Maybe it's time to rethink daypack design.
Enter the Wanderlite Packable Day Pack
The Wanderlite packable day pack is surprisingly compact inside its little case, as you can see in the picture. The surprise comes when you remove it.First of all, it's bigger than you expect. Bigger than many day packs you'll find on the market. According to the literature, it holds 1925 cubic inches of stuff. In liquid terms it holds 32 liters. That's just over 42 bottles of wine. Of course, you couldn't get 42 normal bottles of wine in the Wanderlite because wine bottles are an inefficiently way to carry liquids, but 32 liters is a lot anyway.
As you wedge your fingers inside the carrying bag to pull the bag out, you think, "geez, this thing's gotta be made of some gossamer threads to get inside here.
But out comes a full-size teardrop daypack, with a back pocket. And the material is heavy. The literature says the "Wanderlite is made of "Heavyweight 420 denier material tough enough to withstand decades of use"
The Wanderlite in Use
We used the Wanderlite around Palm Springs and San Francisco. It's comfortable to wear.
What about the lack of shoulder strap padding? Seldom do you load enough weight into a day pack to really compress the straps, so the padding most companies put on packs just makes them harder to get into and impossible to pack in a small area. But it's a selling point--a very dubious one for most users.
And yes, if you carry lots of sharp objects haphazardly packed, you'll wish for some padding on the back. I'm long past the stage where I trudge around with sharp objects, so it doesn't bother me.
Bottom Line
The Wanderlite is a sturdy pack that compresses into a bag the size of a coke can. It's useful for folks who have more things to carry on the way home from vacation than they do leaving. It's also a great day pack for just bopping around the city. You can stuff lots of books inside the Wanderlite.I highly recommend the Wanderlite for folks who need a packable day pack that's sturdy enough to go the distance.
And if you happen to disagree, then I'm happy to report that Wanderlite offers a no quibble return policy with a lifetime warranty. It's a small company. They seem to care about the things they do.
