the perfect pack

[Thumper 2006]

I have finally found the perfect pack. After months of the "pack question" i purchased the crescent 70 from Osprey. It is one of the packs from there new production line. It is 4300 cubic inches and is well balanced with all the weight in it. Does anyone have any experiences with this company and if so please inform me

[SalParadise]

I carried a Crescent from Springer into the Smokies, allbeit one of those gigantic, too-heavy mountaineering models. Weight aside, it really fit great and was very comfortable, with a particularly good hip belt. I've tried other brands of packs, but won't hike with anything other than an Osprey now.

[Kerosene]

Osprey is a well known and well respected pack vendor.

[The Will]

I've owned an Osprey Aether 60 for about eight months and have been extremely pleased with the way it carries for its weight and suspension system. No regrets.

[lightning]

i've had my aether 60 for 3 years. two sendbacks for repair and adjustments. service was fast and friendly. i love the pack now and plan to use it for my thru-hike.

[MadAussieInLondon]

the crescent is basically the really heavy version of the aether, at 6.14 pounds for the c70. the a60=3lb and a75=5lbs.

i started with an aether 75, found it too big for me, the hipbelt kept going down once i lost a little weight and they didnt make a smaller one. the 75 was waaaaaaaay too huge, i was basically only half filling it (all my stuff fits snug into a 45L pack).

the build quality is good on the osprey packs, and Osprey is a great responsive company (i emailed them on friday and got a reply today).

myself, will never buy such a big pack every again, unless Im doing a solo summit attempt on everest :) its way too much overkill for the AT, and I'm no 'ultralighter'.

i should add my aether75 carried near 53lb at the start of my AT04 hike without any hassle. (dont ask!!).

if your taking it on the AT05, I think its too big and too much overkill and far too heavy, the aether60 would have been a better choice.

[PROFILE]

Leigh and I both carry Ospry. I carry the Aether Leigh carries the Isis. We both carrried them on out thru hike and loved them. Leigh will not even look at another pack. I tried some lighter weight packs and keep returning to the Ospry. Every lightweight pack when packed with the same gear felt as if I carring more weight. My Ospry weighs a litle over 5 lbs but the comfort and feel are all worth it. For referance I carry 26 lbs of gear (includes the pack four days food and 1 liter of water)

I think you are making a great choice. Listen to the nay-sayers. Try out the others if you have the time. You will find out what works best for you.