Customer Reviews Osprey Skimmer 16

Osprey products are great quality, so I knew where to look when I had to purchase a compact, well-built backpack for traveling overseas. I’m so happy I found this gem—it’s just the right size to use as a carryon, to take outdoors or into the city, and the design is awesome (I especially appreciate Osprey’s color options). Unfortunately, this backpack will probably never give out and give me an excuse to buy it in another color.

I love this pack. It is small but light and perfect for day hikes. I appreciate the thoughtful design (e.g., seams on the outsides of the shoulder straps so they aren’t rubbing on skin; pull tabs on the zippers). The hydration pack holds 2.5 liters of water, and the fit of the pack is so nice I hardly feel like I am carrying any weight.

Loved the daypack! Great color, lots of storage and loved that it came with a hydration pack. Great ventilation on the back of the pack and on straps. Super happy with my purchase and can't wait to go on a hike this weekend!

I love my Skimmer 16 and have used it heavily over the last 4-5 years for everything from hiking to air travel. I want to replace it because the mesh pockets are showing signs of heavy wear and the internal sealant is wearing off. Unfortunately, the new versions of seemingly all Osprey daypacks, including the Daylite which is billed as a hiking pack attachment, have been produced in muted colorways. Although the new colors are pretty, they are UNSAFE for hiking (especially during hunting season!). Visibility is an essential safety component of being outdoors, especially when trekking alone or in remote areas. In the unlikely event one gets lost, a dark colored pack will be obscured by overbrush and trees; in the more likely event of hiking in fall in an area open to hunting, a muted pack makes you a target! I am really disappointed that Osprey seems to be designing for streetwear rather than the outdoors.

I've had this pack for around four years. It's my go-to pack for longer day hikes. It's a pretty good size for the ten essentials and some spare layers. My only complaints are there isn't a outer pocket so there's not a ton of organization, would love a pocket for things like my phone or a small snack so I don't have the open up the main compartment every time. The other thing is because of the size, if you have the 2.5 L hydration bladder full it really constricts the interior space. Overall, reliable and durable. This pack has been with my to numerous national parks and on a lot of miles.

I've been using this pack for a year now on over 75 day hikes. It's very comfortable, even when weighted down. Love the comfort, but really hate the zipper at the top and the inside pocket. The zipper is hard to open and when the internal pocket is loaded, the top is an awkward heavy flap. I would never buy this design again. Also, the side pockets have a small hole towards the bottom which creates a risk for losing smaller items.

I'm disappointed because they advertise all sizes have the scratch free pocket but I just received my Skimmer 16 and this model does not have the scratch free pocket. Seems like a design flaw to not include this on all sizes.

I usually always store my phone in the exterior water bottle pockets. I thought this pack would be perfect, but there are large openings that my phone would fall right out of when hiking. I do wish there was a scratch free pocket for sunglasses on the exterior.