Osprey Daylite 26+6 Travel Pack Tested: The Best Budget Cabin Backpack?

Let’s face it, whether you do it professionally or for pleasure, travelling is an expensive activity.

Backpacks, suitcases, clothing, accessories, they all add on top of flights and accommodation prices that just seem to be dead-set on blowing as big of a hole as possible through our bank accounts.

That’s why we love finding gear items for our travels that not only are affordable, but are also clearly made with quality, sustainability and ruggedness in mind.

This Osprey Travel Pack seems to fit all of these characteristics on paper, but how well does it perform in practice?

In our review, we’ll be talking an in-depth look at the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 liters, comparing pros and cons to help you determine whether this budget-friendly backpack has a place in your load out.

Let’s get started!

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and as Amazon associates we may get a small commission from qualifying purchases. We believe in only advertising products we trust in and use ourselves!

Size and weight

The Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26l+6 is a compact backpack that measures 17 x 13 x 6 in (43 x 33 x 16 cm). The dimensions make it an ideal pack to bring as a cabin bag, as it meets the carry-on restrictions for all low-cost airlines.

We brought the Daylite Travel Pack on Wizzair, easyJet and Ryanair flights and, especially since it’s a fairly squishy backpack, we always managed to fit it into the baggage sizer at the gate. With that said, we always used the backpack with the +6L extension zipped closed. Also, be careful not to overpack if you’re flying with Ryanair, as they have a smaller depth allowed for cabin bags and you might struggle to fit the backpack in the baggage sizer if it’s completely stuffed, even though it should eventually fit if you push hard enough.

Because it’s so compact, the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26l+6 is an awesome option if you are below average height, since it will be more comfortable and won’t look oversized on your back. It’s also extremely light, and only weighs 1.85lb (840g).

Durability and security

Since it’s so incredibly affordable, we were honestly expecting to find that Osprey had cut some corners when it came to the build quality of the Daylite Travel Pack. We were really surprised to find out that, instead, they went all out to make this a rugged and durable backpack.

The Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 is made of 100% recycled ripstop polyester with a thicker layer at the bottom top protect it from wear-and-tear, and with an eco-friendly DWR coating for a great of level of resistance water. All zippers open and close smoothly, feel high-quality and are equipped with a fabric cover for extra protection from the rain.

When it comes to safety, the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack is well equipped to keep pickpockets away from your valuables. The main compartment zippers sliders have a hole that will allow you to secure with them with a lock, while the laptop sleeve zipper can be fastened under a nylon loop.

Storage and capacity

The Osprey Daylite Travel Pack’s 26 litres of volume are divided between a large main compartment and two zippered front pockets. The backpack is also equipped with two elastic  mesh bottle holders and several lashing points that can be used either to attach carabineers or bungie cord.

Opening a compression zipper that runs along the sides of the backpack will give you an additional 6 litres of storage. Alternatively, you can also use it to compress the bag by leaving it open while packing, and zipping it closed after.

Now let’s take a closer look at the the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6’s compartments:

Main compartment

The spacious main compartment is accessible through a horizontal clamshell opening, which also provides access to a large pocket located on the interior of the lid.

We didn’t find the interior pocket to be that useful, since any large items stored within would bulge quite a lot on the outside, and for some reason the pocket doesn’t fill the entirety of the surface of the lid, leaving a lot of space unused. With that said, we did still use it to store some dirty laundry or small items.

Inside the main compartment you’ll also find a compression strap, useful if you don’t use packing cubes, and a small pouch that can easily fit a tracker such as an AirTag.

While the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack does not have its own separate laptop compartment, inside the main compartment you’ll find a simple laptop sleeve that can fit a device up to 15” in size. The sleeve can also be easily accessed from the outside via its own zipper.

Something odd that we noticed, however, is that the laptop compartment zipper leaves a tiny gap even when fully closed.

All in all, despite the bag not having a huge volume, we were amazed by how much stuff we managed to fit inside. We easily could fit enough clothes for at least a week even without using the extra 6 litres and, as we mentioned before, this compartment can be used much like a packing cube if you leave the expansion zipper open while you pack the bag, and close it after you’re done.

Front pockets

The Osprey Daylite Travel Pack has two zippered pockets on the front:

• The top pocket is not very deep, and has a keychain carabineer, along with two mid sized and three small sized mesh pockets to store pens and other small items.

• The second pocket is much deeper and extends almost to the bottom of the pack, but lacks any separate compartment.

Both are very practical to organise your gear and have easy access to important items on the fly without having to open the main compartment. Still, we would have perhaps preferred if the two were merged into one, since the top pocket is very shallow and not as useful as the bottom one.

Fit and carry comfort

Despite having a very flexible structure and no hip belt, the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 is an incredibly comfortable backpack to carry. Even when fully packed and over long distances, the well padded and breathable shoulder straps do a great job at distributing the weight, while the sternum strap provides even more support.

The classic AirScape back panel will help you stay comfortable and dry even in hot climates, and also features a slot to allow you to slide the pack on a luggage handle.

In addition, the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 is equipped with three large carry handles (on the top, side and the bottom) that make it a breeze to handle the bag when it’s not on your back.

Size comparison

The Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 is available in two additional sizes. Let’s compare them:

Volume: 26+6L

Volume: 35L

Volume: 44L

• Volume 26+6L

  Dimensions: 17 x 13 x 6 in (43 x 33 x 16 cm)

  Weight: 1.85lb (0.84 kg)

• Volume 35L

  Dimensions: 19.3 x 14.6 x 10.2 in (49 x 37 x 26 cm)

  Weight: 2.03 lbs (0.92 kg)

• Volume 44L

  Dimensions: 21.5 x 14 X 9 in (55 x 36 x 23 cm)

  Weight: 2.32 lb (1.06 kg)

While all three models share the same basic design, there are some small differences to take into consideration.

Both of the larger sizes do not have an expandable storage, but their hip belts and shoulder straps can be stashed away, making it easier to store them in an overhead compartment or under your seat. Both also have external compression straps, which come in handy to reduce the overall bulk of the bag.

Also, for some reason, the back panel on the 26+6 litre pack is not completely flush where is separates to allow it to fit over a luggage handle. We’re not sure why Osprey went for this design, since it is not present on the other two sizes, but we haven’t noticed any discomfort from it.

Finally, it goes without saying that the 26+6L model is the only one that’s cabin sized.

Should you buy the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack?

So, is the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack worth adding to your travel set up?

If you’re looking for the best bang for you buck, then absolutely yes.

Sure, it has some minor flaws, and you could invest a hundred bucks more and get a higher-end model but, when it comes to overall value, the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 is really hard to beat. If we had to nitpick about anything, it would be that most of the colour options are very, well, colourful. If you want something more discreet then your only option is to go with black or light blue.

We struggle to think of any other backpack that offers the same level of quality, ruggedness and carry comfort as the same price range. If you’re on a budget and in need of a reliable backpack to bring on your travels, then the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6 might just be what you’ve been looking for.

And there you have it!

These are our thoughts on the Osprey Daylite Travel Pack 26+6.

What do you think, does this model fit your requirements for the ideal travel backpack, or you prefer to invest more and purchase a higher-end bag?

Other articles you will enjoy: