The North Face Trail Lite Speed 20-Litre Backpack review: a near-perfect pack for fast and light adventures

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

The North Face Trail Lite Speed 20-Litre Backpack: first impressions 

It's not every day you find a piece of gear that's both technical and super practical, but in this daypack, The North Face seems to have pulled it off. This 20-liter pack is extremely comfortable to carry and packs away a lot of gear, holding it all close to your body so that you can use it for hiking, mountain biking and even climbing.

The build of this pack is more like a body-hugging hydration pack, but with all the storage of a backpack, which makes it ideal for moving fast. Storage comes in the form of a main compartment, plus a front pocket that secures at the top with a hook. Then there are expandable mesh side panels plus two more pockets (one zipped) on the shoulder straps so there's oodles of space for phones, water bottles, keys and anything else you want close to hand. It's hydration bladder-compatible though, so you can use the side pockets for rolled up waterproof jackets and towels if you want.

For securing technical gear, there's a mesh pocket for your helmet and attachments for an ice axe or trekking poles, while the front pocket also doubles as a rope carry. Once you get going, a breathable back panel ensures you won't get too sweaty, while a hip belt plus two sternum straps can be moved up or down for the perfect fit. Once you've loaded up, cinch everything down with the compression straps.

There are other small details like DWR treatment to protect your gear during a light shower and reflective details to make you more visible and it's made using recycled materials, which we love to see. It's one of those packs that works whether it's half empty or stuffed full and we had to work hard to find any fault at all – in the end, all we could come up with was that it doesn't have a built-in safety whistle or hydration bladder included, but those are problems with quick solutions. If you're looking for a functional pack for fast adventures, we can't think of a better one and we hope it stands up to the test of time.

The North Face Trail Lite Speed 20-Litre Backpack: in the field

I got to test this daypack out recently on a press trip in Corsica with The North Face, and it was a perfect way to explore the possibilities of this pack. Not only did I get to test it as my carry-on during the flight, on a hike, a mountain bike ride and a via ferrata, but I was with a group of other journalists and athletes who were all different shapes and sizes and testing the same pack. This gave me ample opportunity to experience it for myself across different activities, as well as chat to others about how they liked it.

Here’s how it performed:

Sizing and fit

This pack comes in two sizes, which is already a good start, and I tested the smaller size which as a 5' 4" woman was ideal. I was climbing alongside men who were a good foot taller than me, and the larger size seemed to work for them too.

The fit is fantastic. It contours perfectly to my body so that it wears a bit more like a hydration vest than a backpack, but it has all the perks of the latter. Two sternum straps move up and down to accommodate boobs, which also gave me added support when I didn't want to use the hip belt while I was wearing a harness. It helps the load close to my body whether I'm riding my bike over extremely rough trails or climbing a via ferrata.

Storage and fastenings

This is a 20-liter pack, which isn't huge, but that's not the whole story. It holds a ton more gear than my Osprey pack of the same capacity, thanks to a clever design and lots of pockets. First, there's the hydration bladder which I loaded up with my laptop for the light then my Camelbak Crux 1.5L for the trail. That meant I didn't lose space packing my water bottle. The main compartment is perfectly roomy for all my hiking essentials, while the front flap fastens with a hook that means there's extra room for clothing like my fleece jacket. 

My helmet was on my head, so I didn't need the helmet carry attachment until I had to make a creek crossing when I found it useful for stashing my hiking boots to keep them dry. Meanwhile, the stretchy mesh side pockets are great for water bottles, but I used them to stash my hiking sandals as I had some swimming planned. The pockets on the shoulder straps are brilliant because they're big enough for soft water bottles or, in my case, a phone, which means you can keep gear close to hand. Our group all agreed these pockets were the clear winners.

All in all, I had it stuffed pretty full, but thanks to the contoured design and compression straps, I was able to carry it all comfortably on the trail, climbing and on my bike. This is one of those rare packs that's functional whether it's half-empty or stuffed full.

There are other attachments for climbing gear like an ice axe and trekking poles, though I haven't used them yet. The buckles and fastenings are straightforward and either made from plastic or steel. They're easy to operate and seemingly robust.

Durability and other features

With proper buckles and a sensible design, I hope this pack is as robust as it appears because I'd like to use it for a long time, and it's bound to take a beating. Mine has shown some early signs of fraying around the strap pockets and one of the chest straps has detached and is tricky to get back on, so I have some reservations about its durability.

As for other features, I've mentioned most of them, though I'll add that it's treated with DWR as most packs are. I didn't get more than a light sprinkle on my trip, but with my non-scientific lab tests I'd say it repels water as well as any similar pack. There is no built-in whistle, which I've come to expect thanks to Osprey, and you need to buy the hydration bladder separately, but that's par for the course and not a dealbreaker with such an otherwise brilliant design.

The North Face Trail Lite Speed 20-Litre Backpack: the bottom line

It's hard to find fault with this day pack. It's roomy but contoured, light and breathable and so comfortable across practically any outdoor activity. If you're weighing your options, check out the Osprey Manta 24.

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