One of our travel secrets is to pack an empty daypack into our luggage, ready to greet a new city and its shops, for the first time. Rising to the occasion is the 25 Litre Felix daypack from Hi-tec.

Granted, you can’t turn around without seeing at least ten daypacks that could do the job, but, as constant travels quickly prove, not all daypacks are created equal. Ideally, these should be light and compact enough to practically disappear on your back, but also roomy enough to hold plenty of gear. More importantly, like their larger counterparts, it’s essential that they are sufficiently comfortable to ensure you don’t get back to your hotel room with your shoulder blades screaming in protest and your back aching.

The good news is that the Felix, which, in yellow-green and grey, looks sporty, checks all the above boxes. Much like the larger 35 L technical pack from Hi-tec, the Asila, the Felix similarly boasts wide, comfortable shoulder straps, its own handle on the top and both chest and waist straps for ensuring it stays put.

Feature a-plenty

Also onboard are new very nice stretchable pockets for water bottle (again, thankfully not mesh, which tend to tear), while hidden away in a zippable compartment is a bright green waterproof cover. Not only will this keep your bag dry in a deluge, it could, we suspect, conceivably also attract the attention of passing helicopters if you ever find yourself stranded on the mountain. In terms of compartments, the pack’s compactness belies how capacious it is, we could quite easily get a weekend’s worth of clothing and gear in it. Expanding its space is a secondary compartment, which also hosts a key fob.

The daypack could also do duty on short hikes as well – on both of its sides are two adjustable loops for securing hiking poles or a monopod. In a nutshell, the Felix is a very capable, comfortable and full featured daypack will likely well serve those who are heading to the hills for a weekend or further afield alike.  RRP: R500.