Last year, I reviewed the Tom Bihn Packing Cube Backpack. As the name implies, it’s a packing cube that is designed to also be used as a light duty backpack. Read the review but I found it to be a really useful piece of gear on trips. Now Tom Bihn has taken the original design, refined it to be “more pack and less cube”, and named it the Daylight Backpack.
When Tom Bihn sent us the pack, I opted for the 1000 Denier Cordura version in Steel to match my Tom Bihn Tristar. As you can see below, it makes for a gorgeous set – although the colors don’t exactly match because the bags are made from different materials (the exterior of the Tristar is 1050D Ballistic nylon). Tom Bihn also makes the Daylight in Dyneema, but this time I wanted a more traditional backpack look.
The front of the Daylight features one zippered slash pocket that runs the entire length of the pack. It’s large enough to fit a letter sized Manila folder or a magazine with room to spare. All the zippers are #5 YKK and have noisy metal pulls. I wish Tom Bihn would have included corded pulls like those that were included with the Guide’s pack, but I intend to easily remedy the situation with some of my own 550 paracord.
The interior of the Daylight Backpack consists of the main compartment which includes two elasticized pouches. There are also three O-rings, which can be used to attach lanyards and other accessories. The Daylight includes one short lanyard, but I clipped one of their longer lanyards to it and attached a Tom Bihn Clear Organizer Wallet, which holds my train pass. My particular monthly pass is worth over $200 so I always clip it to whatever bag I’m carrying when taking the train so it doesn’t get lost.
The Interior of the Tom Bihn Daylight Backpack
The top elasticized pocket is large enough to fit my iPad in a Zagg Keyboard case. The second larger pocket is where I usually carry an extra layer like the Vertx Integrity Waterproof Shell jacket. Tom Bihn claims soft clothing items placed in the pockets can double as a padded back panel; which is why they opted not to include one. I found that to be true… to an extent. I still wouldn’t want to lug a laptop and power supply around in this pack but a tablet carried fine.
In the end, I think not including a padded back panel was the right decision. The Daylight, even in 1000D Cordura, is still svelte enough to work as a packing cube in the Tristar and other travel bags.
Any more bulk would have made it a poor man’s version of the Synapse 19 and that wasn’t really the intent.
So how does the Daylight function as a backpack? It’s a wee bit smaller than the Packing Cube Backpack but still decently sized at 17.3 x 11.8 x 5.1″. The 2″ unpadded webbing shoulder straps are fine as long as the load is kept reasonably light. There is also a 1″ webbing carry handle and a removable waist belt, which really wasn’t necessary on a pack this size.
The 6’4, 250 lbs author wearing the Tom Bihn Daylight.
Overall, the Daylight is still pretty utilitarian; especially given its price. But, it’s also pretty unique in the marketplace. One lower cost (read lower quality) alternative is the REI Flash 18, but it turns into more of a stuff sack than a packing cube and the newest version isn’t as collapsible now that REI has added a back pad, zippered pouch and hydration sleeve.
If you want to economize on space, need a packable light duty daypack for travel and durability takes precedence over cost – then the Tom Bihn Daylight backpack is definitely worth checking out. It’s available from Tom Bihn’s website and comes in a variety of colors.
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