking pack given the wider, mesh shoulder straps—which contain pockets—and smaller internal storage area. It doesn’t have many of the features we loved in our picks from Osprey, like a magnetic clip on the chest strap for the water bladder’s mouthpiece, and it carries less water (2 liters compared to the Osprey Skimmer 16 and Skarab 18’s 2.5 liters). It’s on the smaller side in terms of height and will likely only serve hikers under 5-foot-8.
Hydro Flask 14 L Down Shift Hydration Pack: The water bladder is half the size of those found in our top picks, despite this bag’s higher price, and the pack has no side pockets. The chest strep doesn’t have a magnetic mouthpiece attachment, and the pack doesn’t have a padded hip belt. The backing is made with comfortable foam, but it’s not articulated enough to prevent sweating.
Cotopaxi Lagos 15L Hydration Pack: This bag contains the same HydraPack 2.5 liter water bladder that our top picks have. But the zippers feel cheaper than those on our top picks. The waist belt isn’t padded, and the pack is so narrow that you need to take it off to grab anything from the pockets. After a few miles, my shoulders ached because of the lack of padding on the shoulder straps.
Teton Sports Oasis 18L Hydration Pack with 2L Bladder: Nearly a third of the price of our top pick, this pack is clearly a budget bag: The zippers are sticky, and the mouthpiece was tough to use. The chest strap doesn’t have a magnet (just a loop for the mouthpiece), and the backing contains foam but is not articulated, which leaves you feeling sweaty on hot days.
Alps Mountaineering Hydro Trail 17: It doesn’t have enough storage for even a half-day hike. It’s not easily adjustable, and it didn’t accommodate any of our testers well; some complained that it pinched at the base of the neck. The hose is insulated (for colder temperatures) but therefore stiff; this made drinking water difficult during a hike (which is the whole point of buying a hydration pack). The 3-liter hydration bladder was poorly made—its circular seal leaked. Holes on the top of the bladder—meant to accommodate Velcro loops to hold the bladder up in the pack—are simply punched through the plastic and prone to ripping. The bladder is tough to fill and transport, and it poured water all over us and the floor when we emptied it. And 48 hours later, it still wasn’t dry inside, because there’s no good way to prop it open.
Unigear Tactical Hydration Backpack with 2.5L Bladder and Thermal Insulation: An Amazon top seller, this low-priced bag is made of a heavy-duty polyester material, and it weighs nearly twice as much as each of our top picks (that is, nearly 2 pounds). A plasticky water flavor persisted even after cleaning.
Caring for the “pack” portion of your hydration pack is a matter of taste. Some of us are quick to spot-clean any smudge of dirt or mud. Others wear those marks proudly as testaments to a pack well used. But caring for the “hydration” portion is another matter. You want to make sure that your hydration reservoir can provide you with clean water on every outing. Here are some tips:
If possible, reach into the bladder itself and scrub lightly with a cloth. A tube brush like this one will help you scrub the drinking tube as well. We have also used Bottle Bright, a fizzy cleaning tablet. Whatever approach you use, make sure you rinse the system several times and allow it to dry fully.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
Julie Stefanski, certified sports dietitian, licensed nutritionist, owner of Stefanski Nutrition, email interview, September 14, 2020
Evan C. Johnson, PhD, associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Wyoming, email interview, September 2, 2020
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Leather Backpack Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).