Backpacks

mayake wrote: @GerritHuman
"Is there anyone else that can comment on the Osprey 48"
I find Exos models by far better in this Brand.

I have an Exos 58 myself, bring the apocalypse, my Exos58 will see me through it.

GerritHuman wrote: Hi Stephen
Like you I was interested in the Capestorm 60+5l backpack but cannot find a shop with one in stock. They say the bag is discontinued. I am trying to go as light as possible. So I looked at kestrel 48 today and in a shop and it seemed very large, much more than 48 liters. What is your opinion on the Kestrel 48? Is it big enough for an overnight trip in the Drakensberg? Would you buy it again?

I have a very old 85 liter Karrimor (3kg) and I always seem to pack it full of stuff I never use and end up with a 19-21kg bag, so I want to go smaller and lighter, I am just afraid 48 liters is too small. But in the shop it looked like a 60 liter bag on the inside!

Is there anyone else that can comment on the Osprey 48?

Quick answer to would I buy the 48L Kestrel again - yes
Long answer to would I buy the 48L Kestrel again - yes in a heart beat!

I can fit enough gear in there for more than a 5 day hike and that includes a DSLR camera. The only things strapped on the outside are my half of the tent and a full sized tripod.
I don't take loads of items though and there are no luxuries but I do have rain gear, spare clothes, warm clothes, dry clothes for sleeping, sleeping bag and inflatable mattress, food for however many days, full 3L water bladder, toiletries, first aid, camera in camera bag and space for a jetboil although my hiking partner takes his stove and pot that we share (my half of the tent and his half + stove and pot are about equal weight).
All my stuff is pretty lightweight though and not bulky - eg my sleeping bag is a Western Mountaineering bag weighing under 900g (-12 deg). My sleeping bag packs into a Lightweight Sea to Summit dry sack along with the inflatable mattress in the bottom compartment. Then I put the dry and warm clothes in a small dry sack into the main compartment. Food packet fills the gaps and then camera gear and rain gear goes on top. The top flap houses my balaclava, gloves (2 pairs), headlamp, phone and satellite phone and food for the day.

I have a spreadsheet detailing all of my gear and its weight. If you want it, just send me a PM.

I haven't tried the Exos or any other Osprey options but I'm very happy with the 48L Kestrel

I am looking at getting a new pack in a couple of months time, and looking for some recommendations..

Looking at the Deuter ACT Lite 40 + !0, Osprey Exos 48, and Osprey Stratos 50.

What's important:

Comfort
Abosolute MAX of 15kg, usually 10-12.
Bottom access not an issue.
Prefer side water bottle pockets.
Prefer gaper pad straps bottom back.
Pack cover not an issue

The other 2 are 50-60% heavier than the Exos, I wonder if this is increase in comfort, or an increase in bells and whistles (bells and whistles are not important).

Any input welcome please.

As the owner of 8 different packs from 4 different manufacturers, varying from 20 litres to 85 litres - the question is really what you are willing to spend and where you can get the pack from (i.e. if you have a friend who can bring it back from Europe/USA).

The best all-round producer of backpacks is Osprey - no question there. I own a 33 litre and 85 litre pack of theirs and they are both great. I have done 3 of my GTs with my Talon 33 litre pack. Mountain Hardwear has also started to make really good light packs, but they are a mission to get locally (I am yet to test my new 30 litre pack that arrived a few weeks ago, so I haven't tried any of theirs yet). Note: Neither Osprey nor MHW have ever sent me free gear.

Disclosure: the following comment is based on gear reviewed that was sent to be by Hi-Tec for free.

I also have a Hi-Tec Cedar 45 litre pack, Mike/Hobbit has used it on 2 of his GTs. If an Osprey or MHW pack doesn't fit your budget, it is considerably cheaper than the packs listed above, and lighter than both (although throw away the splash cover that it comes with and put on a new one, the one it comes with isn't remotely waterproof). Overall it is a pretty good pack, and considerably better than its competitors in price. Mine needs a bit of stitching up now - almost 1000km later, but will take a few minutes with a needle and thread and will be back to form.

I've wondered about the Hitec Cedar - the normal price is pretty decent and it seems to always be on special.

My most importants:

• Weight to be as low as possible...BUT not at the expense of comfort, you can carry a few KGs extra easier if your pack is comfortable
• Don't care TOO muh about extra pockets, pouches, etc...I have 2 big packs, one with a bunch of 'feature'and one that is just a single 'tube' and the weight to feature ratio balances out pretty evenly so I could go either way - I love the features but love the lighter weight as well
• Not a huge fan of built in pack covers - I like the option t

If i had to pick purely on brand I'd go for Dueter. Osprey is great, I know a bunch of people with Osprey packs and no one compalins...but Jess has two Dueter pack, she has used them for years and neither has even one stitch lose yet - chuck them in the washing machine and they come out looking like the day they were bought.

Thanks for the input ghaz and macc.

I also looked at the Hi-tec Cedar online, but haven't seen it in the flesh yet. I wondered about the frame/harness/carrying system, in terms of comfort, as opposed to the Osprey and Deuter.

I have been using my MYOG light pack, which I am happy with, but getting close to 10kgs or over, one can feel that the pack is reaching it's limits, and comfort is not that great. It is a top loader, only extra pockets are 2 stretch water bottle pockets, stretch pocket on the back (front?) for a raincoat etc, and one under the lid. So that's what I've gotten used to, and very comfortably with packing like that.

So what I need to figure out is if the extra 5/600g is worth it, in terms of comfort, to go for the Stratos or Deuter, over the Exos.

Price on those three is within a few hundred Ess Ay Ront of each other..

Roger, just to be clear on the exos, you know all its positives by now.
Some negatives:
- The shoulder and waist straps are thinner and less padded than the bigger bags, so as soon as you come close to or over 10kgs weight, they are not as comfortable as the more padded strapped bags. (Some might see this as a positive incentive to limit weight).
- You have to make liberal use of included compression straps to keep the top stuff at the top and prevent it from sagging down into the bag, messing up the weight and pack distribution in the pack, it has no compartments inside, its just one "tunnel" to the bottom. (An issue with most "tunnel" compartment bags - this point could be seen as nitpicking...)
- In really wet weather some of the gear will get damp without an inner drybag of sorts.

All of this my own experience.
Other than that, it is a brilliant product.

The Cedar has a light internal metal frame. Hip strap padding is limited, but that is normal for a small pack. It has a single compartment, but can be accessed from top or bottom.

I wouldn't put more than 10kg into a sub 50l pack, but it copes fine with the heaviest loads I have carried in it. As a rule, I never put gear on the outside of my pack (aside from water bottles).

Viking wrote: Don't forget the amazing Osprey guarantee! Great peace of mind for scraping over sandstone, basalt and protea bushes..

I need to take them up on that one - my 85 litre pack took a pounding from overgrowth this last weekend! Only the third time I have used it, and the outside compartment is torn beyond possible future use.