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No, I used Aarn made in New Zealand. Compact and light.I am in the process of researching backpacks as I plan to purchase a new one for my spring Camino. I've decided on the popular Osprey, as they carry gender specific sizing and am hoping to get a good fit.
For my last two Caminos I have borrowed my son's Osprey Atmos 25, size men's medium. It's a great sturdy pack, but not quite roomy enough to hold all my stuff and I'm tired of having to cram everything in so tightly. It's also not the best fit for me either. I am now considering either the Osprey Sirrus 36 or the Kyte 36, which are both made specifically for women. I may have to order online as there are no gear stores in my area to check them out first.
Have any of you ladies used the Osprey women specific packs? If so, do you prefer the fit to other generic sized packs?
I still like to think my shape is women specific, but my body seems to be morphing into "something else" with each passing year. ;-)I use an Osprey Talon 33. It isn't labelled for women, but the smaller size is just right for me. I don't know about you, but the shape of my body that is in contact with my backpack is not what I'd call women-specific.
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll take a look.Idem like @C clearly and @SYates wrote.
My first one was a Gregory and this was so called woman fit but it felt less good on my back than my current one and that is the Osprey Talon 33. This one just fits me perfectly . And I like the simplicity of this Osprey, not too many sidepockets etc.
And it does not always have to be an expensive brand : if you have Decathlon in the USA they sell there own brand of backpacks and they are quite decent.
Good idea, order two and hopefully only send one back!I would suggest getting both from a retailer that offers free returns, compare them and send back one or both. Also the Sirrus is really not that different from the Atmos - same ventilated back, but no mesh pocket at the back - and the Kestrel is an unnecessarily heavy version of the Talon/Tempest model, so you might want to try that instead? If you like a Talon and it feels too flimsy, go for the Kestrel. I happen to know that he biggest size Tempest, S/M, is very similar to the smaller size Talon, same back length, slightly wider hipbelt (why??) than the women's version, and the harness is not very different either. (My new mix'n'match Talon/Tempest pack Bob is made from a M/L size Talon, which has a much wider hipbelt, bigger harness and longer back and might not fit smaller women.) Nothing beats trying them on over a few hours with weight in them, but if you can't spend the day in a shop, the shop will have to come to you. As long as you can return them if they don't fit.
I am in the process of researching backpacks as I plan to purchase a new one for my spring Camino. I've decided on the popular Osprey, as they carry gender specific sizing and am hoping to get a good fit.
For my last two Caminos I have borrowed my son's Osprey Atmos 25, size men's medium. It's a great sturdy pack, but not quite roomy enough to hold all my stuff and I'm tired of having to cram everything in so tightly. It's also not the best fit for me either. I am now considering either the Osprey Sirrus 36 or the Kyte 36, which are both made specifically for women. I may have to order online as there are no gear stores in my area to check them out first.
Have any of you ladies used the Osprey women specific packs? If so, do you prefer the fit to other generic sized packs?
Thank you! I can't quickly follow your centimeter lengths as my brain only relates to inches and feet, being from the USA!I used a Lowe Women's Trail 32 on the CF in 2014, and have now changed to a Lowe Alpine ND 33:40. I love the adjustable back in both of them, as my back length is just 41 cm and most standard backpacks are too long for me. I also found the Airzone padding to be very comfortable, especially on hot days.
Whatever you take: buen camino!
Andante
My daughter in law just purchased the Exos and loves it, but I haven't seen it yet. I believe the Kyte is the women's version of the Kestrel. You make a good point for considering that model! Thanks.Hi Chris, After lugging our 65L backpacks on the Frances, my husband and I came home and began sifting through a lot of backpacks. We each bought, tried on, and returned about 15 backpacks each of all makes and sizes until we decided on the Osprey Kestrel 48 for my hubby and the Osprey Kestrel 38 for me. Nice backs, we chose them so we have a place for our secondary footwear to be stored without out contaminating our clothes with dirt and smell. If you want something really lightweight and not needing that compartment, my hubby loved the Osprey Exos as did I but we wanted the rain cover and seperate compartment.
My husband absolutely loved the Exos but it had no rain cover or compartment separation. He was not a happy camper about sending it back.My daughter in law just purchased the Exos and loves it, but I haven't seen it yet. I believe the Kyte is the women's version of the Kestrel. You make a good point for considering that model! Thanks.
My daughter in law has never owned a backpack before so hopefully "she won't miss what she don't know". I always line my pack with a trash compactor bag anyway, so the rain cover isn't quite as important, although they can be purchased separately.My husband absolutely loved the Exos but it had no rain cover or compartment separation. He was not a happy camper about sending it back.
That's the pack I have. When mine last year REI didn't carry it. I bought it from an online retailer.Marmot has come out with some nice and very lightweight women's packs in their Graviton series:
https://www.rei.com/product/110905/marmot-graviton-36-pack-womens
I have also used a Lowe Alpine pack for my two caminos - the ND Airzone Trek 35 litres. I find it very comfortable and just the right size. Fits everything I need to carry and fine for aircraft carry-on luggage. It's still going strong, just rather faded on the lid from the strong spanish sun!I used a Lowe Women's Trail 32 on the CF in 2014, and have now changed to a Lowe Alpine ND 33:40. I love the adjustable back in both of them, as my back length is just 41 cm and most standard backpacks are too long for me. I also found the Airzone padding to be very comfortable, especially on hot days.
Whatever you take: buen camino!
Andante
I am in the process of researching backpacks as I plan to purchase a new one for my spring Camino. I've decided on the popular Osprey, as they carry gender specific sizing and am hoping to get a good fit.
For my last two Caminos I have borrowed my son's Osprey Atmos 25, size men's medium. It's a great sturdy pack, but not quite roomy enough to hold all my stuff and I'm tired of having to cram everything in so tightly. It's also not the best fit for me either. I am now considering either the Osprey Sirrus 36 or the Kyte 36, which are both made specifically for women. I may have to order online as there are no gear stores in my area to check them out first.
Have any of you ladies used the Osprey women specific packs? If so, do you prefer the fit to other generic sized packs?
Have any of you ladies used the Osprey women specific packs? If so, do you prefer the fit to other generic sized packs?
Osprey is a great company. We have 3 or 4 packs in the house and they are all great. I just wish that the hip pockets on the women's models were large enough for a smartphone. They are too tiny!I walked with the Sirrus 36 last year and it was perfect in fit and size. The owner/designer of Osprey happens to be an old friend of mine and he tells me that this pack is currently being re-designed. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was hard to reach and replace a water bottle from the side pockets, but no big deal. Many people use the Kyte, which has even a simpler design (no front zipper, which I didn't use much, anyway) and it looks great.
I highly recommend Osprey packs. Where do you live that you can't find one to try on?
Thank you for the detailed response from your own experience. I'm hoping one of the female versions will work as well for me, too.Speaking with over 20 years of wilderness backpacking experience I can say I most definitely prefer the women's specific packs. I started backpacking in my early 20s with a generic pack. My first women's pack was a Dana Designs (Now Mystery Ranch) which allowed me to have hip belt and shoulder straps that were sized to my small frame. I'm 5'3 but I was very slim. I plan to use my Osprey Kyte for my Camino. The differences between the men's/unisex and women's is pretty clear. My husband put on my pack and immediately felt uncomfortable (aside from the length being off) because the hip belt is designed for a female hip. Same thing with the shoulder strap. I put on some unisex ones for the fun of it and the shoulder straps were too wide and didn't curve where I was used to. I won't go back to unisex packs after having backpacked miles in mountainous terrain with a pack that moved with me. But that's me. Every woman's body is different and you won't know what you really like until you wear one and hike with a load. I'd recommend a minimum of 5 miles with varied terrain and a full load.
Oh, yeah. I have an Otter Box case on mine. I can't imagine having no case on my iPhone. I drop it at least once a weekMy iPhone 6S fits in the mesh hip pockets of all my Osprey packs. No case, though. Which explains the cracked corner.
Hi Chris,Thank you! I can't quickly follow your centimeter lengths as my brain only relates to inches and feet, being from the USA!
I have also used a Lowe Alpine pack for my two caminos - the ND Airzone Trek 35 litres. I find it very comfortable and just the right size. Fits everything I need to carry and fine for aircraft carry-on luggage. It's still going strong, just rather faded on the lid from the strong spanish sun!
PS When chosing a pack four years ago I was very tempted by an Osprey pack, it was very light and also seemed comfortable. I think I went with the Lowe Alpine in the end based on apparent durability, slightly better fit for me, the integrated rain cover and...yes...the colour! Lowe pack a mid green, whereas the Osprey was something more lurid - tourquoise? magenta? Can't quite recall.
No, I used Aarn made in New Zealand. Compact and light.
It's not necessary to fill the hydration bladder. I have a 2 liter one, but I usually don't put more than a liter in it. And whether it's in a hydration bladder or in a bottle in a side pocket, it's still on your back.caring 2 liters of water on my back was too much and the pack that was right for me has pockets on the side large enough for 24 oz which will be ample
Gossamer Gear make lightweight backpacks that are designed so that the hip belt can be removed and interchanged within much of their range, one of the benefits of this is that they also make different length hip belts. They are an American producer of hiking gear and will ship internationally however I sadly found the costs involved in shipping to me in Ireland to be prohibitive.I always have a problem with women's packs because the hip belts are usually sized for slender people and I am definitely not, so the padded part doesn't come around to where it needs to be for comfort. But I have a short back so the men's packs which usually have more substantial and longer hip belts are far too long to sit comfortably on my back. I can't find a manufacturer which makes different length hip belts, does anyone know of one?
Same here, I'm in England and by the time you have to pay post, duty and VAT it can nearly double the price. Gossamer don't do a short back length fitting which means theirs will almost certainly not work for me. I've found ZPacks who make a version designed for small women and young people which looks very good, but the price is eye-watering before you get into post etc.Gossamer Gear make lightweight backpacks that are designed so that the hip belt can be removed and interchanged within much of their range, one of the benefits of this is that they also make different length hip belts. They are an American producer of hiking gear and will ship internationally however I sadly found the costs involved in shipping to me in Ireland to be prohibitive.
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