Two Travel-Ready Packs

The Gossamer Gear Minimalist Travel-Ready Pack has been used for jungle trips, tracking classes, and overnighters in the wilderness and remains a durable force.

A backpack serves as an essential item for any camping or hiking trip. These two travel-ready packs demonstrate how a small, super lightweight pack can function in multiple ways. You can use it as a stuff sack for your cooking or bedding gear and quickly transform it into a summit or exploration pack from base camp.

Minimalist 19 Travel-Ready Pack

The Gossamer Gear Minimalist 19 Daypack is a lightweight and durable backpack. It’s designed for hikers and travelers who value simplicity and functionality. Its 19-liter capacity offers efficient storage for essentials while maintaining a sleek, minimalist design.

Crafted from water-resistant Robic® nylon, it features cushioned shoulder straps, an adjustable sternum strap, dual side pockets for water bottles, and a top zipper pocket for quick-access items. This pack stands out among two travel-ready packs for day hikes or urban adventures!

Pack body weight is 10.6 ounces.

Key Features 

  • Lightweight and Durable Material: The backpack features Robic® nylon, renowned for its lightweight yet durable qualities. This design guarantees durability while keeping the weight down, making it perfect for long hikes or city use.
  • Compact Size with Ample Storage: Its 19-liter capacity balances compactness and sufficient storage space. It can comfortably hold essentials like clothing layers, snacks, water bottles, and small gadgets.
  • Comfortable Carrying: It features cushioned shoulder straps that help distribute weight evenly, reducing strain during extended use. The adjustable sternum strap ensures a secure and customized fit, improving stability while on the move.
  • Accessible Organization: The pack includes dual side pockets for water bottles or other quick-access items. The top zipper pocket is also perfect for smaller items like maps, keys, or snacks you need to grab without rummaging through the main compartment.
  • Minimalist Design: True to its name, the design is clean and straightforward, making it versatile for outdoor adventures and everyday use. Its sleek profile ensures it won’t feel bulky or cumbersome.
  • Water Resistance: While not fully waterproof, the fabric offers a degree of water resistance, helping to protect your gear from light rain or splashes.
The author took his original Gossamer Gear Minimalist to Peru and the Philippines during jungle survival trips with no issues.

It’s an excellent choice for those who prioritize simplicity and efficiency in their travel-ready pack! 

Hacky Pack

I recently discovered Sylvansport’s Hacky Pack, which is lightweight, durable, and perfect for carrying a day’s gear. It features two side mesh pockets for water bottles, a hidden back pocket, and a hydration bag slot. It also transforms into a compact 4-inch ball for easy portability, and at just 4 ounces, it’s impressively light. 

The Sylvansport Hacky Pack is a small, superlightweight nylon day pack or summit pack that compresses small and can hold up to 40 pounds.

I’ve used Gossamer Gear backpacks for fifteen years due to their lightweight options, usually choosing packs that weigh 4 to 8 ounces. While the Hacky Pack isn’t as spacious as those, I was surprised by how much it held for day trips and saw it as a viable summer overnight backpack. Although the website claims a 40-pound capacity, I found it challenging to pack that much for overnight trips.

The Hacky Pack’s compact design and functionality make it a great choice if you want to minimize your gear weight. It helps keep your essentials close and accessible and even allows for a fun trailside game of hacky sack! These two travel-ready packs make it hard to choose which I like best!

Key Travel-Ready Pack Features:

  • Compact and Packable: The Hacky Pack can be folded into a 4-inch ball, making it easy to carry and store when not in use.
  • Lightweight Design: Weighing only 4 ounces minimizes the burden on your shoulders during hikes or travels.
  • 14-Liter Capacity: Offers ample space for day-trip essentials while maintaining a compact profile.
  • Hydration Compatibility: It includes a slot for a 1.5L hydration bladder and a port for the tube, ensuring you stay hydrated on the go.
  • Comfortable Carrying: Adjustable shoulder straps and a convenient grab handle enhance comfort and usability.
  • Organized Storage: Features an internal organizer pouch and hidden zippered pocket for valuables. There are dual-side mesh pockets for water bottles or small items.
  • Durable Material: Made from robust nylon fabric, ensuring durability for outdoor adventures.
  • Reflective Webbing: Improves visibility in low-light conditions, adding a safety element.

These two travel-ready packs are perfect for hiking, traveling, or everyday use while traveling or at the local grocery store!

The Sylvansport Hacky Pack compresses to a 4-inch ball and weighs just 4 ounces, making it easy to pack in a beach bag or luggage while offering great utility.

For more information, please check out Gossamer Gear and Sylvansport!

Reuben Bolieu
Adventurer, writer, photographer, and survival instructor for Randall’s Adventure & Training, Reuben has spent most of his life hiking and backpacking through the wildernesses of the world. He has traveled abroad in extreme environments and seeks out primitive survival techniques, construction, and uses of knives and edged tools. Reuben has published many articles on survival, knife and tool use, and woodcraft. He remains a lifetime student of survival.