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Osprey Variant 52 Pack

$199.00

(11)

Item # 772421

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Ski mountaineering, ice climbing, and rock climbing—Osprey thought of it all when developing the new top loading Variant 52 pack for vertical endeavors.

Lightweight suspension consists of a removable HDPE framesheet with aluminum tubing framesheet
Fixed Stretch comfort shoulder harness provides superb carry with rolled seams for added comfort; rescue whistle is incorporated into sternum-strap buckle
3-D contoured EVA hipbelt is removable and stowable; to stow while climbing, tuck hipbelt out of the way by threading webbing and buckles through tool holster slot
Thermoformed, contoured back panel provides carrying comfort and snow shedding capabilities
Dual, adjustable tool bungee Y-clips stow ice tool shafts quickly, with corresponding holsters securely attaching ice tool head, including leashless ice tools
Removable top pocket has a zippered pocket underneath and an extendable spindrift collar to keep snow out of the pack; collar can be rolled up
Front pocket stores often-used essentials and is protected from the elements with a water-resistant zipper
Reinforced front crampon shield compression pocket provides secure storage and easy access
Pack includes protection pockets for easy storage and quick access to wands, probes and pickets
3-point haul system, consisting of grab handle and 2 reinforced loops located at the top of pack, facilitate big wall hauling
Internal sleeve and drink tube exit port accommodate a 3-liter reservoir (sold separately) for hydration on the go
Side compression straps cnch down loads for jostle-free carrying; dual ski carry loops

Imported.

Item 772421

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Osprey Variant 52 Pack Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Osprey Variant 52 Pack

4.5

(based on 11 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Comfortable (11)
Easy to load (9)
Good padding (9)
Highly adjustable (9)
Lightweight (9)

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking (7)
Mountaineering (6)
Climbing (3)
Ice climbing (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (10)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Survivalist / minimalist (7), Comfort driven (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (5)

Reviewed by 11 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Apr

2009

(6 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

The Packs Name Says it All!

By Trevor W

from Denver, Colorado

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good padding
Highly Adjustable
Large capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Mountaineering

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

This pack replaced a more fragile pack that only lasted 6 months. I was lucky enough to find this pack as a replacement, and could not be happier! This pack has spent most of the winter with me on 14'ers in Colorado as well as a trip up the Mexican Volcanoes with no visible signs of wear. The ice axe clips are perfect, as are the placement of all the external gear attachment points. Most are re-enforced, but not so much that it has un-needed weight. My only complaint would be the side water bottle pockets do not really fit a nalegene bottle, but would fit a Sigg fine. My favoirte features include the two cinch systom for the main compartment that allows you to pack the load tightly no matter how full you have your pack and the axe clips.

Dec

2010

(5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great pack for everything

By 10,000ft

from Ocean Side Ca

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good padding
Highly Adjustable
Large capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

I love this pack. I can fit all my gear including tent 4 season 4 man tent minus fly, or 3 season 2 man entire tent, prolite thermorest, down sleeping bag, down jacket, cook ware,base layers, and food for 5-6 days inside the pack. The side pockets are to small for water bottles but fit MSR fuel bottles, tent poles, or shovel. The back pocket fits fual bottles, tent poles, shovel, crampons depending how you want to pack your pack. This pack seams alot larger than 3400 cubic inches. The padding on the hip belt is minimal but is very comfortable. It also has loops for attaching climbing hard and also works great for hanging water bottles. I packed 52lbs on this pack and it felt comfortable. With all the gear snowshoes are hard to attach. The straps are to small on the back pocket and the shoulder straps and hip belt straps are built to long. overall I make it work. I love the ice ax straps and the 3 piont hual loops. I use one to hold the top of the Ice ax. I would say this is an excellent pack for mountaineering as well as a light weight summer pack. There is a place for a 100 liter camelbak inside the main compartment. This is my go to pack. What I like is the small size so that keeps me from packing to much gear. If it does not fit I don't take it and I stay under 55 lbs for winter camping. I have even used this at the amusement park with the kids.

Mar

2011

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

The Various Virtues of the Variant

By ScreaminEagle

from San Francisco, CA

About Me Outdoor Professional

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good Padding
Good Suspension
Highly Adjustable
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Cragging
Heavy Loads
Ice climbing
Light Loads
Mountaineering

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

Osprey has always produced excellent packs, from light and airy daypacks, to long-haulers. The one niche they were missing was the technical pack, and wow, what a pack they created. They chose the perfect color for it as well, for it truly is a hotrod. This pack carries my full load of winter climbing gear (800 down bag, jetboil, food, extra layers, avalanche-gear, and my part of 3-man/4-season tent...probe in one side pocket, and tent pole on the other side), the ice-axe system is genius and very secure (releases quickly too). I've noticed a few others trying to stuff water bottles into the side pockets, they're having trouble because that's not what they were designed for, they're there to hold probes (and conveniently, tent poles as well), it even says this on the bag tag if you read it. I've also loaded this pack up for a week-long residence camp and it held 5 sets of clothes as well as a 2person/3season tent, mess-kit, and whisperlite stove & Ti cookpot.

I really put this bag through the wringer and it's come out smiling and politely asking for more.

Jun

2010

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Comfortable Haul Bag?

By ntrlvr

from Anchorage, AK

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
durable
Good padding
Highly Adjustable
Large capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Climbing
Ice Climbing
Mountaineering
Skiing

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

After about a year, it has held up extremely well for the amount of abuse i've given it. It compacts and expands into two different packs. At times, it seems like there is an unnecessary amount of straps hanging all over the place, but I think each serves its purpose (it doesn't look like it in the picture because it is stuffed, but when the pack goes limp, straps seem to come from nowhere and you look like a car wash). My one change would be that, simplify it a bit to lessen confusion. Example, sometimes I accidently clip the side/compression strap to the lid strap. But no biggie. The mess of straps is also due to how long they are which equals more expansion! The buckles are really nice with gloves on! The straps for ice axes/tools are kind of different but you get used to them. The Crampon pouch is just big enough for crampons AND a shovel! Pretty nice eh. And the actual front pocket is perfect for shoving GU/Cliff bars into. Probably could fit some extra necessities in there as well. I can shove my parka in the top pocket of the lid (although just barley, the lid is not as big as I'd expect). The thing carries skis really nice. And an amazing amount of weight as well. I've gone on week plus climbs away from basecamp with this (and it is comfortable climbing in, relatively). Multiple day backpacking trips. I've used the freaking thing as a haul bag many times and it only has a couple minor scratches. Well done Osprey. And it is really comfortable in case i forgot.

Nov

2010

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Good so far

By tel

from Port Orchard, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good padding
Highly Adjustable
Large capacity

Cons

Not enough straps

Best Uses

Alpine climbing
Backpacking
Ice Climbing
Mountaineering

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

I tried a couple of other packs before I got to this one. In comparison to it's competing brands in the same pack genera, it's massive. I was amazed at how much gear i could fit into this pack. The Variant is very sturdy and water repellent (to a point). I was unloading my gear from my car and my pack fell into a mud puddle that was about an inch deep. When I recovered my pack I was amazed to see that the water beaded off and my gear inside was still dry. The Variant can probably take light rain without a rain fly and not having the contents getting wet. I am making a few modifications to the pack once I find the parts. I want to add a rope fixing strap that I loved about the Mammut Trion Guide. I also want to figure out a better way to lash my sleeping pad and snowshoes. The side compression straps are just bearily too small to lash my snowshoes to when the pack is full. I am going to sew some small Velcro pieces onto the ends of the straps so I can roll them up and keep them secure when every thing is tightened down. Other than that, this pack is a bottomless pit for gear. It holds winter overnight gear and camera gear comfortably. I would not just recommend this to a friend, I HIGHLY recommend this pack to any one who mountaineers, alpine climbs, ice climbs or backpacks with the intention of making a summit.

Jul

2009

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Ultimate ski mountaineering pack

By jrpetrus

from Sunnyvale, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Highly Adjustable
Large capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Mountaineering
Skiing

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

I took my Variant 52 pack on several backcountry ski outings this winter in the Sierra Nevadas and Colorado. It fits snugly enough to make telemark turns and is burly enough to get dragged over rocks.

For a short trip, you can ditch the lid and cinch all straps to make a lightweight day pack that carries avy gear, skins, crampons, and ice tools. It had plenty of capacity for a down bag and food on a weekend hut trip. It is not, however, big enough if you need to carry a 4-season tent.

The Variant carries skis well in the A-frame configuration and also fits comfortably over my transceiver and Avalung II. I recommend this pack to anyone who enjoys hauling skis and crampions up snowy mountain sides.

Aug

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great pack but not sure about "vertical"

By murman

from Dallas, TX

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Good Padding
Good Suspension
Highly Adjustable

Cons

Restricts Movement

Best Uses

Extended Hikes

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

The pack fits well and wears comfortable even when packed full. I find Osprey's note about it being geared for "vertical endeavors" somewhat misleading though. On approach for a climb I had to move up a slab section and high step some places and found the top of the pack limited me being able to raise my head high enough to look up. I'm 5'10" and have the medium size 52. Perhaps the slight curvature of the pack put the upper most section curving more toward the back of my head but I wouldn't suggest wearing it if you're going to have a need to be looking up at your route being traveled. It doesn't seem to fit like a short, stubby profile pack. It's my only complaint but when route reading overhead it's a serious limitation.

Dec

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Just plain Awesome

By moshico

from San Francisco

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good padding
Large capacity
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Hiking

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

I have used this for a 3day back packing trip up to glaciers and used it on a light climbing trip up Mt. Hood. It performed superbly for both

May

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great Ski-Mountaineering Pack

By Splitboard Graham

from Olympia, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Good padding
Highly Adjustable
Lightweight
Thoughtful Features

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Mountaineering
Ski-Mountaineering

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

Great pack. Love the combination of lightness, comfort, and features. If I could I would give it 4.5 stars.

Have used it ski-mountaineering, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, scrambling, and backpacking. Works quite well for all.

I would like to see some changes for future models, though: I agree that the pro/bottle pockets only fit smaller bottles, which can be annoying; a side zipper for stashing skins would be handy; and it would be nifty if the crampon pocket were removable.

Apr

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great so far

By Troutboy

from Denver, CO

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Easy To Load
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Rock climbing

Comments about Osprey Variant 52 Pack:

Bought this pack to carry all my Rock Climbing gear for me and my young children. Have used it three times so far this year and so far so good. Loads great and has ample outside gear attachments/loops.

I have been able to load a full rack, rope, two harnesses, extra clothes, rain gear, and enough water/food for me and my kids for the day.

Pack is constructed well, tough materials, and holds a decent load well, and comfortable. Longest hike has been about 45 minutes up some pretty steep terrain, and it has worked great and felt awesome.

Too soon to give it 5 stars but if it holds up and stays comfortable on much longer hikes, then it will get 5. Will update after a 14er or two.