Only TWO packs available in the local outdoor stores!! Do I turn to buying online?

[Aussie Legs]

I live in Western Australia, about an hour from the capital city of Perth. There are a small handful of outdoor stores in the city - from a quick look over the available packs I can only find TWO female specific packs... The Osprey AURA (50L) and the Osprey Ariel (70L)... I don't love the sound of these packs but was wondering if anyone has used them before. Otherwise I have to turn to buying online... which means not being able to try them on beforehand :/

[Aussie Legs]

I'm planning on a NOBO hike in March 2015 so I have time still...

[Don H]

Maybe get to Atlanta a little early and visit an REI store, there are four of them around Atlanta.
REI has a large selection of packs and the employees are knowledgable in fitting them.

http://www.rei.com (http://www.rei.com)

[Aussie Legs]

I have considered that but would prefer to do a few hikes with the pack before heading out...! Plus I can only get a 6 month visa so every day in the USA counts. I love looking at REI and am going to be buying a lot of my other gear off there for sure!!

[Almost There]

Personally, I would recommend the Osprey Exos 48 or 58. Lightweight packs, and they are gender neutral. If you did go this route make sure you get the 2014 model as they redesigned the hipbelt and shoulder straps which has greatly improved an already great pack. That being said both the Aura and Ariel are great women specific packs...I have seen all three on the trail this year being carried by women.

I also would recommend waiting till you get to Atlanta, but understand your desire to physically try your pack of choice. Good Luck!

[CalebJ]

What changed to improve the new Exos version? I haven't seen one up close yet. From the pictures it looks like they just added a bit of foam padding to the straps/belt.

[Aussie Legs]

Thanks for the advice... I've heard of those packs too so might look in to them. If I were to purchase one from the REI website and found it to not fit... would they let me send it back?

[CalebJ]

REI is great about returning gear. No worries there.

[Starchild]

You don't like the sound of the packs? Do you mean you do not like the name of them or company name or what the name denotes, don't like some noise they make while hiking? Perhaps this is a cross cultural issue and would like to know what you mean by that phrase?

Also you might try a unisex pack, for if you have a female pack and leave it in a hostel along side a male pack, well you know what happens there :banana, you will wonder why your pack is getting heavier :-? then all of a sudden 2-3 youth packs pop out one morning :eek:.

But really have you tried other non-female specific packs?

[slbirdnerd]

The Osprey packs are very well liked, great packs, but I found their women's packs didn't fit me right. Don't box yourself in to women's specific packs, try on all the men's packs too. I ended up with a men's Gregory Z65 and I'm pretty happy with it so far. Also, great suggestions above and REI has terrific customer service as do most of the pack manufacturers.

[Aussie Legs]

[QUOTE=Starchild;1864680]You don't like the sound of the packs? Do you mean you do not like the name of them or company name or what the name denotes, don't like some noise they make while hiking? Perhaps this is a cross cultural issue and would like to know what you mean by that phrase.QUOTE]

Yes this must be a cross cultural mistranslation! I mean that the Ariel seemed quite heavy and the Aura was described as being for light weight only - just going off what the website says :)

By the way, what are "youth packs"? I get the joke regardless :p

There are 2-3 unisex packs available so I'll try them out next time I'm in the city :)

[Starchild]

By the way, what are "youth packs"? I get the joke regardless :p


Packs for children

[magic_game03]

Die hard Osprey fanatic here. I'm about to order my fifth pack from Osprey in a few days when the 20% coupon from REI comes out (March 28th.) These packs are great and so is the company.

First, skip the Ariel. 70L is huge! I don't even cary a 70L when I mountaineer and have to cary ropes, crampons, ice axes, and a 4 season tent. Second, I'd go out on a limb and say the Aura 50L is actually a perfect pack for thru-hiking if you are not an ultra-light snob. If you have more stuff than will fit into a 50L bag, then you are carrying too much stuff! I personally don't consider 3 lbs to be a heavy bag, especially when the bag is practically bomb-proof. I might go into more detail if this thread continues on but for now I'd recommend you seriously consider the Aura 50L.

[q-tip]

I tried several packs bought online. ULA was great, but I couldn't fit all my gear inside the pack, I did end up with a GG VC Crown that I relpaced med. for small and had to get a different size belt. It took a while but finally got the best fit and pack for me. Just a thought.....

[Venchka]

Die hard Osprey fanatic here. I'm about to order my fifth pack from Osprey in a few days when the 20% coupon from REI comes out (March 28th.) These packs are great and so is the company.

First, skip the Ariel. 70L is huge! I don't even cary a 70L when I mountaineer and have to cary ropes, crampons, ice axes, and a 4 season tent. Second, I'd go out on a limb and say the Aura 50L is actually a perfect pack for thru-hiking if you are not an ultra-light snob. If you have more stuff than will fit into a 50L bag, then you are carrying too much stuff! I personally don't consider 3 lbs to be a heavy bag, especially when the bag is practically bomb-proof. I might go into more detail if this thread continues on but for now I'd recommend you seriously consider the Aura 50L.

Sound advice. "A bird in the hand", or in your case, a pack you can try on and make sure that it fits, is golden. You could easily spend the cost of a different pack in postage back & forth to get one that fits you correctly. In backpacks, fit, fit, fit is everything. Give the Aura a try.

Wayne

[bigcranky]

My wife has an Ariel 55, and loves it. Of all the many, many, many packs she has tried on or used over the years, this is the one that fits and carries the best. It's from 2006, so it's several generations old, and I see that Osprey is suffering from "feature creep" and the new Ariels are - of course - heavier by several ounces or more. Hers is right under 4 pounds, which I think is ungodly heavy for a pack, but she's the one who has to carry it, and she often says it's her "luxury item" that makes the hike more enjoyable. Works for me.

The Ariel 70 will be pretty big, but of course I don't know what else you will be putting inside it. If you have "traditional" gear*, like a 4 pound synthetic sleeping bag, 5 pound tent, a big liquid fuel stove and a giant stainless steel cookset, the A70 might be the perfect pack. :) Perhaps you could try on the A70 for awhile and see how it feels, and if you love it the shop can get whatever the current smaller model might be.

The Aura 50 is definitely made for lighter loads -- not the serious ultralight that current UL practicioners practice, but it won't likely be comfortable above 30 pounds (and maybe not above 25.) So if you have a light weight kit, with a base weight in the 12-15 pound range (that's everything except food, water, and fuel), the Aura should work. So it might be worth trying this one with 25 pounds in it to see what you think.

Everything comes down to 2 questions: does it hold your other gear, and does it fit and carry well?

Good luck and happy trails.



*traditional gear like a lot of us carried lo these many years ago :)

[Almost There]

What changed to improve the new Exos version? I haven't seen one up close yet. From the pictures it looks like they just added a bit of foam padding to the straps/belt.

The old hip belt was two thin belts that provided almost zero support, and there was almost zero padding on the shoulder straps...been carrying a 58 since they first came out. The new one has a thicker and wider hipbelt, newer materials, and a more padded shoulder straps. I tried one on the other day, to me it has been greatly improved as I already loved the pack, but hated the hipbelt...the new hipbelt will have me ordering one in the next couple of weeks for my summer hike. 2.8lbs for a large size. Also, they've added a waterproof flap underneath the top pouch so that you can ditch the top pouch if you want, and not worry about getting gear wet on the inside. It really is a better pack than the previous version.

[CalebJ]

I like the sound of the lid. Interestingly the padding on the belt and straps never bothered me, but I'm only using a 34 and it rarely exceeds 20lbs.

[Almost There]

I like the sound of the lid. Interestingly the padding on the belt and straps never bothered me, but I'm only using a 34 and it rarely exceeds 20lbs.

Didn't bother me as much last year, but I had lost 30lbs from the year before...personal preference, but I prefer a more substantial hipbelt. Either way, I think the 58 is the perfect thru-hiker pack.

[Aussie Legs]

Thanks for the advice everyone - I think I panicked at the lack of packs available but I'm sure I can find the right fit from what Mainpeak has to offer :) I'm used to carrying an ancient Coleman pack that my Dad bought for himself in 1996 so I'm sure most other packs will be comfortable compared to that!