• Sizes One size
  • Weight 467 grams
  • Colour Dark Charcoal Grey, Pine Leaf Green, Blue Sky, Night Jungle Blue
  • Capacity 20 litres
  • Weight capacity Not specified
  •  
  • Cost $139.90

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Day Pack

Daypack

Rating

Rating: 8.5 / 10
Value for Money 1.8 / 2
Comfort   1.7 / 2
Weight  1.8 / 2
Durability 1.6 / 2
Versatility 1.6 / 2

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Day Pack Review

Most keen hikers will typically own a dedicated day hiking pack and there are so many to choose from its hard to know where to start. Typically day packs tend to be around the 30 litres or less in size and the expectation is that you won’t be carrying a lot of weight. However, some day packs are built to carry small but heavy loads, others come with lots of features and then there is the stripped-back version which will carry bulk well but doesn’t necessarily cope with heavy weight.

Looking at this pack you could be forgiven for thinking it is about as basic as it gets but in reality the Osprey Daylite, which is more of an all purpose travel pack, sits below this model. At first glance having this pack looks basic but it has some features I haven’t come across before that I can see flowing through to the rest of the range at some stage.

This pack is definitely aimed at carrying the basics given it has a single large pocket and a small ‘valuables’ pocket at the rear. One of the things that really surprised me was that there is a water bladder pocket included. This is something that tends to define a hiking pack as opposed to a ‘town pack’. I tend to be a person who discovers things about a product rather than looking at instructions or videos. I find this makes sense because if its logical you can easily work it out. The thing I really love about the water bladder feature is that the hose feeds into a hole that threads to the top of the shoulder strap. This is a really well thought out design and something I can see being incorporated into the rest of the range.

There are a number of other little features on this pack you can be forgiven for missing because they really aren’t obvious on this streamlined pack. These include trekking pole loops on the bottom of each side of the pack (hidden if you don’t need them), and a light holder at the bottom of the pack if you are using this pack for cycling.

The packframe is pretty basic along with the shoulder straps so this pack isn’t designed as a load carrier and this carries through to the waist strap which is just a thin strap. This pack weighs 467 grams and Osprey doesn’t put a load rating on this pack. I would suggest this pack would cope with around 5-6 kg and apart from using the waist strap for the review I tend not to worry about it most of the time. If you go up to the larger Osprey Sportlite 25, which comes with waist belt pockets, this may push you one way or another depending on your hiking requirements. The sternum strap comes with the standard built in whistle and adjusts to suit the individual.

Osprey has constructed this pack from recycled materials; an increasing trend and one that is very welcome by hikers. The Sportilite 20 is packed with features but is priced competitively when comparing with other small hiking packs.

As lightweight 20 litre packs go this one is a bit of a surprise package having more features than I would expect. While other small packs are often directed at carrying laptops, this is very much a hiking pack. While I will continue to use my Osprey Talon Pro 22 litre pack for most of my bush walks, I can see this pack getting a lot of use for urban and shorter hikes when I’m carrying the basics.

We Like

  • Made with 100% recycled materials
  • A good range of colours that isn’t going to upset anyone
  • Simple design with small snack valuable pocket and large single storage pocket
  • Water bladder pocket and a very well designed hose feed that was unexpected in a pack at this price point
  • Pockets that are easy to access
  • Two good sized water bottle side pockets
  • Rear stretch pocket
  • Trekking pole loops with upper compression strap capture
  • Light attachment slot at base of front panel
  • Adjustable sternum strap with rescue whistle
  • Unisex fit

We Don't Like

  • For lighter loads only

Best Uses

  • A high quality low cost daypack that does the job well with lighter loads

Buy One

You can purchase the Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Day Pack online from Wildfire Sports

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $139.90 RRP

Other Versions

  • Osprey Sportlite 15 Unisex Day Pack
  • Osprey Sportlite 25 Unisex Day Pack
  • Osprey Sportlite 30 Unisex Day Pack (not in Australia at the moment)

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack in Pine Leaf Green

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack in Dark Charcoal Grey

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex in Pack Blue Sky

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack in Night Jungle Blue

Osprey Sportlite 20 Rear view. In addition to two zip pockets there is also a small stretch pocket for stuffing things like rain gear or a jacket

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack – side pocket typically used for water bottles but deep enough to be suitable for other items

Close up of tensioning strap for when you aren’t carrying much

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack – showing close up of stretch pocket and two zip pockets

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack – front pocket inside view

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack – frame image

Osprey Sportlite 20 Unisex Pack – water bladder in pocket the hose threads through either shoulder strap and is the best system I’ve seen on any pack

Bladder hose coming out of the shoulder strap

Opsrey Sportlite 20 inside main pocket

Osprey Sportlite 20 valuables pocket

Disclaimer

This review was done with product provided for testing by the Australian distributor of Osprey Packs

Australian Hiker Newsletter

* All fields are required

Please Wait.

Thank you for sign up!