Backpack Pick

[Uniquecp3]

Hi,

Does anyone know the capacity of Osprey Aether 70 plus without the top lid?

At the very beginning, I preferred to pick Osprey Aether 70 plus since I wanted to use this bag for my future camping and mountain climbing(it means I will carry heavy gear), but now I realize it may be bigger for Camino.

I've done some research on my own, and it seems a 30L- 40L backpack is good for men. Is that ok to carry a bigger bag, say 50L-65L, with just a few items?

 

[C clearly]

Is that ok to carry a bigger bag, say 50L-65L, with just a few items?

Welcome to the forum!

Of course it is fine to carry whatever backpack suits your own situation. Many people carry backpacks that are larger than 40L. Just make sure it is comfortable for 20 km or so, while packed with the same items as you would take on the Camino. You might need to pack it differently, or cinch in straps to keep things from flopping about.

Some people will point out that it is very easy to put more and more things into a larger pack, and thus carry more than you perhaps should. However, that is up to you and your own self-discipline!

 

[Uniquecp3]

Welcome to the forum!

Of course it is fine to carry whatever backpack suits your own situation. Many people carry backpacks that are larger than 40L. Just make sure it is comfortable for 20 km or so, while packed with the same items as you would take on the Camino. You might need to pack it differently, or cinch in straps to keep things from flopping about.

Some people will point out that it is very easy to put more and more things into a larger pack, and thus carry more than you perhaps should. However, that is up to you and your own self-discipline!

Hi,

Thanks for the quick response(love this forum)! My main concern is the future usage of this backpack. This backpack will be my first one, like I said, I wanted to use it in future mountain hiking, so I am afraid the (ultra)light or small capacity bag will not do the job.

I calculated the things I would carry for Camino, and it is just about 5kg. Also, I forgot to mention the reason why I chose such a big backpack(70L) since my girlfriend may go with me, and I could help her carry some items(she worries a lot, so maybe many unnecessary items).

I used to carry 15kg-20kg for a week of mountain hiking, but I couldn't recall the maximum weight I carried. (Put this info for future readers to help me pick one for my Camino)

Btw, I will add more details when I try some backpacks in the next few days.

 

[Roland49]

Hello and welcome!

Just one question: how often do you hike or did you just start planning your first longer hike?

 

[NavyBlue]

Hi,

You might be happy with this backpack :

https://sierradesigns.com/flex-capacitor-40-60/

I have one, use it for mountain trips, and I like it.

IMHO, I would have no use for a smaller pack, which would weigh about the same and might be less comfortable.

 

[walking sticKs]

I carry a Osprey Stratos 50, I chose it because the harness is very comfortable. It's features are great, they are a blend of my first two pack. It also works great for all of the different types of hiking I do at home.

https://www.rei.com/product/111281/osprey-stratos-50-pack-mens

Comfort with a load is the key!

 

[dbier]

Just be sure your girlfriend doesn't pack too heavy a load. My general philosophy is, if i can't carry it, either ship it or get rid of it. (I did both last Camino, and I only had a 36L).

 

[good_old_shoes]

I've got an Osprey aura 65. Very happy with it.

Since I love camping and hate playing Tetris when packing, I prefer the large pack. I usually use it without the extra bag on top, and even then, I can fit in everything even for winter camping without problem.

It's extremely comfortable (for me, at least!) and very high quality. I even use it for grocery shopping at home sometimes!

A good backpack is so expensive - makes sense to buy one that you'll also use after the Camino.

 

[duncanwhyte]

I am one for carrying enough to do a through hike. A Camino is a great way to do training for more demanding walks. So I carry the basics and some food and water.

For a few walks I used an osprey, but that started to deform and the straps turned into shoulder cutting cheesewires.

I looked for a pack that is designed to take a Weight rather than a Volume. For that a framed pack is the way to go. A good deal heavier but the result is an overall improvement in performance en route and posture and comfort post walk.

I use the Lastenkraxe Tatonka. It looks a bit barmy army and to employ it, needs a disciplined routine. But it's a great way to carry your stuff.

 

[Pilgrim9]

I've got an Osprey aura 65. Very happy with it.
...
It's extremely comfortable (for me, at least!) and very high quality. I even use it for grocery shopping at home sometimes!

I also have a 65 litre pack and like mine for the same reasons you like yours.

Mine is a Kelty Trekker 65 external frame pack. Very good quality, very durable, has many fitment adjustments including even sideways adjustments of the suspension, good ventilation on backside, extremely comfortable and stable once properly adjusted.

One should not dismiss external frame packs. Long routes in open country that is free of rock-climbing and pack-snagging brush and low tree limbs are the ideal usage case for external frame packs. The CF and CP and most other foot-pilgrimage routes in the Iberian Peninsula are perfect examples of routes where an external frame pack should at least be considered.

And there is no need to fill one's pack to capacity.

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

Hi,

Does anyone know the capacity of Osprey Aether 70 plus without the top lid?

At the very beginning, I preferred to pick Osprey Aether 70 plus since I wanted to use this bag for my future camping and mountain climbing(it means I will carry heavy gear), but now I realize it may be bigger for Camino.

I've done some research on my own, and it seems a 30L- 40L backpack is good for men. Is that ok to carry a bigger bag, say 50L-65L, with just a few items?

I had to chuckle a bit because 10 years ago I didn't even own a backpack. Now the photo below shows my pack selection hanging in the garage.

Seriously, I rarely use the 40L pack (far left) because I'm just not a wilderness backpacker. Camping's not my thing. However, I do a lot of urban through hiking along the California coast. It's not all that different from Camino backpacking. I hike an average of about 12 miles per day and stay at hotels along the way. As you mentioned, a 30-40L pack is ideal for this purpose. I recently retired my Osprey Kestral 28L pack which I used on the 500 mile French Way last year. After 10 years and over 2,000 miles, it's starting to wear out. I replaced it with the (orange) Osprey Manta 34L pack. So far, I've hiked about 100 miles with it and like it very much. It's not so much the size, but it's so much easier to organize then my old Kestral and they've really improved integration of the hydration bladder.

Regarding your specific question of going with a larger than needed pack, my biggest concern is that the pack be sized appropriately for your torso length. Most modern pack have a mechanism for shortening or lengthening the pack so that the weight is shifted to your hips rather than your shoulders. On the second day of my recent 100 mile hike, I had to shorten the new pack by one setting (about an inch) and now it rides perfectly on my hips and shoulders. There are several good videos on the internet on adjusting backpacks that are worth watching.

 

[Bruce30017]

Hi,

Does anyone know the capacity of Osprey Aether 70 plus without the top lid?

At the very beginning, I preferred to pick Osprey Aether 70 plus since I wanted to use this bag for my future camping and mountain climbing(it means I will carry heavy gear), but now I realize it may be bigger for Camino.

I've done some research on my own, and it seems a 30L- 40L backpack is good for men. Is that ok to carry a bigger bag, say 50L-65L, with just a few items?

I have an Osprey Atmos 50 that I am quite happy with - very comfortable with good hip belt and straps (hardly notice it) and ventilated shape (reduces back sweat). I bought the pack initially for the Camino, and used it on the Frances twice. It is a little bit bigger than what you would need for just the Camino, so you don't need to fill it up. But the real benefit is that I find that 50L has been a great size for most general travel, backpacking, etc. and allows the important convenience of being "hands free". Used it for ~10 trips. Much like walkingsticKs previously suggested, this was my way of buying only one pack which would be versatile for different travel needs. Only real complaint I have is that it officially needs to be checked baggage as it doesn't meet "carry on" size requirements for flying. However, I have gotten away with using it a few times as carry on luggage.
Hope this helps!

 

[good_old_shoes]

One should not dismiss external frame packs.

I looked for a pack that is designed to take a Weight rather than a Volume. For that a framed pack is the way to go. A good deal heavier but the result is an overall improvement in performance en route and posture and comfort post walk.

True. They've come out of fashion, but they're very sturdy and good for carrying heavy loads. I've got an old Haglöfs pack with external frame which I bought very cheap second hand. Indestructable (but so is the Osprey, I think). What I love about the external frame pack is its versatility. Mine has two seperate bags and you can easily add more or change them to fix extra gear to the frame. Sadly it doesn't fit me too well (I'm too short I think), so I'll need to do some adjustments to the shoulder straps.

Regarding comfort, the Osprey is heavenly for me up to a weight of ~15kg. The straps ect. are still perfect after ~ 2500km of use now. Never thought a backpack could be so comfortable with a load like that.

 

[Pilgrim9]

I use the Lastenkraxe Tatonka.

Ah, yes. I have been coveting the Lastenkraxe Tatonka for a few years but have not convinced myself that I need one. Please do not tempt me.

 

[Hempseed]

I found the Osprey Talon 44 invaluable for our Portuguese Camino this year. My wife had a Katmandu 32L We had a couple of longer days and between us we could fill the larger one and use transfer services while keeping the smaller as a day pack for us both.

 

[jennysa]

Has anyone used a 40L Osprey Farpoint backpack on the Camino? I bought one a year or two ago, but have never used it . I have offered to lend it to a friend, but wonder if its really suitable for the Camino. I would appreciate some comments.

 

[markie6]

Has anyone used a 40L Osprey Farpoint backpack on the Camino? I bought one a year or two ago, but have never used it . I have offered to lend it to a friend, but wonder if its really suitable for the Camino. I would appreciate some comments.

yes good brand and size

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Has anyone used a 40L Osprey Farpoint backpack on the Camino? I bought one a year or two ago, but have never used it . I have offered to lend it to a friend, but wonder if its really suitable for the Camino. I would appreciate some comments.

Hmm. Well first and most importantly, does it actually fit your friend properly ?

It's a brilliant travel pack, but lacks features that make it more trail friendly like easy access outside pockets. I know that some of the old ones had no pockets on the hip belts and the padding wasn't as good as it could be either. Shoulder strap adjustment is also limited.
At some point they changed from two pretty useless water bottle pockets on the very front of the Pack to one single big pocket. Either way they're not side pockets so not reachable whilst you're wearing it. Don't know which one yours is.
In addition to this pretty much all of the storage is internal and from memory there's no rain cover, although you can always buy one.

Whilst it would be (is!) brilliant for backpacking many people that are strong proponents of the Pack admit that they wouldn't want to carry it for longer periods i.e more than a few days. Which makes it ideal for travel and going on weekend hikes but perhaps not more.

It is purely my personal view but I wouldn't recommend it for anything longer than a four or five day camino. ( Eg the Inglès).

 

[rainswift]

Has anyone used a 40L Osprey Farpoint backpack on the Camino? I bought one a year or two ago, but have never used it . I have offered to lend it to a friend, but wonder if its really suitable for the Camino. I would appreciate some comments.

I have a Fairview 55 (the "women's" version of the Farpoint). It's the same size as the Fairview 40, but with an optional attachable daypack. Like @Peterexpatkiwi said, it's great for travel but has its limitations.

Pros:
- stowaway harness and hipbelt
- durable fabric
- large main compartment
- lid opens basically completely
- stuff pocket ("Shove-It" pocket) on the front, good for raincoat
- comfortable harness system for short treks
- airy mesh back reduces sweating
- good capacity
- adjustable torso fit

Cons:
- no side pockets for water bottle
- no bladder pocket either for water bladder
- big pocket on the back is kind of loose, doesn't hold a water bottle solidly
- laptop compartment not useful on a Camino unless you carry a laptop
- heavy (3.4 lbs or 1.55 kg for the main pack)
- fully loaded it doesn't carry as close to centre of gravity as desired

Unknowns:
- harness system not tested for longer than 1-2 hours for comfort

Though I've used the Fairview on other long trips, those were always where I was only carrying it for 1-2 hours, shoving it into baggage compartments, dumping it at hotel rooms and carrying a daypack instead while I explored, that sort of thing. It takes abuse very well. Being able to tuck away the harness system completely also means it transports very well, doesn't snag on things.

Due to it not having a decent water bottle/water bladder pocket, and no real way to arrange easily-accessible water, I am not bringing it on my Camino. Basically the water access was the dealbreaker.

 

[jennysa]

Hmm. Well first and most importantly, does it actually fit your friend properly ?

It's a brilliant travel pack, but lacks features that make it more trail friendly like easy access outside pockets. I know that some of the old ones had no pockets on the hip belts and the padding wasn't as good as it could be either. Shoulder strap adjustment is also limited.
At some point they changed from two pretty useless water bottle pockets on the very front of the Pack to one single big pocket. Either way they're not side pockets so not reachable whilst you're wearing it. Don't know which one yours is.
In addition to this pretty much all of the storage is internal and from memory there's no rain cover, although you can always buy one.

Whilst it would be (is!) brilliant for backpacking many people that are strong proponents of the Pack admit that they wouldn't want to carry it for longer periods i.e more than a few days. Which makes it ideal for travel and going on weekend hikes but perhaps not more.

It is purely my personal view but I wouldn't recommend it for anything longer than a four or five day camino. ( Eg the Inglès).

Thank you for that information. That is just what I needed to know.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@jennysa , happy to help.

I just had an additional thought.
If your friend was thinking of using bag transport every day then it would be superb. Combined with a decent day pack you couldn't go wrong. But only if they were not intending on carrying it regularly, for extended periods.

 

[Jay Es]

I find 36lt is plenty. I use an unstructured Gossamer Gear pack with a sit mat in the back. If you take more than 8 to 10 kg you've got too much stuff.

 

[KiwiBob]

I use an Aarn pack from a little company in NZ. I like it because of the large chest pockets which help to balance the load. Has anyone else used an Aarn pack?