Osprey  Exos 58 Pack - Men's

Have used this pack on several shorter backpacking trips now, and the pack is holding up incredibly well. I've been very surprised at just how much I'm able to fit into this. My friends have the same pack and have been able to carry enough gear and food for 8 days on the Uinta Highline Trail. This will be my pack for every backpacking trip, overnighters to week longs.

I went through 6 different packs before this one. I'm 5'10" and 200 lbs. I tried lighter packs, heavier, etc. This Osprey Exos is the ONLY pack I find comfortable and by comfortable, I don't notice it on my back until mile 10 with roughly 25 - 30 lbs in it. Around mile 10 I find myself adjusting the waist and/or shoulder straps but that is my body and not the packs fault. The venting on the back is HUGE and I pray they still make this pack when mine wears out. I chose this pack over much lighter and more expensive packs (even though this one is pretty light and does cost a few dollars) I would recommend this pack to anyone.

When I first got this pack I was amazed by how lightweight it was, but then as I began using it on the trail I quickly realized it wasn't the pack for me. • It carries a lot of gear and the top/brain is huge (sometimes this was a "con" as I would tend to stuff this last minute with all the extra stuff I didn't need.) • The front mesh pocket is useful, but I've decided to never get a pack with this mesh ever again. In Arizona, the catclaw tears this mesh material apart and it's not easily fixable. • The side pockets are nice and deep, and I like the angled side opening (makes it easier to reach a water bottle). • I like the side straps for securing your trekking poles (I used this for my lightweight tripod.) • If you are carrying any decent amount of weight, you may find the shoulder straps to be not as sufficient as they first appear. They look nice and padded, but the thinness of the strap itself digs into my shoulders. • The inside of the pack is one large compartment. There are compression straps on the outside, but I never felt like the pack held my gear well. Things always seemed to be shifting and lopsided. • There are no hip pockets. I thought this wouldn't be a big deal. IT IS! I ended up adding a pair of pockets and rigged them up with some shock cord. • The hipbelt is very minimal, and after a while I found it dug into my hips. It is not comfortable. • The bottom corners of the frame where the straps attach have worn away and the metal frame is poking through (pictures shown) MY BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS BAG IS THAT IT SQUEAKS EVERYTIME YOU TAKE A STEP!!!! I've had the pack filled. I've had the pack partially full. No matter what it squeaks. I don't know what it is, but it's incredibly annoying. I stopped using this pack a while ago because of all these issues. Recently, I picked it back up for a few trips while my main pack (different brand) is being repaired. Now I remembered why I opted to buy another pack and keep this as a backup. Not an incredibly bad pack but just not for me.

If you carry less than 30 lbs this is the pack for you. I regularly carry slightly more knowing my food bag will drop nearly a pound per day. On a 17 mile day with 32 lbs my shoulder we’re a little tired. Normally when I carry A weeks food load and a liter of water my pack weight is near 34 lbs often I carry an Osprey aether 70. Considering the aether is 2 lbs more pack if you watch your weight and can tough it out for a day or two this pack will easily do a week long trip.

I’ve only put 50 miles on this pack but it’s working good. It takes some getting used to. It’s top load only which means no sleeping bag compartment or zipper. Saves weight but adds a little inconvenience. No hip pockets also to save weight. It’s a solid pack for the weight and size. The outside pouch is super stretchy and spacious. The brain also has a lot of room which is nice considering the lack of hip pockets. The shoulder straps hug pretty tight to the frame and can make it difficult to put the pack on but after that it fits like a glove. The synch straps on the outside are a little much and can come undone pretty easy which can be annoying.

I have taken this backpack on four, 3-6 day trips in warm southern California and the Sierras during summer. I was looking for a compromise of the support and durability of a standard backpack and a weight closer to ultralight gear out there, and I found it with this backpack. I've had no issues at all with it, its extremely comfortable and breathable in 90+ degree weather, dried fast when my platypus leaked a liter of water into it, and it is even spacious enough to fit a bear canister sideways in the bottom of the pack. The straps do appear thin, but seem to to hold up well and Osprey has an easy repair policy if they were ever break.

I’m cognizant of my “big 3” weight. At under 3 pounds, this is the lightest pack I’ve ever used. I have an older REI Flash 62, which weighs just a hair more, but feels significantly more delicate compared to the Exos 58. I imagine textiles have advanced quite a bit since then. This thing is light and feels durable! The pack isn’t advertised as water repellent, but I encountered sporadic rain and hail; and it was beading and sheeting water away. In fact, it never even wet through. That might be a function of the fabric being new, but that suggests to me that a do-it-yourself water repellent finish might allow this bag to handle brief periods of inclement weather. Of course the mesh areas will still get wet. The ventilated mesh back is the first of its kind I’ve experienced, and it’s awesome. On long uphill slogs, it significantly reduced my sweaty back problem. Usually whenever I take off a pack, I get chills from my back being soaked. I can’t say it makes it any more comfortable in terms of ergonomics and fit, but the extra breathability definitely makes a killer difference. The angled water bottle pouches are brilliant for quick access without needing someone else to help you. They do take some practice to grab and stow quickly, and I found myself swinging my elbows into them initially, but it quickly becomes second nature. My only minor criticism is sizing. I’m a very average size medium in everything that I wear/use. The sizing chart says my torso fits either a small or medium. I have the size small Exos 58 and while it fits, a medium might've fit better. Which leads me to another point, this pack is definitely intended for those who travel light. I didn’t need a bear canister this time, but I tried fitting a BearVault BV500 in with all my usual gear, and I’d definitely have to strap things to the outside if I was backpacking solo. Overall, a great pack. It’s hard to find any piece of gear that’s universally great for all scenarios, but the Exos 58 is pretty close. If you travel with minimal gear, go on shorter 2-4 day trips, or have a bunch of ultralight gear, this bag would fit the bill quite well.

Let's start with the punchline: this is the most comfortable pack of it's size that I've ever used. I was initially concerned that the hip belt is pretty minimal, and doesn't have sort of firm structure that I'm accustomed to from Osprey, but that worry turns out to be entirely unfounded. The pack carries very stably, and the flexible hip belt makes for very easy, natural movement when hiking on rough or steep terrain. I missed having pockets on the hip belt for small things like a bar, a camera, or a map, but given how light and comfortable this pack is, I'll happy take the tradeoff. The wide mesh/netting surface that makes up the back panel is set far away from the back of the pack body itself, and while this makes the pack incredibly comfortable, it also makes for some slightly strange internal geometry. I usually run my tent poles along the back panel of my pack, but that panel is so curved in the Exos 58 that I had to arrange the poles to be more towards the center of the pack. Additionally, the bottom edge of the back panel curves down and forwards at the corners. This adds a bit more volume to the pack, but these little regions sitting near the hip belt can really only be utilized with something soft and compressible that you can stuff into that oddly-shaped area. There isn't a way to access these corners with the pack loaded, so don't put anything in there that you'll need during the day. All that said, this pack is unbelievably comfortable. Long days hiking with a full load didn't leave me with a sore neck, back, or shoulders. The hip belt sits comfortably, there were no hotspots whatsoever, and it was easy to adjust the pack while wearing it. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this pack is how easy it is to move while wearing it. This isn't something that I've generally been aware of with my other packs, but with the Exos providing a point of comparison, they now feel like having a plank strapped to my back. I haven't had a chance to really test the durability of the pack yet, but after a few nights in the backcountry and taking no special precautions with it, it's still looking brand new and showing no wear whatsoever.

Just took it out for the second weekend hike. Love that it weighs 2 1/2 pounds less than my old Kelty Catalyst 65. The angled entry on the side for the water bottles is great. Like that you can remove the brain to take off even more weight. The curved back really helps with ventilation. Only real downside is that I would really love a hip belt pocket. I tend to wear hiking shorts with lots of pockets but if you are wearing running shorts you’ll definitely miss them. Very nice minimalist pack if you goal is to drop weight off your back.

I finally decided to upgrade to an ultralight pack. I looked at a lot of different packs and select the Exos for a bunch of reasons. Things I love about this pack: It's really light, Osprey's `all-mighty` guarantee, really good water bottle pockets, external pocket. But my favorite things is no more sweaty back! The trampline back provides great airflow and I don't have to deal with damp, cold shirts at the end of the day. I've heard people complain about the lack of hip pockets but I haven't missed them. If that's an issue for you, look into small camera cases that will slide on to the hip belt. I'm really happy with this pack.