The Wanderlite Excursion Pack is a regular-sized day pack that is lightweight and folds up small (a smidge larger than a soda can) to be carried on trips where you need something that can keep the elements away and will hold a fair amount of stuff. From a Colorado company, the pack is made of heavy nylon (it’s a little noisy and stiff, but you get used to it), and so withstood a walk home in a recent snowstorm without getting anything wet. It has nylon straps that, despite the lack of padding (which would take up space), are surprisingly comfortable, even with the pack weighed down, probably because the straps are slightly wider than usual and thus distribute the weight better across the shoulders. The only thing I couldn’t do was repack it in its little velvet carrying bag, nor could anyone else.We made a parlor game of trying, even following the company’s suggestion of using rubber bands and folding down the top. However, the 8-ounce pack still folds down small enough to be a smart option. $27.95 plus $5.85 shipping,
– Kyle Wagner
