pack choices
hey everybody
Looking for a bit of advice- I'm torn between buying a Osprey aether 60 or a Mountainsmith auspex. Can anyone out there help me out?
Aether 60
We love our Aether 60's but the Gregory z-pack has a lot more support for the same weight. I am seriously looking at this pack. I wonder what it really weights. You can remove the lid. The vapor trails pack looks pretty sweet (from granite gear) and it's a pound lighter.
So, all I did was introduce more options. sorry...
also no experience with the mountainsmith
Gravity Man
Gravityman
I hear a lot of good things about the Ospreys. The mtnsmith seems to be light and large. The Z pack and is another option. Too many choices. Thanks for the reply.--
Both packs are good packs, and as others will post, there are also several other good packs to consider. Now, not to give you a non-anwer, but the right pack is what works for you. If you haven't already done so, take all your gear, food, and water, and go to your local outfitter. Then, load up both packs, and try carrying them around for a while.Originally Posted by jdubs74
(Myself, I didn't like the way the Mountainsmith packs fit me, but you may be different).
I own an Aether 60 and the Vapor Trail. I recently got to try out the Z-pack for a few miles on the trail, and have very limited experience with the Auspex. My experience is that the Aether is the most comfortable pack I have ever used for 40 lbs or less. The hip strap is amazing and I found that the pack could easily be adjusted to fit me perfectly. When I use the Vapor Trail with less than 22lbs I have actually forgotten I am wearing it, it is almost as comfortable as the Aether 60 up to the mid 20s, and is reasonable comfortable for >30lbs. I didn't find the Auspex anywhere near as comfortable as either of these packs, though some people seem to love this pack. I found the Z pack somewhat less comfortable than the Vapor Trail.
My two cents
I've worn an Osprey on all of my long hikes except the first...when I didn't know any better.
One of these packs has over 10,000 trail miles on it; its replacement is going strong.
My problems over the years have been minor, and when they arose, the company has a superb customer service department.
Along with my Mountain Hardware tent, which has been along on 7 thru-hikes and is still in fine shape, there is no outdor company I hold in higher regard than Osprey packs.
(And no, I am not getting paid to say this!!)
Thanks for all the help. Hope to get up to Portland this weekend and make a purchase.
I've heard a lot of good things about the Osprey Aether series but ended up going with the Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone. It's a pound heavier than the Vapor Trail but has a better framesheet that should be able to easily handle 35 pounds in the infrequent situations where I need to carry more food. I posted a review here.
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
i use the Osprey Aether 60.
advice: make sure it says "c-o-m-p-o-s-i-t-e" on the side. there are still a few last years make that have a problem with the stays wearing through the rubber end caps. the newer make look exactly alike but has "composite" stiched on the side. i think the are plastic T-caps on the new one. anyway i went thru 3 packs last year before osprey sent me the newer model. now i have ~1500 miles on the new one and it is in great shape.
magic
less miles than jack
Backpack
I don't know much about the mountainsmith, but I have an osprey and love it. It handles just about everything I can throw at it and is still going strong. I tried the z-pack the other day at Campmor and absolutely hated it. With twenty pounds it felt like I was carrying a ton, all on my shoulders. I then threw roughly 25 pounds in the osprey they had there and barely felt a thing.
I feel I must say this again or I won't be able to sleep at night so here it goes...
In the 10 plus years I have worked in the Outdoor Industry I have never seen a pack company with more problems in design, construction, failures and fit than Mountainsmith. They build a very poor pack compared to such manufacturers as Gregory, Osprey and others. I would strongly recommend staying away from any Mountainsmith product, this is from experience on the trail, in the shop, behind the sewing machine and from very pissed off hikers and customers.
I don't have the time or energy to list all their problems, all Mountainsmith builds is light garbage. Buyer Beware!
Hi Stranger,
I think I have "heard" you say this before about Mountainsmith (unless I am confusing you with someone else), but when you post these comments no-one seems to either agree or disagree. When you precede your comments with an obvious qualification I guess ,myself included ,your opinion is respected.I notice you are now living in New Zealand, not a big market for US brands, so (respectfully
Last edited by Coolabah; 03-08-2004 at 22:19.
Local outfitter
Thanks for your post. It's knowledge like this that you expect from a local outfitter.
Good reason to talk with your local outfitter before you buy. They know what equipment works and what equipment does not.
I am not concerned whether or not people agree or disagree with my, and many other people in the outdoor industrys', opinions...simply because that won't change the history of Mountainsmith packs. I do not work in the industry any more...and yes products here in NZ are very different from the US market, but I worked in the US industry until August of 2002.
Unless they have done something very different and substantial in the last year...and from what I've seen in my visits home they haven't, I simply cannot recommend any pack from them. Your Auspex may fit you well, or you may think it fits you well, and you may have had nothing but positive things to say about it...but from my experience this is not common.
My past employer, from 1993-2002, was Campmor on Rte. 17 in Jersey, about 20 miles from the AT crossing. I have approx a thousand pack fits, 3000 miles hiked, design, product testing, troubleshooting and consulting experience to my name. And more importantly I cannot say this about another pack company, I can't think of another company that has had such a bad track record, I'm sorry but that's my experience...and it's alot of experience, sorry if that offends you.
I really don't care what people use...but if someone asks about Mountainsmith on here I will voice my opinion because I feel there is a host of much better options out there. Nothing is black and white, and I'm sure you're very happy with your pack...I would be curious to see what happens in the future though. I just cannot support anything they build, not with the immense competition they have from other manufacturers.
Thanks for your further comments Stranger ! I would be an idiot to try and disagree with you ( not that I really was in the first place- just requesting clarification), as there is no doubt from this and other threads that you must know a lot about backpacking and equipment. From what you say, it is probably just a matter of time before my Auspex leaves me high and dry. I think I might start carrying that needle & thread kit again...........
A word of advice...watch the stiching where the stays meet the hipbelt, if they still terminate within the hipbelt...and watch the lumbar pad. If you feel like the lumbar pad is getting thinner, that's cause it is, the foam will break down quicker than it should. You can counter this by having someone (who knows what they're doing) bend the stays to create more lumbar support. It's not hard by any means, but many people who bend stays haven't been properly trained. Use your judgement.
So I live in a remote area(southern oregon), and there aren't many outfitters around. I called up to eugene and portland trying to locate some packs. Nobody i spoke with stocked what i was looking for. Best bet was to order packs online and return what didn't work. All the packs came around the same day-gregory shakra and g pack, mtnsmith auspex, and osprey aether 60. After a few days of toting 25ish lb. loads around the yard- the osprey took home the prize. Thanks for all the advice.
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