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 drugs whereas trekking by means of the Mongolian steppe for 8 days, carrying every part from meals to firewood to sleeping luggage.
This pack sat good and comfortable on my hips and completely distributed the burden 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 observed I used to be sporting a backpack as a result of it was so snug.
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 every part in your bag, and cargo it up quicker.
The harness adjusts as nicely, utilizing a extremely robust 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 whenever you’re trekking, mountain climbing and even simply strolling. There’s nothing worse than having sweat dripping down your again whereas travelling!
On the again is a pocket excellent for a hydration system like a CamelBak.
The weight and measurement of this backpack is wonderful. 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 might you need?!
The Kestrel 32 is available in two completely different sizes: small/medium and medium/massive. In addition to 4 completely different colors: Hearth 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 imagine! I put my sneakers in there, maps, meals and the rest that wouldn’t fairly match into my bag.
On the facet, there are additionally 2 of the identical kind of pockets which are excellent 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 both sides. They’re the right measurement for placing stuff you’ll have to have easy accessibility to whilst you’re on the transfer, ie: level and shoot digicam, lip balm, iPhone, snacks, a lighter, medication, and so forth.
Operating alongside the mesh pocket on the entrance of the bag they’ve added one thing referred to as “entrance daisies” that are these excellent little loops which you could hook carabiners onto. I hooked water bottles off of the entrance of my bag, and typically sneakers. 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 either side of the backpack. Not solely does it assist to maintain the pack cosy towards your physique, nevertheless it permits for storing objects on the perimeters of your bag. On one facet I had Nick’s fishing rod, and on the opposite facet, 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 high of the bag is a superb place to place smaller objects that you just don’t need getting misplaced in the principle compartment, ie: playing cards, headlamp, jewelry, and so forth. 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 might simply be minimize open. That is ridiculous as a result of clearly, each traveller needs to have the ability to correctly lock their bag.
The second is that I’d have preferred to have one other pocket or two inside the backpack for small objects. The one on high of the bag is useful, however it might be good to have one or two which are hid contained in the bag.
The third con is that in contrast to the Osprey Farpoint Collection, the harness unit can’t be zipped away with a view to defend the backpack straps from injury, both from getting caught on one thing or from airline workers being a bit too tough with the bag.
Aside from that, every part is a “professional”.
I’d suggest this backpack to anybody. Regardless that 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 mountain climbing, this backpack is right. If you happen to don’t plan on doing any kind of out of doors actions, I nonetheless assume this backpack has a great deal of options that the on a regular basis traveller might use as nicely.
An enormous bonus is its measurement. Technically, it’s sufficiently small to suit as a carry-on bag when flying. The associated fee can be fairly first rate: I bought 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 measurement 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 scripting 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 suggest it? Why/why not? Share with us under!
