Good to know: This daypack is unisex
Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Great for multi-use, and the higher position on the back makes it great for biking too
- Integrated rain cover is a nice addition at the price point
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Not great for hikers who want to carry heavy loads
- Lacks some useful attachment points seen on more technical daypacks
The North Face Basin 24L is a great choice for a variety of hikers. It gives a really good mid level option if you don’t really need something overly technical to just grab and go as you need. It’s also roomy and feels comfortable to wear.
What I like about this pack is that it’s stylish enough to work just as well for day to day use as it does on the trail, so you’ll likely need to buy less. You’ll also love it if you’re into biking due to how it sits a little higher on the back. The waterproof cover is a nice addition alongside the DWR coating which makes it suitable as a year round daypack too.
If these areas tick all the boxes, then you will be very happy if you buy the Basin 24L. However, if you need to carry heavier loads then you may not be quite as impressed. The slightly tapered shape does impact distribution and the lack of a fully suspension system and hip belt can create comfort problems with a heavy pack.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our overall guide to the best daypacks, see more in this guide:
- Best Daypacks for Hiking
- How to Choose The Right Daypack For Your Hike
- How We Tested Hiking Daypacks
- Compare Hiking Daypacks
You may also be interested in: Best Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
Compare to Similar Products:
Product | Osprey Talon 22 | Deuter Speed Lite 23 | Osprey Stratos 24 | Gregory Citro 24 | Rab Tensor 20 | Osprey Daylite/Plus | Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 | Black Diamond Distance 15 | The North Face Basin 24L | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20 | Cotopaxi 24L Batac Pack | Granite Gear Dagger Ultralight |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||
Our Award | Best Overall Daypack | Best Daypacks For Women | Best Daypacks For Men | Best Waterproof Hiking Daypack | Best Daypack For Hot Weather | Best Daypack For Travel | Best Hiking Daypack With Hydration | Best Lightweight Daypack | ||||
Type and Style | Lightweight all purpose backpack for hiking, climbing and bikepacking | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Full suspension backpack | Full suspension hiking pack | Lightweight summer pack | Lightweight lifestyle travel/hiking pack | Full suspension backpack/summit pack | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Hiking and biking | Ultralight daypack | Basic hiking | All round hiking |
Material | bluesign®-approved recycled 100D x 210D wave check high-tenacity nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating. | 140D and 100D recycled polyamide | 210D recycled nylon body, 420D recycled nylon accents and bottom with a PFC/PFAS-free DWR | 210D Honeycomb Cryptorip Nylon and 420D High Density Nylon body. EVA foam straps, alloy steel frame. 135D High Density and 50% recycled polyester lining | 100% recycled 420D polyester ripstop | bluesign® approved 300D recycled polyester | 210D recycled nylon, DWR | UHMWPE ripstop body fabric and mesh | 210D recycled ripstop nylon and 600D recycled polyester also all with non PFC DWR | 15D high strength nano nylon fabric with silicon coating for water resistance | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack | Nylon (100D and 210D) |
Capacity | 22 liters | 23L | 24L | 24 liters | 20 liters | 20 liters | 30L | 15L | 24L | 20L | 24L | 22L |
Breathability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Not as good as some other models | OK | OK | Not as good as some other models | Poor | OK | Good |
Pockets | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6/7 |
Dimensions | 48 x 28 x 23 cm | 52 x 27 x 18 cm | 59 x 34 x 24cm | 52 x 28 x 20 cm | 50 x 30 x 23cm | 43 x 26 x 20 cm | 57 x 27 x 24 cm | 47 x 32 x 13 cm | 50 x 27.9 x 17 cm | 48 x 28 x 20 cm | 51 x 28 x 18 cm | 53.34 x 33.02 x 20.32 cm |
Rain Cover | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Durability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | OK | Good | Excellent |
See The North Face Basin in more detail:
Analysis and Test Results
Through my tests, I’ve found The North Face Basin 24L to perform exceptionally well on the trail, but it doesn’t just have that application. Due to its narrower shape and higher position on the back, it’s an exceptional pack for biking too.
I was also impressed to see an integrated rain cover provided on a pack in this category as a hiking but not technical pack. This makes a great addition to the already present DWR coating. Though I do have some slight concerns about the fact that the rain cover leaves the bottom 1/5th of the pack uncovered.
I’ve put it through its paces and this pack is durable, well fitted and feels comfortable to wear. I would be hesitant to suggest it if you know you’re going to be carrying heavier loads, and there are better packs out there for this. However, if you are looking for a general purpose hiking daypack for light to medium loads, then I think you will be happy if you choose The North Face Basin 24L.
Performance Comparison
Type and Style
The North Face Basin 24L is a general purpose hiking backpack. But it’s looks make it suitable for varied use, and works just as well for biking as it does for the office, school or traveling.
My main impression when it comes to the type and style of The North Face Basin 24 is that it does feel quite narrow and sits quite high on the back. This actually makes it work really well for being on a bike as well as day hikes. When biking, I generally prefer narrower packs that sit higher on the back. The narrower fit won’t compromise aerodynamics and the higher back position eliminates the risk of stray straps getting tangled in your rear wheels.
Material
This daypack makes use of 210D recycled ripstop nylon and also used a non PFC DWR coating for water repellency. Other areas make use of 600D recycled polyester also with non PFC DWR. It’s great to see The North Face making use of substantial recycled fabrics for this pack.
I’ve found The North Face Basin 24L to be a really well-made daypack. It feels hardy to pretty much anything you put its way and the ripstop nylon finish has meant it doesn’t suffer from abrasions. Over the time I’ve been testing this pack, I’ve really put it through its paces and it’s showing no real signs of wear and tear and looks pretty much the same as the day I got it.
The straps are also well padded and feel very comfortable to wear for extended periods, even with a thin base layer or short sleeve t-shirt, there seems to be no rubbing. This is even with mid to heavy loads.
Breathability
This pack doesn’t offer a full suspension system so isn’t as breathable and some others in this category, such as the Gregory Citro 24. However, the mesh and molded foam in the NextVent™ back system does offer some ventilation and breathability. I’ve used this pack in a number of hotter settings and haven’t really experienced problems with sweating on the back. Even with heavier loads.
Waterproofing
The daypack itself is DWR coated, which makes it water resistant. From my experience, this handles pretty well in all circumstances other than heavy rain. Which is where the rainproof cover comes in that is stowed in the front bottom pocket of the pack. However, this doesn’t quite cover the entire bottom of the pack and leaves the bottom 1/5th exposed with just the DWR protection.
This is a little bit fiddly to attach properly when it does start to pour. The rain cover uses plastic hooks that attach onto small fabric loops on the sides of the bag. I find that when it’s raining hard enough to attach these, that your fingers can be slippery and cold. I’ve found you do really need to attach these for it to stay in place properly.
Dimensions
The North Face Basin 24L is 50 cm x 27.9 cm x 17 cm in size. This does actually make it suitable for carrying as your on board item with many airlines. This actually has made a great pack for exactly that. However, you should always check with your airline before traveling to see dimensions allowed.
Generally, I tend to carry larger packs when hiking, as I usually carry more cameras gear with me. However, for a day hike where you want to carry a few layers, your essentials, some water and food with you, it feels pretty much the perfect size.
As mentioned earlier, I love the shape of this pack when it comes to biking. The narrow shape is perfect for this, and I would also say would make a good choice for those who are trail running for pretty much the same reasons.
Fit
This pack is offered as a standard fit and is unisex, so there are no variants out there for different sizes. However, due to the strap placement and the fact there are no hip pockets, this should suit most hikers.
I found this bag sat higher on my back than other packs I’ve previously tested. This of course can be adjusted with the straps. But it even so, this daypack is more comfortable when its worn higher up.
If you’re not used to this, it can be a bit jarring at first, but my experience is that you soon get used to this. If you have a heavy weight in the pack, it can feel a little unbalanced due to that, so I’ve found that it’s best for lighter weight hikes.
That is exacerbated by the fact that the bag has a tapered design. It’s wider at the top than it is at the bottom. So, any load that you carry is distributed more toward the top of the bag.
Storage
The North Face Basin 24L has 6 pockets. A main zippered section which contains another pouch suitable to a laptop or reservoir system. On the front, there is a curved zip up section suitable for small valuables.
The front wide pouch doesn’t close and is more suited to stuffing in layers quickly on the go. Then finally, two mesh side pockets which each hold a 32oz bottle with ease.
The design is tapered and wider at the top than the bottom, that does have implications if you’re trying to load it up with things that are more solid, such as camera gear or even food boxes or specialist equipment. I think if you’re planning on carrying a lot of gear, you might be better suited with a more square or rectangular shaped bag, like the Osprey Talon 22 or the Gregory Citro 24.
Comfort
Generally, I’ve found this pack from The North Face really comfortable, provided you don’t overfill with very heavy items. Whilst this pack does have decently padded straps, they are not as heavily padded as some others.
After testing, I would love to see The North Face add a waist belt to the Basin 24L as this would help massively in terms of weight distribution and comfort for longer hikes. The chest compression strap really does help with stopping the straps from slipping on your shoulders. This is good if you do find yourself carrying a slightly heavier load and helps a little where the lack of waist belt misses out.
Features
One thing I was very impressed with when this pack arrived was to discover the proper rain cover that it comes with. I find this is actually quite an unusual feature considering the daypacks smaller size and price point.
However, the rain cover doesn’t cover the whole of the pack – it goes down to where the rain pouch ends. I would love to see The North Face extend this, so it covers the whole pack for greater use, and this is where it just fell short in our best waterproof hiking daypack category.
Durability
After all of my tests, I feel really confident saying that The North Face Basin 24L is built to last. I’ve given this pack quite a beating and whilst it does show some signs of wear and tear, it does feel generally very well made and of good quality.
The one area I would love to see some improvements on is with the waterproof cover. It would be good to see this change so that it covers the entire of the daypack rather than leaving the bottom section open, just for that extra level of protection and to make this a fully waterproof solution.
Over time, I found that the attachment points for the waterproof cover have not stood up well – these are constructed from small and relatively thin fabric loops. Unfortunately, one of these has actually broken and therefore one side of the cover can’t actually be fastened now, which I’ve had to fix myself.
Sustainability
The North Face Basin 24L is made entirely of recycled materials. This is great to see and further sits to The North Face’s increased commitment to sustainable practise and production processes.
As the pack feels really well made and durable, it also feels built to last and after all my tests shows now real signs of wear and tear. There is a good chance that if you buy this pack, you could be using it for years to come.
Conclusion
I have really enjoyed my hikes so far with The North Face Basin 24L. It’s comfortable, and looks good (which makes it suitable for a general daypack too). It also feels like it’s very well built and will last a long time.
However, where the pack falls down in my opinion is if you need to carry heavier loads. In this case, the tapered design, lack of a full suspension system and waist strap weigh against this pack.
Though if you’re looking for a pack that will serve you well on day hikes with a light to medium load and also biking, this pack is a stylish and compelling choice. I think if this is you, you’ll be very happy with this pack!
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