Osprey Stratos 40 Pack

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I bought this pack for backpacking knowing that it would be a little smaller than what I have been used to. I am in the process of getting newer and lighter gear, and only taking what i need. This pack holds all the essentials. I can fit my North Face Cat's Meow sleeping bag, REI trekker sleeping pad, and Marmot Twilight 2 person tent on the inside, with enough room for my pocket rocket stove and fuel. I can fit all my other smaller essentials such as my headlamp and food and also my cooking gear in the top pocket, and can fit my camera in the hip pocket. The stretchy pocket on the front is great for a lightweight rainjacket, my pack cover, and some rope for those unexpected situations. I also love the aircore ventilation system. It keeps my back extremely cool, and I can even put my camelbak bladder inside with ease.

The pack carries very well without bobbing up and down or side to side like some of my other packs. I recently went on a hike and when we would rest, I didn't even want to take the pack off it was so comfortable!!

The one con I have is the lack of sleeping pad straps on the bottom of the pack. This is the reason I give it only 4 stars. But if I do need to put my pad on the outside, the 2 horizontal straps will carry it nicely. So this isn't really a deciding factor for me on this pack.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I used this pack for a 2-month intensive Geology field camp. I never got sore in this pack. It was the perfect size to carry all my geology equipment + personal stuff: rain pants, rain jacket, rock hammer, lunch, sunscreen, goggles, fleece, emergency shelter, extra food, extra clothes, compass, GPS, mapping/ drafting paper/ pens, steronet, flashlight, rain bag, dry bag, 3-liter bladder, 2 1 liter nalgene bottles on the side. And I had enough room to add rock samples from the field.
This pack was so light and made carrying my 20+ pound load a breeze. We climbed mountains every day and hiked about 5 miles per day in rough Montana terraine. Other students struggled, but I was very comforable. The mesh on the back works - just don't put your bladder in there or it loses its effect. The hip pads are so comfortable and snug.
I only have 2 cons. 1) This pack is not meant for overnight trips. I pack light, but the capacity is small for a solo hike on a place like the A.T. I am 5'9" & 206 lbs (but fit) so the Medium size was best for my frame. However, the pack did hit my neck when I stood up straight at times. This is because I filled the top "pocket" to full capacity. Just something to keep in mind.
I would certainly recommend this pack for anyone needed to do an INTENSIVE day hike. You can carry everything you need in this. But for over-night, multi-day treks the shape is such that you will be challenged with packing. You'd need a different pack for that. But you CAN'T BEAT THIS PACK for day hiking!!!!

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I used the same 2-compartment Quiksilver backpack for 4+ years. It was what a backpack expert would call a 'daypack'. I used it for everything from day hikes to week long trips across two oceans and a continent. Then it was stolen.

I bought this Osprey after days of searching for a replacement. I used it as my main piece of luggage on a month-long trip across two oceans and three continents to an African safari.

I consider myself an extremely efficient packer; this bag was about a pair of shoes shy of fitting everything I needed inside. I also had a hard time finding things at times. Both of these problems stem partly from the fact that the side of the bag adjacent to your body when you have it on is curved (for comfort I presume). So, when you look into your bag from the top opening trying to find something, you can't see what's 'around the bend' at the very bottom of the bag.

The zippered mesh pocket at back for your camelpack was really hard to open and close because of the zipper's proximity to the backpack straps.

The side zipper was handy for finding things, but a second side zipper on the other side of the bag would be even more convenient (again, because it's hard to get something out from 'around the bend').

It was comfortable when fully packed. The bag was heavy, but the weight was well distributed so that it felt lighter on than off.

With the bag (and top most pocket) fully packed, my neck would probably have been very uncomfortable over long periods of time because the pocket didn't allow my neck to assume its normal position. It pushed my neck forward just a little.

It is a bit too large for me. I am 5'1" and about 90 pounds. The shoulder and waist straps weren't quite adjustable enough. It probably would have been more comfortable if it was a proper fit. I was able to handle the weight of the full bag-I liked the capacity or would even increase it a bit, but the way the bag sits on my body needs to be tweaked somehow.

I would recommend it to a friend a few inches taller and a hair wider than me.

Service and delivery comments:

Quick delivery, product arrived in excellent condition, customer service online (text support-hehe) was available but it sucked. I knew more than the person I was asking questions to. Sure, I had been researching backpacks for days and days on end, but text support should know well the products they represent better than any anon consumer.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I orginally bout the REI Outlook for multiple trips to Costa Rica. The pack was great, but the capacity was just a little smaller than I would have liked. Looking for a solution I switched to the Stratos 40. From my test trial in the shop loaded with twenty or so pounds it appeared to be the answer. That was until I arrived at the airport.

After loading the pack down with twenty-five or so pounds of gear the hip staps started digging into my sides. This problem followed me all the way back from Costa Rica, annoying to say the least. One positive attribute was the capacity and compactability. It fit under my seat and removed the need to check luggage.

Thinking that the pack was just too small for my frame (5'9 220lbs) I loaned it to my buddy for an overnight six mile trek; I was wrong. He experienced the same issues as I did and he is 5'8 160lbs. My conclusion is that the design of the hip strap is poor, quality excellent, but could be better designed. Next I'm going to try the Atmos 50, I hope this will resolve the issue.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

Im a climber usually i do day trips and have done a couple weekend trips. i live in so. cal so i bought this pack due to the aircore backing which is really nice for the hot days

i would say my pack averages 15-25 lbs depending on what im doing any given day

i would first like to point out that im pleased with this pack and if i had to do it again i would probably do a little more research and trying on but overall im satisified

the pack is kinda a catch 22 the air core is great and bad if you talk to anyone who knows about packs you wanna keep the weight on your hips which this pack doesnt do that great a job at because of the air core also the padding isnt that great

so if you carrying a light load and need a cool pack i would definatly suggest this

if your carrying a heavy one i might say go somewhere else

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I loved this pack!! It had everything I wanted in a pack! Unfortunately the sewn line where the mesh back pannel connected to the bag rubbed my hip bones so bad i had to keep the bag off my back for the last 5 miles of a 16 mile hike. I'm 5'6" 135 lbs so i don't have much natural padding on my hips... TIP: walk around for at LEAST an hour before purchasing, i didn't even notice any pain until 8 miles into he hike.. I would still recommend this bag, it just didn't work for me!

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

The thing that strikes me most about this pack are the straps that hug your hips. They are padded just perfectly. You pull them tight and they hug your hips unlike any pack I have ever used. It fits so well I don't really notice that I'm wearing anything. The weight distribution is good. I never load more than 25 pounds so that keeps it on the lighter side. The most I have done is a three nighter and for that the pack was a bit tight to squeeze it all in but I was still comfortable.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I purchased this back based on the excellent ventilation provided by the combination of an internal frame and mesh panel that allows the pack to stand away from the back. The Stratos 40 is particularly suited for summer hiking, desert treks and strenuous cross-country skiing. The pack has plenty of capacity for a three-season overnight trek. Single disadvantage: the hydration pouch pocket is well enough placed, and the space between the back body and the mesh panel allows for carrying a second large hydration pouch. However, the slit engineered to allow the drinking tube to go from the pack body to the hiker's front is just a bit tight. That's the only downside to an otherwise superlative pack.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

I struggled for many years searching for the right daypack suitable for activities ranging from a day hike in the Summer to a serious climb in the Winter. The Osprey Stratos 40 is what I was looking for. Extremly comfortable, very light, with plenty of external pockets and straps it allows me to pack snowshoes, shovel, stove & food, and plenty of heavy clothes in Winter time. I recently used it for a two day climb and had stil plenty of room to spare. The pack fits like a glove and allows plenty of air circulation on my back to keep me dry. This very versatile pack does it all for me.

Comments about Osprey Stratos 40 Pack:

First things first. Its important that people understand what this pack is for. This is a technical day pack designed for doing hard core activities in the mountains as well as fast and light 1-2 day trips. I've researched tons of packs and tried out quite a few. This is the only pack that can handle most of the activities that I do in the backcountry. This isn't for the casual backpacker who hauls tons of gear. If you can't take this pack on an overnight or two day trip you are simply hauling too much stuff with you. I can take this on a 2-3 day climbing trip in which I have to haul technical gear like a helmet, crampons, ice axe, harness, etc. I've seen some comment that this won't hold enough for an overnight trip. That is absurd.

This is designed for people that have bought into modern fast and light backpacking and climbing. Not for traditional backpacking. This is not the right pack for quite a few people. It is simply too heavy for a casual day trip and doesn't have enough capacity on overnight trips for people who bring too much stuff. This is designed to haul technical gear comfortably. This pack is brilliantly designed to haul trekking poles, ice axe and snowshoes on a winter day trip.

What I like about this pack is that I can use the same pack for winter day trips as well as summer climbing involving up to 3 day backpacking trips. Again, I can bring this backpacking actually hauling technical gear. If you can't make this pack work for a normal 2-3 day backpacking trip you are simply bringing too much gear or your gear is old-school. This is a modern pack designed to be used with modern gear. An old school 3 pound sleeping bag is going to take up all the capacity of this pack.

If you use this pack the right way you won't be disappointed. You have to have the right gear though to make this pack work. This pack handles just about everything I need of a pack except for really long backpacking trips and really short day trips. I use a 65L and 16L pack for those needs respectively. This is my most used pack though. I can haul all my winter gear for a day trip yet comfortably take everything I need for multi-day climbing trips in the summer. It is super comfortable and I really love the air core suspension on this. I used to sweat a ridiculous amount behind my back. Not any more. The thing I really like about this pack is that I can haul all my gear yet climb difficult alpine routes here in Colorado with the same pack. I don't need to bring a seperate summit pack like so many others do here. This thing does it all. I can climb chimneys, glissade and traverse tricky terrain very comfortably with this pack. My only gripe is that my shoulders will hurt every once in a while when hauling 30+ pounds of gear for an extended period of time. The shoulder staps could use more padding but that would also add more weight to the pack.

Overall, this is the most versatile pack I've come across. I've been looking for a pack that I can use for winter day trips to the mountains as well as using the same pack to backpack into alpine basins as well as tackle difficult terrain on the mountains themselves. This allows me to do that. I'm impressed.