Black Diamond Trail Blitz 12

Our take If you’re the kind of person who obsessively punches the stopwatch before and after every hike, this pack is your enabler. Superlight weight, moderate capacity, and a minimalist layout made the Trail Blitz our grab-and-go daypack of choice for fast, nontechnical hikes and personal record attempts. “The closure—just a hook and a loop of webbing—was really easy to open and shut quickly, which let me grab snacks fast and get right back to hiking,” says one guidebook author who used the Blitz during a season of scouting out trails in the Boise, Idaho area. “The hook’s low-profile shape and reliable cinch made it surprisingly secure. I didn’t have any trouble with it wiggling loose.”

The details The main pack body fits a standard dayhiking kit (turn the page to see ours) plus a DSLR camera—capacity is similar to the CamelBak Zephyr, but the cavernous main compartment makes the Blitz easier to pack. There’s no hipbelt or backpanel, but the lightly padded shoulder straps keep it comfortable for loads up to 10 pounds. This pack sports two internal pouches for holding keys and other small items, and one long sleeve on either side for stashing trekking poles. “They’re the perfect size, and they lie flat against the pack when not in use,” says one tester. One ding: The sternum strap doesn’t extend very far. “If I were a bustier gal, this would be pretty uncomfortable,” warns one of our lady testers.
$40; 7 oz.; one size