Questions I have before buying a used pack.

[slimcobra]

I guess the first question is should I buy a used pack? I was looking at purchasing an Osprey. From all the articles I have read and videos I have watched they seem to be one of the best. If I purchase a used pack and there are issues with it will they still honor the lifetime warranty? is there anything specific I should be paying attention to before buying a used pack?

[Montana Mac]

I carry an Osprey and have not had any problems with it, but one thing to consider if the used pack was used a lot it may come with what I call "hiker funk". Even though my long distance hike was in 2009 and the pack has been washed it still carries the aroma of being on a sweaty person. There may be products on the market now that can remove that odor - I recently saw one advertised that supposedly will remove all odors including skunk - I have yet to try it.
IMHO if I was to buy a used pack it would only be after I had a chance to check it out - never online sight unseen.

[Traveler]

FWIW - Having used a number of different packs for everything from day hiking to heavy trail maintenance chores, to serious long distance trekking, I have become a big fan of Osprey and it's now the only pack I use. Having used several different types of their packs I have enough spares to set up a 4-some in most any climate conditions. Even with rough handling they seem to last forever with a little bit of camp love or after hike care.

Montana Mac has a good point, hiker funk can get into small, difficult to get to places of a pack that make it hard, if not impossible to remove. In my view it's much better to have your own sweat scent in a pack than to discover on a hot, humid day without a breeze the former owner was a deck hand on a Greek squid fishing boat who's scent will be with you day after day because it won't clean out. "Caveat Emptor" being the operative slogan when buying used gear, one cannot tell there is a problem with the pack until they have used it a while.

As to Osprey warranty, this is where a good vendor who keeps records can be irreplaceable. The only pack I have had to send back to the factor was one I severely overloaded during a 3-day rain that pulled the main zipper apart. I took it back to the vendor (REI) who looked up my account, confirmed the purchase and helped set up a factory return. Word came back a few days later they would replace the pack and less than a week I had the replacement. I am not sure how they manage their warranty these days, I have not had any other occasion to use their policy.

Were it me, I would think about used versus new and what the cost differential is. You can probably get a new pack perfectly sized to fit your build, has the latest materials and features older packs do not have, hold all the stuff you want/need to carry, be able to support load changes over time and won't smell like someone else on hot days. You won't miss the money difference a year from now but you'll have better equipment you can depend on a year from now.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[slimcobra]

Thanks for the advise. I found an Osprey Atmos AG65 for $60.00 and is in really good shape. Part of me wondered if the guy stole it or was hard up for money. The only down side is I asked hime the size. He told me large but it was actually a medium. Luckily it fit my son so it worked out. Now I'll be saving my pennies to buy myself a pack.

[Gambit McCrae]

#1 - try a pack on prior to purchase. You can try it on at REI etc and then buy used.

#2 - Nothing wrong with buying used gear. Just make sure your price matches the wear of the item.

"I would rather have high end used gear than mediocre new gear", Said by a VERY wise man one time