Osprey Stratos 24

I completed a tour of the South Dakota Badlands and Black Hills last summer, and this pack performed flawlessly. It is very comfortable for loads up to about 18 pounds (the maximum I carried on this trip). The Air Core back panel is great for ventilation, and the shoulder straps and hipbelt are very comfy. I did notice the suspension creaking once in a while, but it was minor and not an irritant. The pack itself is not ultra-light (2 lbs, 12 oz. in large), but that's not a concern for short hikes anyway.

When the pack first arrived I was concerned that it was far too small (the curved back panel makes it look that way), but it stretches and swallows much more than you'd think. Like another reviewer noted, though, it's not ideal for flat, bulky items like books or laptops--I don't think this would make a good commuter/student pack.

I like the dual-hydration option (one in the pack, one in the mesh backpanel), since I do a fair amount of hot-weather and desert hiking. Obviously using the interior hydration sleeve uses up pack space, but even then I still find plenty of room for a tarp, softshell jacket, first aid kit, and assorted sundries. In fact, if you pack light you'll find enough room for an overnighter or even maybe a fair-weather weekend in it. The small zippered pouch uses up main pack space but is very handy for small stuff. Speaking of small stuff, the hipbelt pockets are big enough for a small GPS, knife, and maybe a pocket digital camera, but not much more. They sure are handy, though.

The external compression system is excellent (I used it to carry a lightweight tripod) as are the little looped zipper pulls. The curved side pockets look shallow but hold a 16 to 20-ounce bottle securely. The front stretch pocket is quite handy as well, and deep enough that I don't worry about things falling out.

I wish the shoulder straps were perforated like the Atmos series, but otherwise I can't find anything to nitpick. This pack seems very well made and I expect it to last a long, long time.

A note on sizing: I tried the medium but found that the shoulder straps pinched in too far and felt constricting (I have a 44 inch-plus chest with a relatively short torso). The large is a bit "tall" feeling but overall is a much better fit. Big and barrel-chested guys might find this useful especially when you're ordering on-line.

This is a great backpack. I have used it on various weekend trips in and around Utah. The Aircore works really well to keep you cool and helps keep the load off of your back and onto your hips (where it belongs).

I also used this backpack to travel to Europe. I was able to strap a car seat (for my 2-year-old) to the back of it while carrying a full load inside the backpack, and it worked perfect. This made it very convenient for carrying the car seat and various other supplies through the airport with ease. Yes, it fits down the aisle of a plane just fine with the car seat strapped to it.

Once in Europe, this pack made the perfect sight-seeing pack. I carried a fairly large SLR camera (w/two lenses) and also my video camera in the backpack along with a day’s worth of supplies and it was perfect for walking around a foreign city for a day. As several of the previous reviews have said, this backpack makes any load feel lighter, and it is true…I don’t know how, but this backpack just makes any load feel lighter.

A note to any outdoorsmen who may own and carry rifles into the backcountry, this backpack carries a full size rifle just fine using one of the side pockets and the upper side strap. I carried a 30-06 for an entire day of hiking through steep terrain (appx 5 miles that day) and it worked great. Once I balanced the load, I didn’t even know it was there.

As other reviews have stated, do not plan on carrying a laptop in this pack.

Zippers, cloth and overall durability of this pack are sound. I have strained the zippers several times and have never once had a zipper malfunction.

I am 6’0, 200 lbs with broad shoulders and the Large size fits perfect.

Overall, I give this pack 5 stars and recommend it for any 0-3 day treks.

Man, do I love this pack. It's just the perfect day pack for every outdoor activity I've thrown at it, regardless of the season. In summer it's got more than enough room for any gear and supplies I might need for a day on the trails bagging peaks. The aircore really does work quite well... keeping the air between you and the pack moving. Super comfortable pack and the compression straps do a nice job of getting you an evenly distributed load when you're not carrying a lot of gear to fill the pack out with.
If you're hiking far from available water sources in the summer, this pack will easily carry 7L of water without really putting much of a dent in the main gear compartment... you can put 1L Nalgenes or Sigg canteens in each of the side stretch pockets, a 2L camelbak in the interior hydration sleeve, and a 3L camelbak in the aircore venting area between the pack and your back.

In winter I've managed to fit all of the following in/on it and it carried it all very comfortably: 2L camelbak, 1L Sigg, hat, gloves, fleece mittens w/ shells, balaclava, rain shell, extra mid-layers (top and bottoms), down parka in stuff sack, food, first aid kit, SPOT, compass, maps, extra socks, crampons, trekking poles, MSR snowshoes, and my emergency kit (headlamp, fire starters, Gerber, etc). And probably a few other things I'm forgetting. It just swallows gear.

One important thing to remember... this is a piece of technical gear.... not a book bag. It doesn't fit your laptop because it's not supposed to fit your laptop. Laptops aren't considered 'packable'. There's plenty of great book bags and days packs available that will. But this isn't it.

TropX's review below is how my experience has been with this pack but I wanted to add a few more things.

First, the water-resistant level of this pack is pretty good for most conditions. But, soon after purchasing the pack, I found myself exposed in a downpour and found my gear to be a little wet. It wasn't serious but I went ahead and applied the Nikwax Tent and Gear spray to make sure things stay dry. And so far they have, even through good size rain storms. I also purchased the Osprey Raincover (small) to use if I know I will be hiking in strong thuderstorms or heavy snow.

Also, as far as the side pockets go with water bottles, the nalgene 1 liter bottles fit fine. I find myself having to take off the pack though to take it out. But if I have a 8 oz. Arrowhead water bottle in there, I can take it out without having to take the pack off. Not a problem to me but I know others asked about that.

As far as size goes, I am 6'3" 250 lbs. and went with the large. It fits great. The straps do touch the neck sometimes but it doesn't effect the comfort in my opinion.

Bottom line: Fits extremely well, making it comfortable and has the right amount of pockets, straps, etc., to make it great for day hikes.

I recommend this pack whenever someone asks for my opinion on a good day hike pack. I also get lots of questions and praise whenever someone takes a look at it. Another solid product for my gear collection.

I have/use the Osprey Stratos 40 but needed a smaller bag for day hikes. I'm 6'1" 230 lbs, and it hard to find day packs that fit my large frame. I opted to get this bag due to it's torso length is the same. It holds everything I need for my day hikes. Including 2 bladders (if needed), my rain jacket, one extra layer, first aid, camera gear, all of my essentials, trekking poles and my ice axe (thanks to very thought out and convenient double ice tool loops. All of this is compressed down with a couple of straps. I can even run in this bag, and can hold my 32 lbs dog in the main compartment with his head hanging out when he gets too tired. The pockets built in to the belt are perfect for a odwalla bar, the point and shoot, energy gels, and my leatherman. It survived a lot of rain, but could still use a rain cover. The hydration tube has to go through 2 holes to get out of the bag from the main compartment, which is kind of a hassle. The straps are the most comfortable and stretchy water bottle pockets and the large pocket on the back are durable and haven't gotten stretched out. I use this bag all over the Rockies in Montana and it has performed well above average!

I bought the Stratos 24 to provide a more supportive way of carrying heavier objects while I zip around the city on my bicycle. I also plan it use it day hiking a lot. There's a few great things about the pack, and a few things that are a bit frustrating. The pack is beautifully fitting and the straps work excellently. It's got a funky waist strap that is just such nice design, it makes you happy every time you use it. The internal frame on the bottom of the bag digs a little bit into your hips if you're twisting and turning a lot, especially if you're on a bicycle where the bag rides a bit higher than usual. The compression straps work great for tying down my lock and extra cable. The biggest problem, though -- if I'm carrying laptop inside, I just can barely fit anything else. The inside of the bag is curved, so anything big and square just takes up an exorbitant amount of space and it's very difficult to fit anything else in the bag. It'd be fine for day hiking, where you need soft clothing, water and maybe a camera, but for actually loading up extra shoes and such, it's a bummer. Weird shape. Also, it's not waterproof. Overall: great fit, great features, not perfect for my purposes. ~g

I've had this guy for a couple years now and love it as a day-hiking pack. I've never carried weight as comfortably as I do in this backpack; it feels more like part of your body than it does like a pack. The Air Core is brilliant and keeps the sweat off your back (although you're still gonna sweat where the straps come around your shoulders) and works as a cool place to store your water bladder. The pack also has reasonably handy pockets on either side of the bottom of the pack for water bottles if you don't want your water tasting like a rubber.

As some other people have said, this pack isn't made for transporting books and laptops. Its curvature makes it remarkably comfortable, but not particularly good for carrying rigid rectangles. I can force my (15-inch) laptop into it -- and have -- but there's not much space left once you've done that, which I think limits its practicality as your school backpack, city pack, or business+pleasure airplane carry-on.

But when you're on the trail and what you got in there are your essentials, food, and rain gear, you don't really care about its incompatibility with your laptop. When it's in its intended environment, it's brilliant.

The Osprey Stratos 24 is a very good pack. The AirCore Suspension really does what it's designed to do: ventilate and keep you cool. However, the necessary curve required for the AirCore Suspension limits easy access to the bottom portion of the pack's main compartment. And as someone else has already mentioned, if you also use your pack for school or work in addition to hiking, it is difficult to carry a notebook computer. I returned the pack and replaced it with the Osprey Kestrel 28. I purchased two: one for my wife, who describes the lichen color as very fashionable, and one for me, who prefers the twilight. One other item: The Stratos has "O" rings on the zipper pulls; the Kestrel has a more simple pull. I prefer the "O" rings so I purchased a dozen from Osprey ($0.50 each) and replaced the pulls on both of our Kestrels. Nice. For the money, Osprey packs are among the best.