Earlier this year, Gossamer Gear released the 20L Vetta Daypack , filling a slightly new space in the brand’s collection. Best known for its ultralight backpacking packs, Gossamer Gear has a few packs with similar qualities to the Vetta including the G4-20 and the Minimalist 19. But the Vetta brings ultralight backpacking philosophy to a more conventional day-hiking pack while the G4-20 is built for long adventures, and the Minimalist 19 is slightly less refined.
Weighing 14.5 ounces with a 20-liter capacity, the Vetta comes with an impressive weight-to-size ratio. It’s also lighter than many mainstream 20-to-25-liter packs without compromising features like the front stretch pockets, water-bottle side pockets, hydration hook, sternum strap, and removable back pad. And it comes with a relatively approachable $140 price point.
I wore this pack while scrambling in the mountains, day-hiking, and putzing around the neighborhood and I found that it’s just as adept in a lifestyle environment as it is on technical terrain. The runner-style vest gives hikers easy access to hydration while accommodating dynamic movement. The 100-denier recycled Robic nylon and 210D Robic nylon fabrics were ...