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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Daypack Review

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Backpack Review

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak daypack is a 17L backpack made with two layers of black Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a waterproof laminate that makes the Daybreak lightweight, durable, and highly water-resistant. The Daybreak is laid out very much like HMG’s overnight backpacks with two side water bottle pockets and a rear stretch pocket. However, it has a U-shaped clam-shell opening with a brightly colored orange interior, which is faster to open and close than a roll top on a lower-volume daypack. You do open and close a daypack more frequently than an overnight backpack and having the clam-shell design really does make it much faster to access or put away gear.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Daypack

Comfort
Weight
Suspension
Features
Adjustability
Sizing
Durability

Excellent

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak daypack is a 17L backpack made with two layers of black Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a waterproof laminate that makes the Daybreak lightweight, durable, and highly water resistant.

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Specs at a Glance

If you already own a Hyperlite Mountain Gear backpack, you’ll have no problems acclimatizing to the fit and form of the Daybreak backpack, which has the same shoulder pads used on HMG’s other backpacks, including daisy chains for attaching navigation tools and other accessories. If you’re a day hiker but don’t want to carry one of HMG’s larger overnight backpacks, then the Daybreak is a fully featured day hiking pack that will let you experience the benefits of owning a daypack made from Dyneema Composite Fabric, chiefly durability, and water resistance.

The Daybreak backpack has daisy chains on the shoulder straps which are gear for securing a camera or navigation instruments
The Daybreak daypack has daisy chains on the shoulder straps which are great for securing a camera pocket or attaching navigation instruments.

At 17L, the Daybreak is about 40% of the volume of Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s 40 series backpacking packs. Still, that’s plenty of room to carry the extra clothing, food, and water you’d need for a long day hike or a winter hike when you need to carry extra traction aids like microspikes or crampons.

Most of the pack’s storage volume is in the main compartment, which is large enough to stuff the “10 essentials”, including a puffy down jacket, hat and gloves, a rain jacket and rain pants, headlamp, first-aid kit, a small fire starting kit, swiss army knife, map and compass, plus snacks and a lunch. There’s an internal hydration pocket that can hold a water reservoir and an internal stash pocket that’s large enough to hold your cell phone, wallet, and keys. The side pockets easily fit 1-liter water bottles, which are easy to reach, pull out, and replace when wearing the pack.

The Daybreak has a large clam-shell opening that opens wide for easy access to gear, with a water-resistant zipper to keep out moisture
The Daybreak has a large clam-shell opening that opens wide for easy access to gear, with a water-resistant zipper to keep out moisture.

The hip belt has lightly padded side wings but isn’t meant to be load-bearing as much to keep the pack close to your back. Although the stiffness of the double layer DCF fabric and the foam back panel provides a hint of stiffness and load transfer when the hip belt is worn. When it’s not needed, the hip belt stuffs into a hidden pocket behind your waist.

The rear stuff pocket has drain holes, so you can carry wet gear or a dripping wet water filter. The stuff pocket is hard-faced, not mesh, so it can stand up to bushwhacking without being torn to shreds if you take the Daybreak daypack off-trail. It’s also large enough to store microspikes or a crampon case, although I’d recommend keeping your crampon points covered to avoid poking through the pocket.

The hipbelt has lightly padded wings but is mostly a wide webbing strap. It's not removable, but tucks away behind the back panel when not needed. This is useful if you want to use the pack while wearing a climbing harness.
The hipbelt has lightly padded wings but is mostly a wide webbing strap. It’s not removable, but tucks away behind the back panel when not needed. This is useful if you want to use the pack while wearing a climbing harness.

There are six attachment points on the back of the pack that have an elastic cord strung through them, so you can lash gear like an emergency foam pad to the outside of the pack, although in a pinch the Daybreak’s foam back panel can serve as an insulating sit pad. Finally, there’s an ice axe loop and a shaft holder on the back of the pack to carry a walking axe.

None of these features are really earth-shattering, when it comes right down to it, although they do make the Daybreak a bomber tough and functional pack that’s great for more technical day hikes, scrambling, and off-trail bushwhacking. If there’s one gotcha with the Daybreak Daypack, it’s the price, which is $229. That’s a lot of coin for a 17-liter daypack, even if it is made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics.

Disclosure: Hyperlite Mountain Gear donated a pack for review.

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9 comments

  1. It’s a great daypack. I mostly use it for travel or for fishing. The photon has a much softer, less rigid back. It’s really hard to compare the two.

    • Thanks Philip.

      I was looking for a long day trail pack. I thought the hmg would be too small and was leaning towards the Photon.

      I haven’t done an overnight trip in years but do have time for a sun up to sun down hike. I mostly hike in the Catskills if terrain makes a difference.

    • Do you find the sizing on this daypack matters? Most daypacks are one size fits all. Curious what size you went with.

      • Whatever size corresponds to a 19″ torso length. I can’t remember. Of course, they don’t have a size chart on the website, but you can call them. But then again it doesn’t matter that much with a daypack that doesn’t have a proper hipbelt or a frame.

  2. I own the Hyperlite 2400 Southwest, and the ULA Photon. My wife used the Hyperlite Daybreak and loves it.

    My Photon weighs 20 oz with no waist belt and the internal bladder pocket and hand straps removed. The Daybreak is almost the same.

    Truth be told, I borrow the Daybreak regularly as it is much more water proof than the Photon. I find both very comfortable and capable, but I give the Daybreak a little bit of a better grade due to the clamshell opening and waterproofing. I find the daybreak to have more volume than claimed 17L.

  3. Nice review!
    Which one would you choose between this one and the Gossamer Gear Kumo Superlight?
    Gonna use it for daytrips and backpack while riding my bike to work, bringing all my workout gear. Dont mind using it for an overnight trip aswell.
    I like the sturdiness of the HMG daybreak but am a bit concerned that it will be too small. Any thoughts?

  4. Great review. I own this backpack and added the shoulder pocket so that I would have ready access to my cell phone. Unfortunately, I don’t think one can ignore the sticker price ($210). I get that it is ultralight but it is a daypack after all. I prefer the Osprey Manta 24 because it has better support, better airflow behind my back and has strorage pockets on the belt. It is is heavier of course. I use a hydration bladder with both (Source Tactical).

  5. Great review. Shoulder pads come off vertically on the daybreak and are a bit narrow for me in the neck area. Not a big guy either (5’11, 140 lbs). Big fan of hyperlite 2400 for longer hikes (Kungsleden, GRs, AT etc).

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