View Full Version : Osprey Aether 60
I'm close to making my first big purchase -- the Osprey Aether 60 backpack. I read as many reviews as I could find, and this particular pack seems to be well-suited for my needs, mostly because it seems to be a bit more "forgiving" to rookies (i.e. able to withstand banging around, easier to adjust, etc). That said, some reviews stated that the hipbelt tends to crumple when the pack weight approaches 40 lbs. and also that the side mesh pockets were not able to hold large Nalgene bottles. I wrote to Customer Service at Osprey to get their response, and I thought that it might be useful to some if I copy/paste their answer:
"Because the hipbelt on the Aether 60 is sewn-in, we provide a $25 service where we change the pads. The Aether series is designed for lightweight backpacking, so the design is excellent for loads that stay under 45 to 50 lbs. If you load this pack with this kind of weight consistently, the integrity of the suspension begins to sag and the comfort level decreases.
The side pockets were redesigned so that they can now accommodate a 32 oz Nalgene. Thanks for your interest and inquiry. Catalogs are on the way.
Elaine Berube
Customer Service
P: 970.564.5900 ext. 10
F: 970.565.2120
www.ospreypacks.com
I hope that you have taken all your gear to an outfitter and tried on the pack with it loaded up with all your gear. That way, you know if it is the pack is the appropriate size for your gear, food, and water, and how it feels to you.
Conventional wisdom is to buy all your other gear first, and then buy your pack.
Jack Tarlin
09-30-2004, 17:52
Danion---
Thanks for sending along your post, especially the comments from Osprey. This is EXACTLY the type of information that makes Whiteblaze such a useful site.
For what it's worth, I've had a bit of experience with Osprey's Customer Service and Warranty/Repair office (tho not much experience as in 16,000 miles using Ospreys I haven't had a whole lotta problems).
I've always found their staff to be courteous, friendly, knowledgable, and most of all, extraordinarily efficient. This is, in my opinion, one of the best gear companies out there.
Final note: I had the opportunity this year to help out several of my friends that own and operate Outfitter shops right on the A.T. In so doing, I helped a lot of folks try on, and in many cases, switch over to new backpacks because of various issues with the packs they already had----not big enough, too big, uncomfortable, falling apart, etc.
I'll be honest. Osprey wasn't the most popular pack on the Trail this year, and it wasn't the pack that most "unhappy" folks switched over to. In point of fact, Granite Gear probably was.
But Osprey was right up there; I sold dozens of folks on Osprey packs this year, in most cases the Aether 60 or 75. And I ran into many of them later on in the Trail----Erwin, Damascus, Pearisburg, and so on. In fact, two weeks ago I ran into a guy in Caratunk, Maine, who made a point of telling me how happy he was with the pack I'd helped him select back in Harper's Ferry.
And I'm yet to hear back from anyone who was unhappy with their decision.
Which is good; I'd hate to have helped convince a thru-hiker to buy something they ended up dis-liking.
(P.S. I don't sell gear on commission; I'm not now or ever have been in Osprey's employ; while I have field-tested some packs for Osprey in the past, and reviewed their stuff favorably for Backpacker and elsewhere, I'm not paid or compensated for speaking favorably about their stuff.....I simply think it's great gear and I have no problem saying so).
Crazy_Al
09-30-2004, 19:48
I own a Osprey Aether 60 and I do not think you could get 45 or 50 pounds of gear in it as suggested in the letter below.
I'm close to making my first big purchase -- the Osprey Aether 60 backpack. I read as many reviews as I could find, and this particular pack seems to be well-suited for my needs, mostly because it seems to be a bit more "forgiving" to rookies (i.e. able to withstand banging around, easier to adjust, etc). That said, some reviews stated that the hipbelt tends to crumple when the pack weight approaches 40 lbs. and also that the side mesh pockets were not able to hold large Nalgene bottles. I wrote to Customer Service at Osprey to get their response, and I thought that it might be useful to some if I copy/paste their answer:
"Because the hipbelt on the Aether 60 is sewn-in, we provide a $25 service where we change the pads. The Aether series is designed for lightweight backpacking, so the design is excellent for loads that stay under 45 to 50 lbs. If you load this pack with this kind of weight consistently, the integrity of the suspension begins to sag and the comfort level decreases.
The side pockets were redesigned so that they can now accommodate a 32 oz Nalgene. Thanks for your interest and inquiry. Catalogs are on the way.
Elaine Berube
Customer Service
P: 970.564.5900 ext. 10
F: 970.565.2120
www.ospreypacks.com
Alligator
09-30-2004, 20:05
I own a Osprey Aether 60 and I do not think you could get 45 or 50 pounds of gear in it as suggested in the letter below.
I own one also. The pack would be "unhappy" with 45-50 lbs. I think that about 35 lbs is as much as you want to put in there. I'm usually in the 25-35 lb range fully loaded, and have not had any problems with it. I think it's three years old now. It's good to know that they could repack the hip belt. I have an older one, and they improved the padding after mine.
Jack is right once again. The osprey packs will go the distance and are great packs. I was stupid and didn't purchase mine until after my hike. I have the Aeather 45 and I love the thing. I would recommend it to anyone doing a long distance hike or even a weekend hike.
The water bottle issue is a small one. The pack is designed to accommodate a hydration system. I used a system with mixed results. If you don't like that idea, the side pockets are large enough to put small bike water bottle in them. They are nice because they are smaller, and have that nice bite nipple on the top. Give it a try sometime. Two of them would make about a quart. You could keep a full nalgen inside your pack for more storage capacity, and refill the small ones off of that.
For what its worth, my brother and I share both an Osprey Aether 60 and 75 and love them. Osprey makes great packs. I haven't had any problems with mine so far, but I do know that you can fit a nalgene bottle in them (I think mine is an '02). The 60 definately won't comfortably carry the kind of weight you are planning on, but one of the larger packs would probably do the job if you don't want to cut back on the weight.
That being said, I think the Aether 60 is a great transitional pack for those who are dropping pack weight but haven't / don't want to go ultralight. It carries fairly heavy loads (35 lbs) and the compression system works great on small light loads that don't fill the entire pack.
Good luck on whatever packs you decide to go with.
matt
I've had the 60 for 8 months now. Honestly I love it. It's comfortable and versatile. That being said I've recently had one of the stys break trough the fabric at the top. I've never carried over 25 lbs. Osprey has a lifetime guarantee on their packs, so I sent it (via the retailer) for repair. Not a big deal right now, but I'm worried that it could happen again during my thruhike next year.
I often use a Nalgene with mine, and it fits fine. The side pocket is also open on the front side, so you can grab your bottle without taking your pack off or asking a friend.
Some advise, if you are moving to lightweight gear, I would invest in a pack last. Your existing gear may to too heavy and too big to fit in it. Get your sub 4lbs tent and sub 2lbs sleeping bag and short matress first.