Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack Review: Worth It As a Day Bag?

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Even though I travel with just one personal item backpack, I still always bring a second smaller bag for day trips and exploring cities.

My main travel backpack might fit under the airplane seat, but it is still way too bulky to comfortably carry around all day while sightseeing.

Usually, I just use my normal drawstring bag from home. But for my recent Ireland trip, I decided to finally try a foldable backpack instead and tested the Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack.

And honestly, I have mixed feelings about it.

There were things I really like about this backpack, like how comfortable it was for small hikes. But there are also a few things I’m not a fan of, like how touristy it made me feel in cities.

So in this honest Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack review, I’ll share what it was actually like using this foldable backpack during my trip and whether I think packable backpacks are really worth it for minimalist travel.

summary

Pros

More comfortable for small hikes than I expected
Lightweight and easy to pack inside a bigger backpack
Sternum strap helps with comfort
Handy top pocket with key clip
Water bottle pockets on both sides
Great as a backup travel day bag

Cons

Looks quite touristy in cities
Bag can make shoulders and back feel sweaty in warmer weather
Water bottle pocket can make the backpack feel unbalanced
Very minimal organization
Does not pack down quite as small as I expected

Check prices and available colors here!

Table of Contents

Why I Wanted a Foldable Backpack

Even as a minimalist traveler, I have never been someone who travels without a smaller day bag.

A personal item backpack is perfect for flights and moving between destinations, but it is usually way too bulky for walking around a city all day or going on a small hike.

Until now, I always just used my normal drawstring bag from home. It works perfectly fine and is already quite lightweight, but it is not especially compact when packed inside another backpack.

That’s why I wanted to try a foldable backpack. I was curious whether something like the Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack would actually make minimalist travel more convenient or if it was just another travel gadget I did not really need.

🎒 Get your own foldable backpack here

Tina wearing a lightweight blue Osprey foldable backpack while walking through a large cobblestone square on a sunny day. Historic stone buildings and a tall bell tower rise in the background under a bright blue sky.

What I Like About The Osprey Stuff Pack

Surprisingly Comfortable for Small Hikes

The thing that surprised me most about this backpack was honestly how comfortable it felt during small hikes.

I expected the thin lightweight design to feel awkward or uncomfortable, but the shoulder straps are actually much wider than I thought they would be. The sternum strap also helps a lot with keeping the backpack comfortable while walking.

During small hikes in Ireland, especially while wearing a sweater or jacket, I found it more comfortable than my normal drawstring bag, which is usually my go-to option.

Close up of the padded shoulder strap on a blue Osprey foldable backpack. The breathable mesh padding and adjustable strap details are visible against a wooden floor background.

The Top Pocket Is Really Handy

The backpack has one small top pocket which I ended up using all the time for smaller essentials like my phone or wallet.

There is also a key clip inside, which I always appreciate because it makes it much harder to lose your keys while traveling.

And because this pocket is also the compartment the backpack folds into, you can technically use the clip to attach the folded backpack to another bag as well.

Open blue foldable backpack showing the inside storage compartments and lightweight fabric lining. Small travel items are stored inside the interior pockets of the bag.

Lightweight and Easy To Pack

Even though it did not fold down quite as tiny as I expected, it was still easy to pack inside my main travel backpack without taking up much space.

I can definitely see how having a lightweight foldable backpack like this can be very convenient for minimalist travel, especially if you want a more comfortable option for small hikes.

Recycled Materials and Osprey Warranty

Another thing I like about the bag is that it is made from recycled materials.

And like all Osprey backpacks, it is also covered by the Osprey All Mighty Guarantee, which means they will repair defects or replace the backpack for free if there’s a defect in material or workmanship.

🎒 Does it sound like a great fit for you? Check the Osprey shop here

Hand holding a compact blue Osprey foldable backpack packed into a small pouch with a carry loop on top. The lightweight backpack is folded down to fit in one hand.

What I Don’t Like About It

The Water Bottle Pockets Felt Unbalanced

The backpack has mesh water bottle pockets on both sides, which sounds great in theory, but I did not love them in practice.

Because the backpack itself is so lightweight, I noticed that adding a water bottle to one side made the whole backpack lean awkwardly to that side when the bag was otherwise mostly empty.

I think this would probably be less noticeable if the backpack was packed more fully, but I usually don’t bring much on my days out. So, I actually preferred putting my water bottle inside the main compartment instead.

Sweaty Shoulders in Warm Weather

While the backpack felt very comfortable during hikes with a sweater or jacket, I noticed something different when I wore it in the city with just a strappy top.

Even though the shoulder straps use a breathable mesh material, my shoulders still felt a bit sweaty underneath them in warmer weather when the fabric was in direct contact with my skin.

I Didn’t Love It for Cities

This is probably a bit vain, but honestly, I just did not really like how this backpack looked in cities.

For hikes and practical travel days, I think it works really well. But while walking around cities, it made me feel very obviously like a tourist compared to my normal drawstring bag.

It Does Not Fold Down as Small as I Expected

Before trying the Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack, I honestly imagined it would pack down much smaller.

It definitely folds down compact enough to fit inside a personal item backpack without any issues, but it doesn’t feel that much smaller than my folded together draw string bag.

I’ll add a photo below comparing the folded Osprey backpack to my usual drawstring bag because I think that gives a much more realistic idea of the size difference.

Small blue Osprey foldable backpack packed into its pouch placed beside a larger pink crossbody bag for size comparison on a wooden floor.

Organization and Compartments

The Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack is definitely a very simple backpack when it comes to organization.

The main compartment is just one large open space without any smaller internal pockets. Then there is one smaller top compartment with another small pocket inside, which is also where you fold the backpack into. On the outside, there are two mesh water bottle pockets.

But honestly, with foldable backpacks, you usually cannot have it both ways. If a backpack has lots of compartments and padding, it also becomes bulkier when folded down.

That is actually one of the reasons why I chose the Osprey in the first place. I wanted something as lightweight and compact as possible because I only wanted to use it as a simple day bag during trips, not as backpack for carrying a laptop.

Technical Details

You probably already checked out the bag stats on the official website, so I’ll only include a super quick overview here:

Capacity: 18L
Weight: 143 g (5 oz)
Dimensions: 42 x 22 x 19 cm (16.5 x 8.7 x 7.5 in)
Folded Dimensions: 12 x 11 x 6 cm (4.7 x 4.3 x 2.4 in)
Packs into its own top pocket
Sternum strap included
Made from recycled high tenacity nylon

The backpack is designed to be as lightweight and compact as possible, which explains why the organization and padding are kept very minimal.

Is a Foldable Backpack Worth It For Minimalist Travel?

Personally, for my style of travel, I do not think a foldable backpack is really necessary.

Most of my trips are city trips rather than hiking trips, and I realized I still prefer my normal drawstring day bag for walking around cities.

It also did not pack down dramatically smaller than my usual bag anyway, which was one of the main reasons I wanted to try a foldable backpack in the first place.

So while I can absolutely see why some travelers would love this backpack, I personally will probably stick to my normal day bag for most trips.

And if you are planning your own minimalist travel setup, you can also check out my guide to day trip essentials to see what I actually bring while exploring cities and going on smaller adventures during my trips.

Pin it for later:

Hand holding a compact blue Osprey foldable backpack packed into its own small storage pouch. Text on the image reads “Honest Review” and “FOLDABLE BACKPACK.”