MY BEST FRIEND

Text: Olof Lange / Illustrator: Jorie Einarsen

A guide to the perfect daypack

A friend who’s always there for you, never disappoints and follows you wherever you go...is there such a thing as the perfect backpack? How do you fi nd it? We take a closer look at the backpack’s various functions in search of a brilliantly fl exible pack for life’s diff erent situations. Many features and components are equally useful in everyday life, training or going on adventures. Which ones are important to you, and which can you do without?

What to take and what to leave?

Daypacks are designed to be light and versatile, while keeping everything easily accessible when you’re on the move. From strolling in the city to extreme alpine hikes, they share the same basic function: to hold and organise everything you need during the day.

Form always follows function and aesthetics play as great a role in backpacks as compression straps or outer pockets do. Style dictates where a backpack fi ts in and where it feels out of place. At home in the city or feeling fab in the forest? Where do you carry your backpack and which functions are most important to you? • If you always carry your backpack with you, easily accessible pockets and a computer compartment could be key features. With a toned-down exterior that doesn’t scream ’sporty’ or ’functional’, it works just as well at the offi ce as on a trip into the wilderness. • For those who are always on the go between work, the climbing wall and weekend trips, technical features are more important. The backpack has to carry everything you need, and keep it tidy. Shoulder straps with a good fi t, fl exible volume and divided compartments increase versatility, but don’t always look great with smarter business attire. • If urban life for you is mostly about killing time before the next adventure, roll-top closure is a good option, with adjustable volume and no unnecessary straps. The minimalist design of modern climbing backpacks means they look good in town, but are ready for tougher challenges. A bag that’s pared down to the bare essentials can be the best option for daily life

Design, key features and compromises

A bag with two straps – a simple description that we can apply to almost every backpack and maybe that’s all that’s necessary. But for longer trips, it’s nice to be able to adjust the bag’s fi t. Being able to close it properly shouldn’t be a bonus! Here, your options begin to multiply with diff erent types of fastenings, straps and padding. Inner and outer pockets make it easier to organise the contents, and fi xing points on the outside can accommodate extra equipment. There are almost as many confi gurations out there as adventures!

Adding more and more features eventually becomes annoying and makes the bag unnecessarily cumbersome. Most daypacks are designed for one main purpose, often with a few extra features to make them more versatile.

We want the perfect daypack to be full of pockets and features, but still ultralight, streamlined and stylish. But just like your best friend has their little quirks, it’s hard to get all three aspects in balance – so which things are nonnegotiable, and which are you willing to compromise on?

Zip, roll-top or lid?

All diff erent types of backpack closure have their advantages and disadvantages, but together they can provide extra functionality, such as a roll-top with an extra zipper along the side. Unfortunately, easy access can make it easier for others to get at the contents. Most daypacks have zippers that make them easy to open with just one hand, and the opening can be positioned at diff erent points. It provides good access to the contents, but is also a weak point for wear and tear.

A roll-top is practically indestructible, but a little more cumbersome to open and close. The volume is adjustable and when closed, and the bag is completely waterproof. If you combine this with an easy-access back panel, for example, you get the best of both worlds.

Lids with drawstrings (also known as ’brains’) can give a backpack both style and function that last a long time. They’re fast and easy to use and therefore found on a variety of backpacks, from retro-style for daily use, through to hiking and ultra-running.

Computer or hydration pack?

Features designed for a specifi c purpose can also end up working well in diff erent situations, and that versatility is the key to a long-lasting partnership. A computer compartment can also hold a hydration pack, although probably not at the same time as an electronic device. Pen holders are perfect for collapsible skewers and titanium chopsticks. How about using a skiing backpack in the city? Your phone and wallet will be well protected in the lined goggle compartment, and the section for avalanche equipment is perfect for a notebook, headphones or a power bank. The helmet mount can work for both ski and bicycle helmets.

When adventure is the aim

The Arc’teryx Alpha FL30 is a light, technical backpack for climbing, ice and alpine tours, but with its minimalist design, can also blend in well in an urban environment. Double closure at the top makes the volume highly adjustable and the two zipped pockets are extremely useful. The Alpha FL30 only gets better the higher up the mountain you go.

Best for daily use

The Haglöfs Bergspår 25 has a simple and classic style that works well for city life. It has many extra features, such as side pockets, a large and lockable opening with internal sections, and a zipper on the side for the computer compartment. The pack has a reinforced base and can rest upright by itself while you wait for the bus.

Versatile and stylish

The Osprey Apogee 30 manages to combine many really good features for diff erent activities and still looks more stylish than functional. The ventilating back panel, adjustable chest strap and waist strap work for both forest trails and fast-paced commuting. A computer, change of clothes, keys and valuables – everything’s in the right place. The elastic side pockets have an opening at the back so you can reach your water bottle while on the move without having to take off the backpack.

Sofia Wester Sjöberg

Where are you now and what do you have with you? – Right now I’m on Fårö editing a skiing video from Riksgränsen from the spring. So I’m switching between training, mushroom hunting, and sitting at the computer. That’s why I only have my simple little backpack for my computer and ’only’ one camera with one lens. I also use it on shorter forest walks – but then it’s just to hold my coffee and biscuits!

Two favourites are better than one

Skiing and outdoor photographer Sofia Sjöberg has to carry fragile yet bulky equipment when she’s out in the challenging (to say the least) environments that she usually works in. So it’s no surprise that she has a lot to say when it comes to choosing the perfect daypack.

Do you have a daypack that’s a favourite for both outdoor trips and more daily, urban life? – I work up in the mountains a lot, and that backpack isn’t one I carry around town because it gets so big and clumsy with avalanche and camera stuff. On the other hand, there’s no backpack I use in town that would work on the mountain, haha. So I guess I’m still on the lookout for the perfect daypack!

What are your days like and where does your backpack go with you? – I have two types of rucksack: a larger one for the mountain that has to have room for cameras, extra clothes, avalanche gear etc., and a smaller one that I use in more urban environments, like when I go to meetings or to the office, and need to have a computer and hard drives with me.

As a photographer, do you always carry a camera backpack, or are there other backpack features that are more important when you’re out in the mountains? – I actually use a regular ski backpack as a camera backpack. The feature that’s most important to me is the ability to zip up the backpack at the back (rather than the sides), so you can access the entire large compartment from above. I always pack the camera equipment in an ICU (internal camera unit.) It’s important to have easy access to it all, and that it’s not a struggle to pull the camera out from between lunch boxes and my change of clothes.

What features could you not do without? – When it comes to the skiing backpack, the most important thing for me is that it’s possible to fully unzip the backpack so you can access the entire large compartment from above. I also appreciate having lots of different compartments and adjustable straps at the waist.

What would you compromise on? – I absolutely compromise on comfort for the sake of having a stylish backpack in town. I use a classic one that doesn’t have a zipper in the back or adjustable straps at the waist and so on. It just doesn’t feel necessary as I never walk longer distances there.

Are there any parts that feel unnecessary or features you completely avoid? – Compartments that are too small.

Is there something you always pack, no matter what you’re doing? – A camera, some water, and energy bars.

How long does a normal, everyday backpack last, for you? – I use things until they fall apart.

Photo: Sofia Wester Sjöberg