Women’s Hiking day rucksack - no laptop pocket - recommendations?

[Grimwood]

Hi all

Im looking for a rucksack for using on day hikes for when I’m out on a hike myself ( not talking extreme hikes more walks of about 6 hours!) or equally shorter ones with my two DC. So don’t need highly technical or water pouches or anything.

looking for probably 25ltres - could manage with 20 though. I have a bad back and am short (5’2) with big boobs so ideally one that designed for women. I really need a zipped internal pocket for keys etc. No laptop pocket though.

Does anyone have any recommendations at all? If it was really good I’d be prepared to pay quite a bit as have tried a few and not found the right one yet!

Watching as I am looking to replace my 10 yo North Face Isabella (it’s women specific) and the updated version has been citified. I love my old one but it’s falling apart.

(am also 5’2” with boobs)

I haven't found it yet :(

Yes it’s tricky isn’t it as so many have laptop pockets now!

Osprey are designed for women. Go Outdoors have a good range of rucksacks to try.

I'm just off on a hike with my Gandy rucksack . Love it .

I was wondering about osprey

@hattie43 - I haven’t heard of Gandys before so thank you! Could I ask which rucksack you have ( they are beautiful bags)?

Why do you specifically not want a laptop pocket? I find them useful for maps, books, and even keeping cereal bars flat in the bag

I have an Osprey. It's about six years old and has done miles and miles and miles. Looking at their website the closest one resembling it is the Mira.

I'm 5ft 3 and it fits me perfectly. It has loads of adjustable bits and pieces. Loads of pockets. The only thing I don't like about it is that it has a water bottle holder on the side, but because it sits up on my hips and has the gap at the back (to stop your back getting sweaty) I really struggle to reach the bottle and have to unclip, take it off one shoulder etc. However, it does also have the option for a water reservoir so when I'm doing long hikes I use that.

I really don’t like the laptop pockets as I feel for what I take they just take up a lot of room and I don’t have stuff I want to keep separate in them. I also feel ( could just be psychological!) that they tend to make the rucksack too big for my back. I don’t ever really take a book with me and other stuff just seems to fall down and then I’m rummaging around for it.

Thanks @BreehyHinnyBrinnyHoohyHah - will take a look again at osprey

Dd has an osprey, she's 5'2

Jack Wolfskin used to do women's rucksacks, I'm not sure if they still do. They also do children's versions of some of their adult rucksacks. I bought children's Berkeley rucksacks for my DDs when they were in primary school, they have grown into quite small women (17 and 14 now) and they still use them, so they haven't outgrown them.

Mine is Osprey and is great. No laptop pocket. You can attach trekking poles to it, which I like. The back is adjustable for height - they adjusted it for me in the shop. It’s from their Tempest range. Highly recommended.

Osprey do loads of different models. I love mine. I am very particular about bags, and these are worth the price.

Deuter is another good maker of rucksacks.
Just putting mine on to go off for a lovely hike in the rain 😀

Look at Lowe Alpine ND the ND means woman specific.

My daughter has an Osprey Tempest which is 20l, and I have an Osprey Skimmer which is 28l but I don't think they do any more.

We've been pleased with both of them.

It's very hard to find a smallish one without all the laptop padding. I don't carry a laptop, so I carefully slit the inner lining of mine and took out the padding (which turned out to be two thick A4 size pieces of foam and two pieces of foam along the base that were the size of four pairs of socks. I wasn't too fussed about what the inside looks like so I taped over the cuts I'd made in the lining with duct tape. (I had to snip a few internal stitches that were holding one of the large pieces of foam in place but it wasn't hard)

The rucksack now has loads more room, is so much lighter, and it doesn't seem to have harmed to structural integrity at all. (But attempt at your own risk of course).

I’m smaller than you and although I have had an osprey, I actually now really love my 10l £3.99 small rucksack from decathlon - it has a small (outer) pocket for keys and is great for a day out - everyone always ask where I got it from!

We (DD, DH and me) all have Vaude ones in a variety of sizes.
DD has an 18l which is ok for a day. It's a children's backpack but she is now 16 and it still fits her adult height frame. Even DH sometimes borrows it if he just need the smallest version. I can even throw it in the washing machine. It survived 5 years of Scouting so far.

I have a 20l but it has a curved back which makes it difficult to put larger things in but it's ok for a short trip.

DH has a 30l which carries everything but the kitchen sink for a day. We bought it at the Vaude outlet store in Germany 9 years ago and it's still in amazing shape.

They do make women ones as well.

Thanks everyone.

@Grimwood

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