Osprey Daylite Sling
After a shoulder surgery landed me on the couch I was looking at ways to get back on the trail without putting a lot of pressure on the surgical shoulder. Enter the Osprey Daylite Sling. The Daylite Sling is a single strap, cross body pack for shorter trips. It worked out well for my special circumstances and I wanted to review it for anyone going through the same thing. As well as anyone wanting to have the Indiana Jones one strap pack approach.
As a disclaimer I would like to mention that I have an affiliate agreement with Osprey and any purchase you make from this website results in me getting a small commission with no extra cost to you. All opinions on this page are my own and based on my own experiences with this backpack. This review is for general informational purposes. Your experience with the pack may be completely different.
The Stats
Osprey lists the features of Daylite Sling on their website as:
- Dual U-zip access to main compartment
- Interior mesh organizer and key clip
- Multifunctional interior sleeve
- Zippered front panel slash pocket
- Harness stretch mesh pocket
- Left or right over-the-shoulder ambidextrous fit and carry
Before I tell you what I thought about those features here are the rest of the specs from Osprey.
Spec Sheet*
| Cost | $40 usd |
| Colors | Wave Blue, Dream Purple, Acorn Red/Tunnel Vision Grey, Medium Grey/Dark Charcoal, Oasis Green Muted Space, Black |
| Sizes | One Size |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 14.17 H x 8.66 W x 5.12 D |
| Volume | 366 in3/ 6 liter |
| Weight | 0.525 lbs |
What I Liked
There was a lot to like about this little pack. For me it was something that filled an exact need that I have but I also see a lot of uses for this lightweight sling. The Osprey Daylite Sling also has a surprising amount of storage for how small and lightweight it is. Here are some of what I liked the best.
Fit of the Osprey Daylite Sling
I really didn’t think this pack was going to be comfortable with its cross body style. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it fit. The most important part for me was that the weight of the pack fell directly on the center of my back. The mesh back of the pack was really comfortable although I did hike in the winter with a couple of layers and a jacket to add to the padding.
What really surprised me was that this pack felt like a regular two strap pack on my back. The Sling distributes the weight really well and when adjusted properly fits in the same spot on the back as a normal pack. I thought for sure it would feel like it was angled or the weight would shift but I have not found that. (Later I will talk about an issue I had with the strap.)
Storage
The Osprey Daylite Sling has two main storage pockets along with a sleeve on the strap for sunglasses or small sunscreen. Overall, the storage is surprisingly large for such a small pack. I was able to fit a large water bottle, two small tripods, a GoPro, GoPro battery, micro spikes in a bag, my wallet, and keys. Pretty good for a small pack!
Starting with the smaller pouch which Osprey calls the slash pouch. This measures in at roughly 9 inches long and 5 inches wide. It is perfect for snack bars or a wallet for normal people. When you are a blogger it was perfect for a small selfie stick and my GoPro!
The larger pocket is actually two pockets in one. The large pocket is roughly 13 inches long and 7 inches wide. It is an oval shape so it is way to much math for me to figure out how much space that is. I can show you though!
This larger pocket has a sleeve that runs about half way up and covers the width to help you organize. I didn’t use the sleeve in the picture above because my water bottle was too thick but its under there. These sleeves are great to keep things in place and separated.
There is also a zippered interior pocket in the large pouch that has a key clip inside. This is always my fear that I will hike 10 miles and lose my keys somewhere along the way so I always love seeing these interior pockets with the clips and zippers.
So a lot of storage options for such a small pack!
Size
The Osprey Daylite Sling is tiny and feels light as a feather. Obviously, the weight will depend what you put in it. The pack almost feels like I’m not wearing a pack at all which is nice. It has a very thin profile. More long and narrow than thick. That keeps everything in place and I didn’t have to worry about shifting or sliding. The smaller size also limits what I can bring which is important. No more bringing eight tripods when two will do!
What I Didn’t Like
There are only two things that I didn’t love about the Osprey Daylite Sling. First, and I think this is unique to my situation, is the strap. The strap has two points to affix so it can be worn on either shoulder which is nice. My problem was that with a bad arm from surgery I couldn’t tighten it down properly with my bad arm. I ended up having to do a ratchet technique where I tightened, swung, tightened again. If I had both arms fully functional this may not be an issue but since that is why I bought the pack I thought I would mention it.
The only other issue I had was that it didn’t come with a hydration system so I had to take up some of the room with a water bottle. This is a very first world problem complaint I know. I am not sure if they could make a bladder that would fit but that would be kind of nice.
Video Review of the Osprey Daylite Sling
I shot a quick video of the Daylite Sling after using it a couple of times for those of you who are more visual. If you enjoy the video make sure subscribe to my YouTube channel, it is free and you will be the first new when new content is available.
Conclusions of the Osprey Daylite Sling
I have to say I am really happy that I got this pack. It is literally a game changer and got me back on the trail faster than I would have been able to. I really like how comfortable it is. Just like I am wearing a two strapped pack on my back. It has a really good amount of storage for how small it is. The small profile keeps it light and perfect for a quick hike, trip to the beach or to a favorite lake. I would definitely recommend this for someone looking for something quick and easy. If you have an issue with an arm then I strongly recommend it!
More reviews from the Fatman
If you like this review, you can see other products I have reviewed on my Product Review Page. If you have any items you would like me to review or any comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!
If no go-pro and batteries (non-blogger regular hike) I could get how much more in there?
There is a total of 6 liters of cubic storage for the pack. The smaller pouch could hold around 4-5 full size cliff bars depending on how much is in the bigger pouch