What pack did they send you? I just bought the Osprey Viva 45 as I'm doing the camino and the TMB, and the salesperson said that Osprey is getting away from the mesh pockets as they don't last. It doesn't come with a front pocket, which I'm not sure I like, but has 2 large side pockets not made of mesh. Does anyone have the viva, or other pack without the front pocket?
Osprey sent me the newer Sirrus pack. I think I liked the curved back zipper on the old version better (tho I haven't used this new one yet). I doubt that the mesh pockets don't last. My friend Mike owned Osprey and designed all the packs - and offered the lifetime warranty - until he sold it about two years ago to Helen of Troy. Before he sold it, he gave me a lightweight Eja 38, so now I have two brand new packs I haven't used yet. Hoping to walk the Sanabres with my daughter in April, so we'll flip a coin for who gets which pack. Or maybe we'll take turns to do comparative field testing!
I just looked on their site and it still says this:
[[Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge — whether it was produced in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it. We proudly stand behind this guarantee, so much so that it bears the signature of company founder and head designer, Mike Pfotenhauer..]]
Sounds to me like they still cover wear and tear. I don't know how much shipping is from Australia, but you should deal with Osprey directly and let the salesperson know.
I did notice on the site, too, that they have dropped a lot of the earlier designs.