Recommendations for one pack for both day and 3-5 nighters

Perhaps https://sierradesigns.com/flex-capacitor-25-40-prior-year/

A day pack under 30L that can accommodate the gear and food for 5 days seems like a tall order.

I have no experience with the SD Flex line of packs. Your post just made me think of it. Aa you probably know, there’s a 40-60L pack also.

Zimmerbuilt Quickstep?  Light enough to be a day pack (lighter than most), but over 36 liters with the outside pockets.  Pair that with a waist pack and I might fit a small overnight load in good weather.

I think many of the UL 40L packs might work better depending on the volume of your kit.

I feel you on having multi-use items but I want different things out of a daypack and a 5 night pack. I have two packs currently.

My MLD Hell is my daypack and comfortably fits an overnight load. I could do two nights if needed. It has a narrow waist belt or I can add a padded LiteAF belt. The Hell has really nice flexibility with the roll top and wraparound stretch pocket. It packs down small when out for the day or can grow taller when needed. It’s got a Y strap on top (not my favorite setup actually) but that gives additional flexibility for carrying something on the exterior.

My Atom+ is a different pack with a light frame and a more robust padded belt. The volume is larger but not huge. This fits my preferred BV425 can with the rest of my kit comfortably.

No great insights here other than I think it’s useful to have a flexible daypack that can do a 1/2 night trip and then a separate pack for longer trips.

“My MLD Hell is my daypack and comfortably fits an overnight load.”

Who the…heck came up with that name? “When you think of hiking, go to Hell, or…go elsewhere”. I’d  go elsewhere.  Kudos for persevering!

Maybe Ron will share the story. Exodus, Prophet, Burn, Hell… (and Core)

I’m a noob. I don’t know what the early MLD packs were named.

Hell pack fits an overnight load

What are your other big 3 items .. and insulation if you don’t mind me asking?

Following this thread as I’m looking at something similar. I’ve had to switch to a running vest style pack, the Cutaway in 20”, due to sore hips (i.e. no major hipbelt … hopefully temporary), and now debating on a small volume pack altogether.

This is definitely a warm weather type setup.

1. YMG silpoly Cirriform Tarp
2. Women’s Xlite pad
3. MLD Superlight Bivy
4. Hammockgear Premium Burrow 30°

I have two packs currently.

Wait I forgot about my beloved GG Kumo. I have carried that in the Sierras with 3.5 days of food in a Bearboxer Contender with a bug bivy and SMD Deschutes tarp. It was definitely overstuffed and I don’t think I would want to push that to 5 days but that’s a great pack and would work as a larger daypack. It’s in between my Hell and Atom+ in size.

Thanks.  My stuff is similar except a regular Xlite, a Katabatic 30°F quilt .. each taking up a little more volume which adds up.

I’ve actually saw a Hell pack SOBO on the PCT with a rolled thinpad in the outer pocket.  Been trying to figure out a realistic system for one of those since.

Just got a custom Zimmerbuilt Quickstep in Xpac with ultragrid in lieu of mesh on the back and am thoroughly impressed. Fit and finish is fantastic. Chris made the pack in only a day or two and I had it in my hands 4 days from the time I ordered. 12oz. It’s my day pack and summer quick trip pack. If your UL gear is dialed in I could see 3-5 days with this.

“If your UL gear is dialed in I could see 3-5 days with this.”

Whoa! That’s quite a claim. I need a bear canister where I hike, so this pack is out. But even without that…five nights with this pack? UL indeed!

Still, I see:  tarp and sleep pad in the front pocket, cookware up top, food below, rain gear and quilt and all else there too…hey, nice set up! Shut my mouth!

I can see why the panel loading could be an issue if thats not your preference, but I don’t see how a 35L backpack can be too big for hiking.

I would hesitate to go smaller than 30-35L for anything except a running backpack, where bouncing items is a real concern. For anything else I’d rather have excess space than a stuffed pack.
Having excess space in a hiking daypack also makes it so much more flexible; room for extra layers for all season/all weather hikes, room for extra gear if combining your hike with other activities like photography, fishing, skiing etc.

Personally I’d be much more worried about having too little space in a 3-5 nighter backpack.
Living in a rather cold climate, my Bergans Helium 55L is the smallest I’d go for a 3-5 day hike, and while it would work for day hikes, it’s not ideal.
Day hikes is probably 85% my hiking, so having a separate backpack for this (several actually) makes sense. It saves my multi day backpacks from unnecessary wear, which is nice since I choose thinner and lighter materials for these packs. And I can optimise my packs with features that are suited for the different activities. So while the minimalistic simplicity of one pack for everything is an appealing thought, it would be too much of a compromise for me.

I have a 4400 HMG that cinches down pretty small. There’s others, I’m sure. Get away from all the pockets. A roll top with good cinch straps. There’s several others with the same style. Zimmerbuilt has done me well.

I need a bear canister where I hike, so this pack is out

Read where the YamaMtngear Sassafras can carry a BV500 and the Nashville Cutaway a BV450 … both internally.  IMHO one may need a very compressible EE down quilt in 950 fill/7d fabric all over .. and other ultralight yet ultra-compressible gear too.  Hope I read those right and not reading too much into said packs loosing the hipbelt myself..

One hiker/fast packer is claiming a BV 425 inside of a Pa’lante Joey (iirc) though with a definite summertime packing list of S2S poncho-tarp, summer quilt, etc.. with all the running madness (if it’s too cold, speed up! .. not that I’ll partake with alpha-direct head-to-toe now).

do fast packers stay out for five nights? I honestly don’t know. That’s not me. Over 3-5 nights or more, I like a hot meal at the end of the day, and a dependable shelter and sleeping pad and bag. And warm clothes! But that’s just me. I’ve had a decent amount of experience with weather and conditions at altitude in the Sierra, three season-wise.

edit: I just looked at that Nashville Cutaway. Very cool! But with no hip belt, and assuming 5 days of food inside a Bearikade, or worse, a Bearvault…no way, for me. Not even close.  Maybe three days without a canister.

do do fast packers stay out for five nights? I honestly don’t know. That’s not me.

Not me either but they’ve been on the long trails (FKTs, “YoYo’s”, etc..).  I’m more interested in their kit to apply to long summer days (and of course to fit it all in a smaller volume ultralight pack as per the OP). .

The question with diminutive packs is whether the users can stay “bear can” legal?  So some trip reports on Reddit have some of these packs being able to carry a bear vault, but how much other gear?  In summer, it may not need to carry much more than said bear can.

There’s also doing big enough miles to [hopefully] make it at an overall faster pace to the next town and restaurant.   If not they’ll be really ultralight I suppose (that’s where the bar of pemmican should fit in).  Especially the latter may not be what the OP is looking for, just to add.

Update: one pack that caught my eye, but even their longest 19” is too short for me, is the Pa’lante V2 with inner pocket (“sleeve” they call it).   The inner pocket can be used for a laptop in day/travel mode or hydration bladder, .. but also to secure a folded sleeping pad in backpacking mode.  Looks well thought out though 5 days of high volume food may push the volume.

So not for me but if their 17” or 19” works for your torso length, check them out.  Maybe see if one of these custom pack makers can replicate it? (believe Granite Gear did something similar on some of their first Vapor model runs).

I like my granite gear crown-2 60.  It’s a roll-top and can be used with or without the crown.  Never used it as a daypack, though it could be done.  It does hold a bear canister.

Personally I use my ULA Catalyst (putatively 70L including the pockets but I don’t really believe it’s functionally that large with the top rolled) for everything. I think just using a lightweight backpacking backpack for day hiking is underrated. It makes life a little simpler and is plenty comfy. Most backpacking backpacks have compression straps.

I wouldn’t recommend the Catalyst unless you need the high capacity I do (extra tent / high capacity filter / larger first aid kit for backpacking with kids; CPAP junk; extra space for winter non-snow backpacking). But the concept – yes!

Honestly in your shoes I would just shop for your ideal light to ultralight 5-day backpacking backpack and make sure it has compression straps of some sort.

Wow, so far packs ranging from the Zimmerbuilt to the ULA Catalyst have come up. Doug–the OP–where are you? what do you think; what are your ideas in light of this discussion; what have you decided? We want to know!

Personally, I think Doug is asking the impossible. He wants a day pack that will work for five days out backpacking. He wants a mule that will run like a horse. Ain’t gonna happen. Get two distinct packs.

Saw a packing list on other social media using a Pa’lante Joey 24L, Zpacks “solo plex”, uberlite pad, and Katabatic 30°F palisade.   Looking at some reviews the Joey can also be used a daypack or small “bike pack”.  Could use a Redpaw Flatiron (custom), MLD Hell or Core, or even a Granite Gear Virga 3 (26L) too.  The Sassafras is supposed to have a lot of compression.

Many use 32L Jansport panel-loaders as daypacks.

It may come down to food volume and maybe going a little hungry on day 5.