Backpacks

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

A big plus... thanks

Thanks for all the input guys..

Osprey---awesome service, a buckle broke and and all i had to do is send a pic of the pack and the problem area, three days later i got a new buckle free of charge. I've "upgraded" from 70L Aether to 58L Exos....wow im hooked!! Going ultra lite,this pack does it for me.(winter and summer) Best pack I've ever used in 35 years

My wife and I just invested in Osprey Atmos AG 65L and Aura 50L. We had old Karrimor Jaguar. We will be doing our first hike with the new bags end September, so I will provide some feedback.

I can say one thing the AG system is extremely comfy especially coming from the Karrimor. I also had a very good look at the Exos 58 and I was very close to taking the Exos as it is a brilliant bag. In the end the weight diff between the 2 is less than 800g depending on size and the AG Back system on the Atmos is king. Yes there is a cost diff too, but based on what is available in the SA market I think the Atmos is a great investment. We had our Karrimor's for over 10years. So with the Osprey guarantee I hope not to have to get another bag in its class for a long time. Not so say that I wont get other bags....Exos 38L perhaps...

www.ospreypacks.com/np/en/product/atmos-ag-65-ATMOS65.html

bergbees wrote: Not so say that I wont get other bags....Exos 38L perhaps...

Be careful, or you'll end up with a room full of gear. You know you have overdone it when you have more hiking clothes than work clothes...

Papa D, I can vouch for the ACT Lite: it's very comfy, meets all your requirements, but space can be a little tight on winter hikes.

@ghaznavid
Lol. I think I have a problem! I have a room dedicated to gear!
---
I am in the process of refining gear, we have a goal for the GT toward the end of next year. All our stuff is about 10yrs old with one or two adjustments over that time.
But technology has moved on and the ability to reduce weight and gain efficiency is significant. I am by no means an ultra light or even a light hiker yet but no harm in refining and shaving a few grams here and there.

@Bergbees,

I have the Atmos and it is indeed a verfy comfy bag. Even more so than my Black Diamond Mercury (75L) with pivoting hip and shoulder straps.
One thing to note though, is that when you start loading it a bit heavier (over 20kg) it starts to squeak a bit. With lighter weights it is not noisy, but when the weight goes up so does the noise. Does it in summer and winter, not sure why.


Still, I really love this pack, so much really well thought of places to store gear. That kangaroo pouch swallows a lot of stuff, I can actually fit more into this 65L pack than into the BD Mercury 75L.

A note on the Karrimor Jaguar packs - we have 2, bought them about 20 years ago and still going strong. We lend them to friends who want to come along but don't have packs. Built like a tank - and as heave as one too

Riaan squeaky pack quick fix, if you can find the source of the noise: baby powder..
Works perfectly...

Thanks for the tip Papa Dragon