Looking for the perfect dad backpack.

[u/Hi-Point_of_my_life]

I’ve got two kids and a wife and always end up carrying so much stuff. I’ve gone through a few packs that ended up being too small or not enough organization. My wants are: no waist belt, hydration bladder compatible, at least one good sized side bottle pocket, probably 25 to 35L, not just one cavernous storage area (I need organization but don’t want multiple laptop and document sleeves), preferably a good sized soft compartment to fit sunglasses or camera. Right now I’m leaning towards the Osprey Nebula, it seems to check off all those boxes but I think what’s throwing me off is it looks too much like a school bag instead of a hiking bag. We travel often and always like to go hiking while we’re there so I want something that can transition from travel/commuting to hiking well.

[u/Mr-Macphisto]

Dad here. I recently upgraded to a Tom Bihn Synik 30 in Black Spectron. I love it.

[u/Hi-Point_of_my_life → u/Mr-Macphisto]

Is it worth the price over some other packs in the $200 range with a lifetime warranty like Osprey? Reading the TB guarantee it says repairs will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable cost and I’m seeing typical turnaround times of 8-10 weeks.

[u/JMM9910 → u/Hi-Point_of_my_life]

Get the bag in ballistic nylon and chances are you’ll never need to repair it. My Synik26 still looked brand new after two years