Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I researched for an entire month before settling on this pack. A Kelty pack was on sale at the time of my purchase, but the lightweight frame and organization of the pockets just couldn't draw me away from paying $75 more.

I've used this pack on a weeklong trip in the Tetons and a 4 day trip in Big Bend thus far. I have never had any back or hip pain (but I do have plenty of natural paddding if you catch my drift.) I find the design very comfortable.

I love the large pockets on the belt; they can ACTUALLY be used...one pocket can hold lip balm, inhaler, map, and more.

Another great feature is the fact that you can hold your camelpak in the airspeed ventilation area if you're overstuffed, or in the designated pouch. Recently my boyfriend and I used my pack on a dayhike and used both pouches to store our camelpaks to filter water- it was very convenient.

One thing a reviewer posted with a previous model is lack of bottom access; well this pack does have bottom access for storing pads and sleeping bags.

The only complaint I have, and it is very minor, is that the top flap pouch does not have the straps to be converted into a day pack. I suppose I could do this myself if I wanted to...Osprey, on the next 65, include this if you're reading please!

If you end up choosing this pack, know that you are choosing a very stylish, comfortable pack, with the best organization around.

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I've used this pack while hiking for several hours in a downpour in the Redwoods and none of the pack's contents got wet at all (I was not using a rain cover either). I volunteered for a couple of months in the Ecuadorian Andes tracking spectacled bears through the mountains. I used this pack for all of the extending camping trips while there, during which I would hike for about 3-6 hours at a time, up and down mountains. Although my back would begin to get a bit achy after 4 or 5 hours, I couldn't blame the pack for that since mountain hiking can be quite strenuous. For the first several hours (3-4 hours), this pack is ridiculously comfortable and I can fit lots inside and I can also attach other items to the side.
My only complaint is with the straps at the bottom of the pack that can be used to externally store a sleeping pad or sleeping bag: these straps are annoyingly thin. They should really be made wider to lend more security to the item being stored there. My sleeping pad always slowly slides out during extended hikes.

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I got this pack to use on my 2010 Appalachian Trail thru hike, it was good for the first month; but my waist size dropped and problems started. This pack does not offer an interchangeable waist belt; once I dropped down to a 27" waist it started to really strain my shoulders and hips.

I also noticed that when full of food and water, 38-40 lbs is too much weight for this pack; it doesn't carry it well.

I do love all the features and if you are a light weight backpacker, this is a great pack. Just keep your waistline in mind before you purchase!

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I spent lots of time researching lightweight women's specific packs and in my opinion Osprey has nailed it! The Aura is a perfect fit for my narrow shoulders and the hip belt fits my curves perfectly. At first I was skeptical of the thin mesh padding on the straps and hip belt, but after one use it turned out to be considerably more comfortable than my old heavily padded beast of a pack. I also love the curved mesh back panel which keeps my back cool and dry and has enough space to store a hydration bladder so I never have to worry about fishing it in and out of the main compartment. There are tons of handy features and compartments on this pack to keep all my stuff organized and easily accessible while on the trail.

I've used the pack on multiple trips in the Sierras, including a 7 day High Sierra Trail trip, and was easily able to carry everything I needed for the week, including a bulky bear canister. My only warning would be that this pack is not designed to comfortably handle 50-60 pounds of gear, so if you're still rockin' the 10 pound tent, this may not be the pack for you.

Bottom line - I love this pack. Love it so much that I'm probably going to buy the Aura 35 for smaller weekend trips. Plus that brown sugar color is just so darn sexy.

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I bought this pack as an upgrade to my REI 40L daypack which I've used on 3-night backpack trips. This pack, the Aura 65L, was used on our first 5-night backpack trip in the Grand Canyon and on some other lesser trips of 30 lbs of weight. When I bought the pack I was a little wary of the waistbelt because I didn't feel the padding wrapped far enough around my hips. That actually didn't end up being a problem, but what I did find to be a problem, and it was a BIG problem was the padding on the shoulder straps. By using the lightweight "ventilated" method of perforating holes in the padding it limits the amount of weight this pack can hold comfortably, especially for desert hikers who aren't wearing bulky warm clothing to help cushion where the pack doesn't. On a 9-mile hike when I was packed to the brim (probably 40-45 lbs) because I needed to carry as much water as possible and all my gear for camping, the straps started to dig into my shoulders. After 3 miles of hiking of the 9 mile journey I was in serious pain. (see photo below). I bought the pack for the airy back panel and lightweight frame since we are desert hikers and need to stay cool. After we got to camp I ate as much food as possible to try to minimize the weight that I would carry on the way out. And for the hike out I wrapped a shirt around the right shoulder strap to add extra padding. This helped. So I would say that this pack should NOT be used for heavy loads, and especially NOT in the desert. I would also ask Osprey to please reconsider how they cut costs and weight from their packs. Do NOT sacrifice comfort for the hiker and please add a rating to packs of suggested max. load size (how much weight the pack should be able to handle comfortably).

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I REALLY wanted to like this backpack. The zippered front-side pockets are wonderful for organization, it has a sleeping bag compartment, and I like the sternum buckle whistle ;). I got this pack as an upsize from by 1st gen. GoLite Gust because I need to carry the 4-year old's gear (sleeping bag, clothes, etc), and the 50L bag can't hold it =(.

Con 1: The bend in the frame does not let the pack weight sit comfortably on my back. I always feel like I'm pulled backwards, which makes me lean forward to compensate. Yanking the load lifters all the way forward fixes that problem, but then my shoulders ache. Bah. And with the water bladder in the air vent area, my back was sweaty anyways.

Con 2: The hip belt puts hotspots on my hip bones, and I had maybe 30 pounds in there? My GoLite carries 30 with plain fabric for a hipbelt and it's WAY more comfortable. Hugs my back too.

Con 3: Using the air vent as a water bladder area. A 3L Platypus will only fit if you stick your fingers in the side vents and wriggle it down. Can only be filled to around 2.5L capacity. This will now make your back sweaty.

I should note, I am a VERY LARGE-chested female (36DDD). I prefer the weight in my pack to sit at about bust-height (between the shoulder blades, bit a bit lower) to balance me out. This is probably why the arch in the frame doesn't work for me. Trying to compensate for the balance is most likely why the hip belt hurts. If you don't have the above issues, the pack may work well for you. Without a real load in there (I've used it as a daypack) it's great.

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I have had this pack now for 4 months, and it has been on several short overnight backpacking trips, a 10 miler into the volcanic crater of Haleakala on Maui, and I just got back from a 30+ mile trip along the Napali coast on Kauai.

On the long trip, my pack was about 30 pounds, and we did 11.5 miles in about 8 hours of strenuous up and down hiking. My pack felt light the entire time. I expected my back to be hurting the day after the hike in, but it felt just fine. Even after the hike out and the extra few miles we walked, my back didn't hurt. I had slightly sore hips after the first night, but it was better than I had expected.

The pockets up front are perfect for stowing food to eat on the go, the sleeping bag area is great, and there are a ton of external straps and pockets. I just recently bought the 70oz osprey reservoir to use with it, and they work well together. The reservoir slips easily in and out even with the pack full!

We encountered occasional light rain, and nothing inside got wet.

Improvements to be made: I would agree with another reviewer that it would be nice if you could use the top as a day pack. I used the whole thing as a day pack, and it was more bulky than I would have liked. Also, I had to order the medium because my back length required it, but as a result, i had to pull the waist straps really tight, and there was a lot of extra material hanging. A way to stow that extra material would be nice.

Overall I love this pack!

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I'll start by saying I'm an Osprey fan. The amount of testing and analyzing they do normally equates to a good product. I bought this for my fiance and we took it primitive camping for the weekend. It immediately became clear there was a major design flaw: the waist belt. It's far too small and flimsy for a 65'er. If you put any significant amount of weight in it, the waist belt digs in and all the weight of the pack goes right to your shoulders. The belt itself isn't attached sturdily enough to the frame so the pack's weight won't stay on your hips. While the design is light-weight and the mesh backing is comfortable and ventilating...it just doesn't work on a pack this large. It'd be fine for a light-weight day pack. Here it is just a waste. Every other aspect of this pack is great: pockets, zippers, accessibility.

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I researched for months and months before purchasing this pack. I wasn't planning to spend more than $150 on a hiking pack, but after walking around the REI store with weights in this bag, I forked over the extra cash to get it, because it's incredibly comfortable.

I've used this bag on several 4-day hiking and camping trips in Colorado and Oregon, and I can't imagine a better pack. It stands up to Oregon rain without soaking everything inside (and I do NOT have a rain cover for it). It's really comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, and the venting is fantastic, so I'm not as sweaty after a few hours on a trail. I also like that you can put your water reservoir in the vented area to save room inside the pack for other necessities.

Overall, the Aura 65 gives you a lot of "bang for your buck"--you get amazing comfort and stability without really breaking the bank. I give you an A+, Osprey! (Plus, the colors ARE pretty...)

Comments about Osprey Aura 65 Pack - Women's:

I bought this backpack as a lightweight replacement for my REI Venus 75. I was carrying 30 lbs. After mile 5, I noticed that no matter how tight I make the hip belt, the fabric was chafing my hip contact points into a bloody bump through my shirt! This starting happening too on my back and on my shoulders - basically all contact points. A bandaid helped a little bit.

This is very sadly disappointing because it was a perfect pack otherwise. I LOVED the way it packs and distributes the weight firmly on your hips. You can also really feel the breeze on your back with the mesh backpanel. However... the bloody chafing is a deal breaker.