Osprey Mutant 52 Winter Backpack Assessment

The Osprey Mutant 52 is a winter backpack appropriate for four-season in a single day mountain climbing, climbing, or backcountry ski journeys. It’s the massive brother to the Osprey Mutant 38 which I reviewed at first of the winter which has much less quantity and is oriented extra in direction of day journeys. Like its little brother, the Mutant 52 is loaded with the entire options of a specialised winter backpack together with quite a lot of device holders, haul loops, ski straps, daisy chains, compression straps, and glove-friendly buckles.  For those who head into the backcountry steadily in winter, it truly is value your whereas to get a backpack optimized for winter use. It makes life a lot simpler when you need to use the precise device for the job.

Specs at a Look

• Kind: Inside Body (detachable)
• Entry: High, Floating lid
• Pockets: 3
• Mfg Weight: (S/M: 51.6 oz/1462 g; M/L:  54.4 oz/1542 g)
• Precise examined weight: (M/L: 54.8 oz / 1544 g)
• Detachable elements: High lid (5.3 oz), framesheet (7.5 oz), aluminum body stays (3.2 oz), helmet carry web (1.6 oz)
• Load lifters: Sure
• Helmet carry web: Sure (prime or entrance)
• 3 Level haul loops: Sure
• Reversible harness-compatible hipbelt: Sure
• Hipbelt gear loops: Sure
• Wand Pockets: 2
• Hydration appropriate: Sure
• Ice device holders: 2
• Ski carry: Bolstered A-frame straps
• Torso vary: (S/M: 15-19 inches; M/L: 18-22 inches)
• Supplies: Foremost: 210D high-tenacity recycled nylon; backside: 450D recycled polyester
• Max really useful load: 50 lbs (in accordance with Osprey) we predict 40 lb is extra lifelike.

Backpack Storage and Group

The Mutant 52 is a streamlined top-loading backpack with a floating prime lid and a primary compartment that closes with a drawstring. Whereas there are wand pockets on either side of the pack, the pack lacks facet water bottle pockets or a entrance stuff pocket, consistent with its minimalist winter character. Whereas the dearth of exterior storage pockets makes the pack extra sturdy for hauling up cliffs, there isn’t a scarcity of locations on the pack to connect cumbersome gear with sharp factors. Since path situations can fluctuate broadly in winter, you usually want to hold a number of traction or flotation choices since you don’t know what you’ll encounter. Not like a three-season backpack, you’ll be able to’t retailer most of this gear (crampons, ice axe, snowshoes, microspikes) contained in the pack as a result of it can make the whole lot moist and rip it to shreds.

The floating prime lid is connected to the highest of the pack with plastic buckles and webbing straps, making it simple to take away if it’s not wanted. Floating lids are an awesome possibility on winter packs as a result of you’ll be able to sandwich cumbersome gear like ropes, tent our bodies, or foam pads between the lid and the principle compartment if it is advisable to carry further gear on strategy hikes.

For those who plan to make use of the Mutant 52 for backpacking, be sure to have a tent, tarp, or bivy sack that packs up small or you can strap underneath the floating lid. The 52 liter quantity is on the small facet for a winter backpack, which makes exterior gear storage and the usage of extremely compressible gear paramount.

The highest lid has two pockets. A cavernous, zippered primary pocket (with a key fob) that’s large enough to retailer a number of pairs of gloves, hats, maps, and navigation tools. There’s additionally a second smaller pocket that incorporates a helmet carry web with nook hooks that may be connected to the highest of the lid (if used) or connected to the daisy chains on the entrance of the pack. This small pocket can be giant sufficient to carry a GPS or satellite tv for pc messenger, smartphone, or digital camera and is a helpful place to stash stuff.

For those who don’t want the highest lid or need to cut back the load of the pack you’ll be able to take away it and save near a half pound of substances weight. The Mutant 52 comes with a completely connected pace lid (Osprey calls these flap jackets) that covers the outlet over the principle compartment if the highest lid is eliminated and clips into the identical set of straps. A rope strap may also be used to safe coils or rope or different gear on prime of the flap jacket with or with out the floating lid. Personally, I discover a prime pocket indispensable in winter for spare gloves, hats, and map storage so I choose to maintain the floating lid connected.

The principle compartment has a hydration pocket inside with a hook to hold a bladder and twin hydration ports positioned between the shoulder pads. There’s additionally an inner body pocket contained in the pack with a detachable body (a plastic sheet and w/ 2 aluminum stays) which you could possibly substitute with a bivy pad, though it can cut back the pack’s load-carrying capability.

Compression and Exterior Attachment Factors

The Mutant 52 has two tiers of facet compression webbing straps, which may also be used to safe gear to the edges of the pack. Each shut with glove-compatible buckles. The underside buckle is new on this model of the Mutant 52. The earlier mannequin didn’t have it and it makes strapping snowshoes to the edges of the pack a lot simpler. Compared, many three-season packs have changed facet webbing straps with cords, ostensibly to avoid wasting weight, nevertheless it makes their packs a lot much less appropriate for winter use as a result of the lineloc tensioners used to tug the facet cords jam with ice, the cords soak up water and freeze, and they’re unusable whereas sporting gloves.

There are bolstered ski loops positioned underneath the underside compression strap, making it attainable to configure an A-Body ski carry collectively facet compression straps. There are additionally shallow wand pockets on the pack sides that may also be used to carry tent poles in place underneath the compression straps.

The Mutant comes with a common ice device holder system, together with two shaft holders. A pair of daisy chains and webbing straps on the pack’s entrance enables you to connect a pair of crampons and not using a crampon bag. Alternatively, you’ll be able to connect a helmet right here or on the highest of the floating lid which additionally has daisy chains accessible for that objective. The Mutant’s climbing and mountaineering pedigree are additionally evidenced by a three-point haul system, good for winching gear up cliffs and to portaledges.

Backpack Body and Suspension

The Mutant 52 is an inner body backpack with a stiff plastic sheet and two detachable aluminum body stays, so you’ll be able to modify the diploma of stiffness you need. The aluminum stays may also be custom-shaped to suit your physique form if desired. The pack additionally has load lifters, that are significantly helpful on packs designed to haul heavy gear. All the body system is detachable if you wish to save gear weight. Tightly packed gear can usually compensate for the dearth of a body, at the very least when it comes to pack bag stiffness, or you’ll be able to drop a foam pad into the principle compartment and pack your gear inside it (like a donut) to create the identical impact.

The shoulder pads, again of the pack, and hip belt wings are frivolously padded with foam and supply minimal cushioning to assist preserve the pack weight down. The shoulder pads are minimally outfitted with two hydration hose keeper loops and an adjustable sternum strap with a daisy chain height-adjustment system. The latter is helpful for attaching exterior pockets to the shoulder straps. Gone is the froth bivy pad in earlier variations, so I wish to insert a cut-down foam Zlite pad behind the shoulder straps (in the principle compartment) for emergencies and to additional insulate my again from the recent water bottles I carry in winter.

The hip belt comes with gear loops as an alternative of pockets to rack gear with carabiners. It may also be folded again across the entrance of the pack if you happen to’re sporting a climbing harness. The hip belt closes with a single beefy buckle, utilizing pull-forward straps for mechanical benefit. The middle buckle can be glove appropriate and enormous, so it received’t jam up with snow, which is an enormous downside on packs that use small buckles. Gone are also the hip belt management straps of the earlier mannequin, which on steadiness is an organizational enchancment as a result of it reduces the variety of straps on the pack.

Extra Really useful Winter Backpacks

Advice

The Osprey Mutant 52 is a light-weight inner body winter backpack optimized for climbing, backcountry snowboarding, and streamlined winter backpacking use. Weighing simply over 3 lbs, this 52-liter quantity is on the small facet if it is advisable to pack a winter tent and cold-weather sleeping bag, though fairly doable if you happen to’ve refined your winter gear record to be as compact as attainable. Strippable elements allow you to considerably cut back the pack weight if that’s vital, albeit with some lack of performance. Whereas the Mutant 52 has an outstanding exterior attachment system, the pack’s body and load-carrying capabilities are the place it actually shines. The mixture plastic body sheet and pair of aluminum stays make it attainable to hold 40-pound masses with ease, whereas the minimal shoulder strap and hip belt padding make the pack extremely responsive when snowboarding, climbing, and snowshoeing. It is a actually wonderful winter backpack.

Disclosure: Osprey donated a backpack for this overview.

SectionHiker is reader-supported. We independently analysis, check, and price the most effective merchandise. We solely earn money if you are going to buy a product via our affiliate hyperlinks. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and impartial gear opinions, newbie FAQs, and free mountain climbing guides.