Top pick
This pack is affordable, easy to use, and comfortable for hikers who are taller than 5-foot-8. The hydration system holds more than enough water (2.5 liters) for a hike of three to four hours.
This slightly smaller version of the Osprey Skarab 18 holds just as much water and shares that pack’s simple-to-use, comfortable design. It works well for anyone 5-foot-8 and under.
The Osprey Skarab 18 (best for people over 5-foot-8) and the Osprey Skimmer 16 (best for people under 5-foot-8) have been our picks since 2017 for half-day hikes.
They’re comfortable enough and easy to use. Our testers found the design of the Skarab and Skimmer hydration packs to be comfortable when carrying loads of up to 15 to 20 pounds. Unlike Osprey’s higher-end packs (including our upgrade picks, the Manta 24 and the Mira 22), the Skarab and Skimmer don’t have a fancy suspension or ventilation system for your back, nor do they have an articulated hip belt. Instead, the back panel is made of mesh-covered ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, which is good enough for keeping the bag off your back on hot, sweaty days, and it allows for decent venting. Because of well-made loops, the zippers are blessedly easy to maneuver, and the bags have daisy-chain attachment points across the front, which can be helpful if you want to clip on extra gear.
They have just enough storage. Though they’re designed for shorter outings, these packs are not as small as many of their minimalist competitors, like the Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack. Even when the 2.5-liter HydraPak bladder was full, we were able to easily fit an insulating layer, shell, hat, gloves, first aid kit, and lunch into the packs. Previously, this pack had two side pockets, capable of fitting a water bottle; however, because the pockets weren’t fully enclosed at the bottom, you couldn’t stow a set of keys or another small item. In 2023, the company redesigned the pack’s side pockets; now, they’re fully contained and made with elastic, so things don’t fall out.
The fit is easy to adjust. As with most of the packs we tested, the chest strap linking the two shoulder straps can be adjusted up or down for comfort on both bags, although the process requires some elbow grease. A magnetic, adjustable, daisy-chain-style clasp holds the mouthpiece of the water hose close to your face, against the chest strap.
These HydraPak water reservoirs are the best we tested. With the 2023 redesign, they’ve been improved even more and continue to beat our bladders from other brands. The HydraPak systems are fairly easy to fill and drink from. The 2.5-liter bladders hold more than enough water for a short day hike, even in hot climates, and we didn’t experience any leaking. When you slide the reservoir into the back of the pack, make sure to clip it to the buckle in the bag to hold it upright. The hose on the Skarab’s and Skimmer’s hydration packs doesn’t detach, but the bite valve has been redesigned to more easily turn on or off to prevent leaks during transport, which is a wonderful update.
The reservoir is easy to clean. These reservoirs have a zip-lock setup: A plastic clip slides across the top of the reservoir’s panel to seal water in after filling up; this also makes it easier to push out any air bubbles. This design, which allows for a very wide mouth, made the HydraPak reservoirs the quickest to dry—after 12 hours they were mostly free of residual moisture because the entire top can be held open; most competitors still showed signs of moisture after 24 hours of dry time. We did note a very faint, plasticky flavor in the water when we left the reservoirs filled overnight, as well as during our first few times using these bags. We recommend washing the bladders once or twice before you take them out on the trail for the first time.
They have the same warranty as our upgrade picks. Bladders typically fail before the bags themselves—Osprey is one of the few companies to offer stand-alone replacement reservoirs. Osprey also has an All Mighty Guarantee: The company promises to repair or replace the pack if it suffers any sort of damage or defect—forever. (If the reservoir—which is made by another company, HydraPak, fails—your options depend on how it fails. If one 0f the bite valve parts breaks, for instance, you can buy a replacement on Osprey’s site. But if the reservoir itself springs a leak, you can file a warranty claim with HydraPak citing Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee.
They come in larger sizes, too. The Skimmer comes in additional (although more expensive) capacities of 20-liter and 28-liter (which has a padded hip belt with pockets); the Skarab comes in 22-liter or 30-liter configurations (again, with a padded hip belt).
How have these bags held up?
Jenni has owned a Skimmer hydration pack going on eight years, and it looks nearly as good as it did on day one. The ripstop fabric is decently water resistant, plus it’s easy to clean and tough to snag or rip. After four years, though, the water bladder did give up the ghost; it became discolored and started to taste plasticky.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- The downside to these bags is that the pack’s wide-mouth, bucket-style setup may have you fishing around for the item you need, because the interior isn’t divided. (The pre-2020 iterations had more dividers and more pockets, so it was easier to keep gear organized; now, the pack has just one internal mesh pocket.)
- The waist belt is a simple, unpadded strap. This system doesn’t come close to the load-bearing hip belts of our upgrade picks, but it’s better than nothing for a shorter hike, and it helps prevent shoulder and lower-back pain.
