Black Diamond Pursuit 15 Daypack Review

Bottom Line

Blending a lightweight daypack with a running vest, the Black Diamond Pursuit 15 (men’s / women’s) targets hikers who prefer a low-profile pack for scrambling or moving nimbly over technical terrain.

We found the Pursuit much more comfortable with a light load. The running vest-inspired harness hugged our upper body the right way while centering the load near our center of gravity. The Pursuit can pull off 3 liters of water and a day’s worth of gear, but it’s not as comfortable or athletic when fully loaded. 

The Pursuit 15’s organizational layout suits scramblers, peak-baggers, and fastpackers. We appreciated the accessible stretch-mesh pocket for shed layers, on-the-go access to folding trekking poles, adequate storage for a midlayer and rain shell, and compatibility with water bladders, Nalgenes, Smartwater bottles, and soft flasks. 

The Pursuit isn’t the daypack for gear-heavy hikes or casual walks in the woods. As its name suggests, it’s built for more pursuit-oriented outings. Black Diamond recommends it for peak-baggers, but we also like it for fast-and-light hikers who prefer a more streamlined pack with a body-hugging fit. For a wider selection of options, check out our gear guide to the best hiking daypacks.

How We Tested

We alternated the Black Diamond Pursuit with other packs while day hiking nearly 400 miles in New Mexico. These side-by-side comparisons helped us rate its comfort, organization, support, weight, and compressibility. We tested it lightly loaded and fully loaded and deliberately varied our hiking style from scrambling (its recommended use) to fastpacking and casual hiking.

Comfort

The Black Diamond Pursuit wears like the aggregate of a budget daypack and a running vest: light and frameless with a body-hugging fit. 

We mostly liked how the Pursuit’s vest-style harness and double sternum straps hugged our upper bodies. The close fit is for performance – not comfort – and reduces airflow between the pack and your back. But we liked how the ventilated foam harness wrapped around our core and secured the load snugly against our back. The Pursuit almost felt like an extension of our body – at least when our load was light and we were consciously hiking fast.

At the same time, the Pursuit’s comfort declined considerably when loaded up for a high-elevation summit push. The light foam back panel felt rigid against our backs while carrying 3 liters of water, a puffy, a rain jacket, and snacks. The full load also strained the harness, causing it to pull more than hug. 

The hipbelt on the 15-liter Pursuit is nearly useless. It can’t carry any weight and rode a little high for comfort on our 5’11 gear tester with a long torso. 

We’d pick the larger Pursuit 25 over the Pursuit 15 for summit bids that require more than 2 liters of water and warmer layers. It features a wraparound hipbelt and more volume to carry weight more effectively than the 15-liter pack we tested. 

Still, we found the Pursuit 15 comfortable to wear with a lighter load. During our field tests, its hybrid hike/run design reduced bounce when jogging flats and descents while fastpacking. Overall, it felt more athletic and streamlined than the other lightweight packs we tested. 

Organization

The 15-liter Black Diamond Pursuit makes good use of its limited volume with organizational features that match its recommended use: scrambling and summit-tagging. 

We’re fans of the Pursuit’s stretch-mesh front pocket. During our test hikes, we found it easy to shed a layer and stuff it in that external pocket or grab a puffy on a chilly saddle or windwhipped summit. The vest-style shoulder straps also have small but accessible pockets, which we used to stash our iPhone, sunglasses, soft flask, and energy/electrolyte supplements. 

Fifteen liters is small for a daypack, but we still could carry a Patagonia puffy and foot-long sub in the Pursuit 15’s main compartment. With two main pockets, the Pursuit 15 could carry both a midlayer and windbreaker/rain jacket. We prefer to keep a low profile when scrambling or speed hiking, but there’s an external daisy chain system to attach extra gear with a carabiner. 

On more technical trails, we sometimes need our hands free for scrambling but also whip out our trekking poles for steep descents or sustained switchbacks. The Pursuit 15 keeps folding trekking poles easily accessible with Z-Pole bungees on the right-hand shoulder strap. We also attached telescoping poles to the back of the pack using the external loop and bungee, which kept them secure but not accessible on the go.

Finally, the Black Diamond Pursuit 15 accommodated all of our hydration systems. The external sleeve fit our 1.5- to 3-liter water bladders, which we used to keep our hands free for scrambling. The two stretch-mesh side pockets fit both Nalgenes and Smartwater bottles. Our soft flask squeezed into the sleeve on the left shoulder strap. Added up, the Black Diamond Pursuit 15 is a small pack with smart storage. 

Support

The Black Diamond Pursuit 15 is a streamlined pack for more technical hikes – not a load hauler. Overall, it prioritizes weight savings over support. The design is frameless with a nearly worthless hipbelt. This means the pack doesn’t shift weight down to your hips – the goal of traditional daypacks and backpacks. 

Instead, its vest-style harness wraps around your torso to secure the load close to your body. This distributes the weight of your water and gear across your back and chest without significantly shifting your center of gravity. We found this design comfortably supported our pack weight up to a point. However, carrying more than 2 liters of water and extra layers pushed the limits of that body-hugging support. 

The average hiker probably prefers the support of a traditional daypack – one that uses an internal frame or framesheet to shift weight down to a substantial hipbelt. But this pack’s close-to-body support scores points for more mobile hikers. We liked how the Pursuit 15 carried light to moderate loads when we were jogging flats and descents while fastpacking and reaching for a hold when scrambling. 

Weight & Compressibility

The Black Diamond Pursuit 15 ranked in the lighter half of the daypacks we tested and reviewed. It only weighs 1 pound, 9 ounces. Plus, the lighter packs on our list are predominantly outdoor lifestyle packs – casual daypacks, not true hiking daypacks. If you’re looking for a lightweight daypack that’s made for more serious hikers, the Black Diamond Pursuit 15 should be on your radar. 

This is a hiking daypack – not a travel backpack – but the Pursuit 15 would also work for those who want a more packable or compressible option. Because it’s a light and frameless pack, you can smush down the Pursuit 15 if you’d like to cram it into a suitcase, duffel bag, or travel pack. At the same time, its vest-style construction and body-hugging fit aren’t what most travelers want. 

Should You Buy the Black Diamond Pursuit 15?

Unlike most daypacks on our list, the Black Diamond Pursuit 15 is purpose-built for hikers who like to scramble up mountains and bag peaks. If you’re looking for a body-hugging backpack with a close-to-back fit, this vest-style pack is the most athletic daypack we tested and reviewed. In addition to recommending it to peak-baggers, we like the Pursuit 15 for fastpackers and other fast-and-light hikers. 

If you’re not into more aggressive hiking styles, no problem. You’ll probably prefer a more casual daypack or a highly ventilated daypack with an off-the-back fit. The Pursuit is a more specialized pick for those who need a snug fit or those who prefer a hiking daypack that wears more like a running vest.

What Other Hiking Daypacks Should You Consider?

If this pack isn’t quite what you’re looking for, head over to our best hiking daypacks gear guide to check out our other top picks, including the three below.

Osprey Talon 22/Tempest 22 Review: Our favorite daypack with a more traditional fit, the men’s Talon and women’s Tempest offer gender-specific fits, ventilated and supportive harnesses, and better access to gear on the go. 

Osprey Sportlite 20 Review: Lighter and leaner than the Talon/Tempest, the Sportlite weighs and costs less than the Pursuit. It’s streamlined but capable for more casual hikers who don’t demand too much out of their pack.

REI Flash 22 Review: For a less expensive daypack for peak-bagging, the REI Flash 22 is a lightweight, frameless option that CleverHiker’s Ian Krammer has worn to summit many Colorado 14ers and 13er. It’s decidedly minimalist but surprisingly versatile and competitively priced.