If there’s one question we get asked very often, it would be this one. What’s the difference between a day pack and a backpack?

To put it very simply, a day pack is a backpack but a backpack may not necessarily be a day pack. Faham? A backpack is basically any bag which you carry on your back with two shoulder straps for support. It could be a laptop bag, a hiking bag, a backpackers’ bag…etc.

A day pack however…well, as the name suggest, is generally a backpack that is smaller, lightweight and allows you to pack enough gear for a day. You’ll find that most day packs have a capacity between 20L – 35L. Day packs that are designed for business or city surfing will allow you to fit up to a 17 inc laptop depending on capacity.

So how do you choose the right day pack?

Well, depending on your activity, if you’re a college student gearing up for a full day of lectures and assignments, a large volume day pack with well padded shoulder straps will handle those books, papers, water bottle and that laptop just fine.

Check Out our review on the Case Logic Berkeley Bag.

If you’re on a leisure holiday and need a bag to accompany you as you explore the city, a small to medium volume day pack will do just fine to house essentials like your camera, sweater, umbrella…etc.

Or if you’re doing a little more trekking where you may need to carry more supplies for plenty of “just-in-cases” then opt for a day pack with a larger volume so that you can carry an extra shirt, a towel, camera…etc

Learn more about Ethnotek’s philosophy of Keeping Culture Alive one bag at a time.

For business – you’ll need something stylish, with compartments to keep your gear organized but subtle enough for people to take you seriously. The capacity of your bag would greatly depend on the size of your laptop and if you need to fit in a tablet as well.