Osprey Exos 58 vs 46

[jrabbott]

I am looking at both of these packs for section hikes this summer. Does anyone have experience with either one? I am 5'11" 175...the large at REI fit me great and is ultra light!!! Just looking for feedback on the packs and which one I should go with. Usually buy everything on EBay!!!

Thanks!!

[rocketsocks]

Just orderd the Exos 58 in a lg. could have got it cheaper here, but see what you can find, many places are selling for $219


"Slowmind" shot me this link last night, I looked at the 46, and for me..just wasn't ready to go that low...to a sceard right now, gotta get my gear right first....In a way, I'll achieve this by putting the cart before the horse, so now I'm forced to change, or suffer flatulence.

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

I have the Exos 58 & I love it. great pack. It is light & yet is is not just a bag with straps, it has some of the 'nice' extras that make living with it just more convenient eg. pockets on the hip belt for camera, snacks etc.

The frame is very rigid compared to most other lightweight packs so I would be very careful to make sure it fits you well. I could see some people not being very comfortable with it. Load it up with your typical pack weight & leave it on for a while before you buy one. Packs are like shoes, I prefer to buy them in store rather than online so I can make sure they fit.

Also, it is a typical lightweight pack, the materials are not super durable & you will need to take care of it. (Not a criticism of this pack)

I went for the 58 rather than the 46 just to have a bit more room. All my gear will fit into the 46, but if I am out for more than just couple of days, my food bag makes the 46 just a bit too tight..especially once the hiker appetite kicks in

[rocketsocks]

I have the Exos 58 & I love it. great pack. It is light & yet is is not just a bag with straps, it has some of the 'nice' extras that make living with it just more convenient eg. pockets on the hip belt for camera, snacks etc.

The frame is very rigid compared to most other lightweight packs so I would be very careful to make sure it fits you well. I could see some people not being very comfortable with it. Load it up with your typical pack weight & leave it on for a while before you buy one. Packs are like shoes, I prefer to buy them in store rather than online so I can make sure they fit.

Also, it is a typical lightweight pack, the materials are not super durable & you will need to take care of it. (Not a criticism of this pack)

I went for the 58 rather than the 46 just to have a bit more room. All my gear will fit into the 46, but if I am out for more than just couple of days, my food bag makes the 46 just a bit too tight..especially once the hiker appetite kicks in

So glad to here this, been wanting a new pack for a looong time. I was kinda hoping the extra room would com in handy for the reasons you said, and to carry some of my luxury items...extra town shirt, one book, food o'coarse, and maybe an extra heavier jacket for colder weather....appreciate your comments and incite.

Post script; read some pretty bad reviews, but most seemed to deal with what you suggest...Do Not Over Load.

[kevin wells]

I have a 46 large. So its actually 48. My base without consumables is about 15#. It works great for me and love the quick stow for trekking poles. It is tight with food but it forces me to cut pack weight.

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

So glad to here this, been wanting a new pack for a looong time. I was kinda hoping the extra room would com in handy for the reasons you said, and to carry some of my luxury items...extra town shirt, one book, food o'coarse, and maybe an extra heavier jacket for colder weather....appreciate your comments and incite.

Post script; read some pretty bad reviews, but most seemed to deal with what you suggest...Do Not Over Load.

yes, I find the 58 better for winter trips when I have a bulkier sleeping bag & more clothing.

I did replace the buckle on the hip belt when I got it. The standard buckle is one of those small, lightweight cut-away ones & it just worried me that it would break on a trip. I replaced it with a standard one. Luckily the design of the straps means you can do this easily with no need for cutting/stitching of the waist belt.

[jrabbott]

I have a 46 large. So its actually 48. My base without consumables is about 15#. It works great for me and love the quick stow for trekking poles. It is tight with food but it forces me to cut pack weight.

I was leaning towards the bigger pack since I might be packing extra stuff for my tag alongs on 2 or 3 nights...but like you stated it forces you to cut pack weight and make those decisions on what are necessities vs luxuries. This is a great discussion as most of the others on the PACK threads are for ULA packs but I really like the Osprey Exos........

[rocketsocks]

yes, I find the 58 better for winter trips when I have a bulkier sleeping bag & more clothing.

I did replace the buckle on the hip belt when I got it. The standard buckle is one of those small, lightweight cut-away ones & it just worried me that it would break on a trip. I replaced it with a standard one. Luckily the design of the straps means you can do this easily with no need for cutting/stitching of the waist belt.

Excelent idea, that looked a little substandard to me too. I do like how the belt splits to help form and guide the inherent design of the hip pads, but again that buckle looked spooky. +1 Kaptain K

[Matt2012]

I took the large 46 on my thru hike last year. Winter base weight with no consumables was 17lbs, summer was 14lbs. I never had to strap anything to the outside. The heaviest my pack got was somewhere in the low 30s but was usually high teens.

My big items were the following.

Marmot atom 40 with liner
Tarptent rainbow
Big Agnes tall insulated air core
Down Patagonia sweater
Marmot precip
13 L food bag

I think you should go to rei with your gear and load one up to see what works for you.

In the end, I loved the pack. I did have some wear, mainly with holes in the mesh and hip belt pockets but I also threw this thing around without worrying about the toughness.
Best of all is that after I got home, I contacted Osprey for repairs. I sent them my old pack and they ended up sending me a new one!

Keep in mind Rei will have a 20% off in march so it could be cheaper there instead of eBay.

[Matt2012]

I had no issues with the small hip buckle.

[Captain Skivvies]

I like my Exos but it is a lightwieght pack and doesn't handle bigger loads very comfortably. Otherwise no complaints at all.

[jrabbott]

I like my Exos but it is a lightwieght pack and doesn't handle bigger loads very comfortably. Otherwise no complaints at all.

What do you think the max load is with this pack?

[kevin wells]

Max load they say is 30#. But u could go heavier. The shoulder straps are thin so it becomes slightly uncomfortable after a while. As long as I stay under that its a remarkable pack. I have nothing bad to say. But that's me. HYOH

[rocketsocks]

Max load they say is 30#. But u could go heavier. The shoulder straps are thin so it becomes slightly uncomfortable after a while. As long as I stay under that its a remarkable pack. I have nothing bad to say. But that's me. HYOH

I was wondering the same about the shoulder straps, and see some in photos wearing additional padding, always an option I spose.

[nastynate]

With my synthetic bag and synthetic sleeping layers, there is no way I could fit a food bag in a 46. My 58 is just big enough. I have a minimal gear list, but bulky.

[colorado_rob]

I own the Exos 46, and it is definitely my go-to pack for trips when 25-30 pounds total weight suffices (summer BP trips with a max of 6-7 days of food). I really like the pack overall.

That being said, I personally would not carry more than 30 lbs, tops. My 46 starts to get uncomfortable over about 25. Basically, the straps are not padded enough nor is the hip belt supportive enough for heavier loads. And looking at the two packs side-by-side on REI.com, the 58 looks to have the same straps and belt as the 46, so I would say the same thing about the Exos 58; 25-30 pounds, tops.

[Mfrenchy]

Hey Jrabbit, I Thru-Hiked this past season with a medium Exos 46 and loved it. I am 5'10" and was 175lbs when I finished, but started at 200lbs. I would not have wanted a larger pack at all. My max weight was probably around 25 to 28 pounds, but that was with cold weater clothes in the beginning with a full food bag. I tried a large before I left, but it was too long on my torso so I went with the medium.

[skinewmexico]

I moved the same load from a 46, to a GG Mariposa Plus, to a Jam2. I thought the 46 was going to cut me in two. Most uncomfortable pack I've ever owned with 25#. Sold my 46 to finance a ULA Circuit, and my 58 to buy a ULA Catalyst. Couldn't be happier, and I helped some people in Utah make a payroll.

[jrabbott]

[QUOTE=Mfrenchy;1414741]Hey Jrabbit, I Thru-Hiked this past season with a medium Exos 46 and loved it. I am 5'10" and was 175lbs when I finished, but started at 200lbs. I would not have wanted a larger pack at all. My max weight was probably around 25 to 28 pounds, but that was with cold weater clothes in the beginning with a full food bag. I tried a large before I left, but it was too long on my torso so I went with the medium.

Thanks!!! That was enlightening!! I really want to keep the big three under 3 lbs ea!!!! gave me some great ideas!!

[CarlZ993]

I own the 58. I've done quite a bit of hiking in it. It's okay for the most part. The shoulder straps are a bit thin. On longish hikes, however, the waist belt gets to me too big for my waist. This happened on my 185M hike in the Sierras last summer. As I lost weight, I couldn't properly cinch down the waist belt. I felt more of the pack weight on my shoulders. I'm not carrying it on my thru-hike because of that issue.

Note: I was about 5 - 10 lbs heavier when I bought the pack. I always lose weight on my longish hikes. It scares me what I'll lose on the thru-hike.