It’s time to evaluation my present backpack, the Osprey Kestrel 32. Having a backpack that matches correctly and is geared in direction of the actions you’ll be doing is essential when selecting a backpack. I took this pack on many hikes and treks throughout our very outdoorsy journey by means of Mongolia, Central Asia and the ‘Stans and I used to be very impressed with it.
We’ve now completed our epic 5 month journey, and right here’s what I can report about my backpack:
This backpack deserves excessive marks on this space. I stuffed this bag with 10kgs of substances whereas trekking by means of the Mongolian steppe for 8 days, carrying all the things from meals to firewood to sleeping luggage.
This pack sat good and cushty on my hips and completely distributed the load between my shoulders and my waist. There’s a good quantity of padding on each the shoulder and hip straps as nicely.
Throughout an everyday journey day, I barely even seen I used to be carrying a backpack as a result of it was so comfy.
I completely love the best way the Kestrel 32 is designed. I can’t stand top-loading backpacks as a result of you’ll be able to by no means see what’s within the bag! This backpack is a panel loader, which suggests it opens like a sea shell, permitting you to simply and rapidly see all the things in your bag, and cargo it up quicker.
The harness adjusts as nicely, utilizing a very sturdy Velcro, to make sure the right match. They’ve additionally added a again panel that enables air to flee out of your physique, which is ideal for once you’re trekking, mountaineering and even simply strolling. There’s nothing worse than having sweat dripping down your again whereas travelling!
On the again is a pocket good for a hydration system like a CamelBak.
The weight and dimension of this backpack is superb. Weighing in at just a bit over 2 lbs with 32 L of room for gear and in a position to deal with as much as roughly 20 kgs of weight, what extra may you need?!
The Kestrel 32 is available in two totally different sizes: small/medium and medium/giant. In addition to 4 totally different colors: Fireplace Crimson, Tarn, Conifer Inexperienced and Gray.
Osprey has added a mesh, stretchy, lycra pocket to the entrance of the bag, which stretches such as you wouldn’t consider! I put my footwear in there, maps, meals and the rest that wouldn’t fairly match into my bag.
On the aspect, there are additionally 2 of the identical sort of pockets which are good for water bottles, or in our case, the underside finish of Nick’s fishing rod.
On the waistband, there’s a little zip pocket on either side. They’re the right dimension for placing stuff you’ll have to have quick access to when you’re on the transfer, ie: level and shoot digicam, lip balm, iPhone, snacks, a lighter, medication, and so on.
Operating alongside the mesh pocket on the entrance of the bag they’ve added one thing known as “entrance daisies” that are these good little loops which you could hook carabiners onto. I hooked water bottles off of the entrance of my bag, and typically footwear. It was preferrred.
There’s a spot proper close to the waist belt for storing trekking poles whereas on the go.
My favorite function might be the compression straps on each side of the backpack. Not solely does it assist to maintain the pack cosy towards your physique, but it surely permits for storing objects on the edges of your bag. On one aspect I had Nick’s fishing rod, and on the opposite aspect, I rolled up my jacket and strapped it in.
If you happen to have been doing any kind of climbing the place ice was concerned, there are ice-pick loops on the base of the backpack. Nonetheless, I used the loops to safe the bottoms of my 1-liter water bottles.
The mesh, zip pocket on the prime of the bag is a good place to place smaller objects that you just don’t need getting misplaced in the principle compartment, ie: playing cards, headlamp, jewelry, and so on. There’s additionally a hideaway raincover.
For my part, there are 3 cons to this backpack.
The primary and most essential is that the zippers can’t be locked collectively. You possibly can solely lock collectively the zipper ties which may simply be lower open. That is ridiculous as a result of clearly, each traveller desires to have the ability to correctly lock their bag.
The second is that I might have preferred to have one other pocket or two within the backpack for small objects. The one on prime of the bag is helpful, however it will be good to have one or two which are hid contained in the bag.
The third con is that not like the Osprey Farpoint Sequence, the harness unit can’t be zipped away so as to defend the backpack straps from injury, both from getting caught on one thing or from airline workers being a bit of too tough with the bag.
Aside from that, all the things is a “professional”.
I might advocate this backpack to anybody. Though the Kestrel collection is technically a males’s backpack, it labored for me. As a result of I’m tall (5’10”), the harness adjusted to suit my torso completely!
If you happen to plan to do any kind of climbing, trekking, tenting or mountaineering, this backpack is good. If you happen to don’t plan on doing any kind of out of doors actions, I nonetheless suppose this backpack has a great deal of options that the on a regular basis traveller may use as nicely.
An enormous bonus is its dimension. Technically, it’s sufficiently small to suit as a carry-on bag when flying. The fee can also be fairly respectable: I acquired mine on sale on-line for about $90, however from the shop, it’s often about $130.
It’s time everybody grew to become a light-weight traveller. Downsize your backpack and purchase the Osprey Kestrel 32, it’s the right dimension for any journey. Hopefully, this evaluation helped. Good luck discovering the right backpack for you. Click on right here to see the backpack on Amazon.
Replace: Since penning this evaluation, we switched to Osprey Stratos 34 backpacks which served us very nicely on varied hikes, together with the Inca Path to Machu Picchu.
What sort of backpack do you utilize? Would you advocate it? Why/why not? Share with us beneath!
