It’s time to evaluation my present backpack, the Osprey Kestrel 32. Having a backpack that matches correctly and is geared in the 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 baggage.
This pack sat good and comfortable 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 effectively.
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 shortly see every part in your bag, and cargo it up sooner.
The harness adjusts as effectively, utilizing a extremely sturdy Velcro, to make sure the proper match. They’ve additionally added a again panel that permits air to flee out of your physique, which is ideal for if 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 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 capable of 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/giant. 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 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 might be 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 all sides. They’re the proper measurement for placing belongings 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, drugs, 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 excellent little loops that you would be able to hook carabiners onto. I hooked water bottles off of the entrance of my bag, and generally footwear. It was best.
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 comfortable in opposition to your physique, nevertheless it permits for storing objects on the perimeters 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.
In case you had 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 vital is that the zippers can’t be locked collectively. You may solely lock collectively the zipper ties which might simply be reduce 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 might have appreciated to have one other pocket or two within the backpack for small objects. The one on prime of the bag is useful, however it will be good to have one or two which might be hid contained in the bag.
The third con is that not like the Osprey Farpoint Sequence, the harness unit can’t be zipped away with a purpose to defend the backpack straps from harm, both from getting caught on one thing or from airline workers being a little bit too tough with the bag.
Other than that, every part is a “professional”.
I might suggest this backpack to anybody. Although 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!
In case you plan to do any kind of climbing, trekking, tenting or mountaineering, this backpack is good. In case you don’t plan on doing any kind of outside actions, I nonetheless suppose this backpack has a great deal of options that the on a regular basis traveller might use as effectively.
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 respectable: I acquired mine on sale on-line for about $90, however from the shop, it’s often about $130.
It’s time everybody turned a light-weight traveller. Downsize your backpack and purchase the Osprey Kestrel 32, it’s the proper measurement for any journey. Hopefully, this evaluation helped. Good luck discovering the proper 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 effectively on varied hikes, together with the Inca Path to Machu Picchu.
What sort of backpack do you employ? Would you suggest it? Why/why not? Share with us under!
