How to Choose a Backpack
Osprey Exos 38 Pack
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Osprey Exos packs have become a standard among thru-hikers and ultralight enthusiasts. The supportive Exos 38 Pack is no exception, and is perfect for superlight backpacking and day hiking.
Shop similar products- Updated materials and hardware provide a lighter weight pack than the previous version; the lid, key straps and attachment points are all removable
- Superlight Airspeedâ„¢ suspension features a 6065 aluminum frame and breathable 3D tensioned-mesh back panel with side ventilation
- ExoFormâ„¢ shoulder straps include a stretch-mesh energy gel pocket and a 15mm adjustable slide sternum strap with a built-in whistle
- ExoForm hipbelt features an ergonomic, forward-pull cinch closure that lets you get just the right fit; seamless layered mesh provides comfort and cushioning
- Removable floating lid includes top and under-lid zippered pockets for stashing trail essentials within easy reach
- FlapJacketâ„¢ lid deploys to provide main compartment protection from the elements and top-down compression to keep the pack load stable
- Hydration-compatible design places the reservoir (sold separately) in a cavity behind the back panel for easy refilling
- Ultralight, 7mm webbing compression straps on the sides take up extra volume with minimal added weight; route the straps over or under the side pockets
- Sleeping-pad straps and a single tool attachment with bungee tie-off let you strap extra gear to the outside of the pack
- Front and side stretch woven pockets provide handy spots for stuffing a rain jacket or water bottle; zippered hipbelt pockets give you a place to stash energy food
- The Osprey Exos 38 Pack is made with 100-denier nylon and ripstop nylon for ultralight durability
| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Frame Type | Internal Frame |
| Ultralight | Yes |
| Material(s) | Ripstop nylon |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Number of Stays | 1 |
| Reservoir Compatible | Yes |
| Suspended Mesh Back Panel | Yes |
| Pack Access | Top |
| Number of Exterior Pockets | 4 + main compartment |
| Gender | Unisex |
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Sara Showers
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Love it!
8 years ago
I haven't yet had a chance to log very many miles with this pack but so far it's a real winner! So small, light, and maneuverable. Practically clings to my body (in a good way), while maintaining great airflow between my back and the pack. Be aware that the sleeping pad straps are on the bottom of the pack, so if you're slightly goofy like me and carrying a luxurious, heavy camp bed strapped to an ultralight kit the sleeping pad placement prevents you from using Osprey's hiking-pole stow-n-go loops. Not a dealbreaker for me, but it's good to know.
Yes , I recommend this product
basedrop
Los Angeles, CA, United States
The best lightweight/ultralight pack ever!
10 years ago
I've hiked with everything from 6lb. 70 liter packs, to 1 pound ultralight packs... and this pack is hands down the best solution for any back country trip. One caveat... you'll need smaller gear to fit it into the 38 liter. I'm able to fit: 20 degree down bag, full size blow up pad, small tent (flycreek UL2) with poles, nalgeen sized cook kit, all my 3 season clothes, extras bag, 5 days worth of (light weight) food, and 2 - 1 liter water bottles with sawer mini filter. Without even putting the detachable top lid on! This comes with a second top flap. So... if I need a few more days of food, or more winter clothing etc... I still have room. This pack cinches down perfectly, it creates a space between your back and the pack with the special mesh and aluminum frame suspension system. It comes in at a few ounces over 2 pounds. This is the best solution for any backpacker with 11-20 pound base weight. Bring your gear to REI to make sure it all fits first, and also have them measure you for the correct size. Once you get it home, don't be afraid to load it up and then bend the internal frame bars to closer match the contours of your back. Call REI first because they routinely sell out of this pack. I will end with: Osprey is a name you can trust, the web is littered with positive reviews on this company, how they treat their customers, and the quality of their products.
Yes , I recommend this product
Jazzyrick
Wisconsin, United States
Great Pack. Hope it's not too small.
9 years ago
I had an Exped Mountain Lite 40 prior to this one. I liked the Exped, but it didn't have any pockets, it didn't have a mesh back pad so I would sweat a lot when backpacking. This is nearly the same size and solved those issues. 3 nice sized pockets. The back pocket is massive. The mesh back support is just amazing especially if you are in warmer weather. It's great support and it keeps the pack a good 2 inches from your back with plenty of air flow. There are also small pockets in the hip belts and the shoulder straps. The brain is removable as well which is a nice feature if you don't need the extra space. I have a quite small load both in volume and weight by now, so I gave up some of that weight for the luxury of this pack. At just over 2 pounds it's certainly not heavy, but it also has the mesh back and pockets lacking in other lighter packs. Overall this is an amazing purchase and even at 38 liters I can still fit all my gear and a good 7 days of food + 3 liters of water all under 25 or so pounds.
Jeff loves hiking
Winter Springs, FL, United States
Osprey Exos 38L Pack
10 years ago
After lots of on-line research, I narrowed my choice down to four 40 liter packs, all offered by REI. I was looking for a pack that could be used for long day hikes and ultimately a trek on the Camino de Santiago in Spain next year. All offered the features I wanted, but this pack had the best feature/weight combination. Features I like are the vented suspension and hip/shoulder straps, the various pockets and compression options, the removable top hood, and the treking pole holders.But the decider for me was comfort. This pack was by far the most comfortable for my torso size/shape. I've only used the pack on a few training hikes with 15 to 20 lb loads( my target pack weight for the Camino), and so far have been impressed with it's fit and ride, I hardly know it's there. The only reservation for me is durability( hence the 4 stars), and time and use will tell. It is so light weight that I hope it holds up, no reason yet not to think so. Also, kudo's to the REI staff at the Cincinnati store. They fit me with all 4 candidate packs, customized them to my torso, loaded them up with 20 lbs of weight and let me walk around the store for an hour while I tried them all out. On-line they all looked similar, but until you put them on and load them up, you don't realize how different they can fit and feel.
Yes , I recommend this product
Chuckleberry Finn
Bellingham, WA
Osprey Exos 38
9 years ago
I love this backpack. I have taken it from Greece to Africa to National Parks around the United States and it has never let me down. At 38 liters I expected it to be a little big for day hiking and a little small for backpacking. I HATE packs that flop around like a wet noodle when not full but the Exos has great compression straps on the side and you can take the top pocket off which eliminates "too big" problem. I am a large guy who likes to eat well in the backcountry so even though my gear would be minimalist if I was 5'7" I was worried about it fitting into this pack. Every time I go backpacking for less than a week now I use my Exos. I am somehow always surprised at how much can fit into this pack if you use it properly. I fit: extra long 15 degree sleeping bag, long (they don't make extra long) sleeping pad, jetboil group cooking set (size of a regular small pot), marmot limelight 3 tent (poles on the outside), sawyer mini water filter + 2 empty platypus soft bottles, 3 season of clothes, 4 days worth of food, my dslr camera, and essentials like my knife, matches, pills, etc. Overall, incredible pack that is super comfortable and can handle all types of duties. Some places where I would score the Exos negatively: -The mesh of the outer and side pockets is super stretch and soft but rips easily. - the back panel is curved so if you put a flat water bladder in, it takes up an absurd amount of room on the inside. I had to solve this my packing the platypus soft bottles that can roll up when not full and screw on to the sawyer filter. -After over a year of constant hard use in mostly hot and humid conditions the material is kind of sticky and the zippers are also sticky.
Photo Guy 27
Lander, WYO
Remarkable Pack
8 years ago
For background, I've been backpacking since the 1970's, and as technology progressed, I gradually learned to appreciate ultra-light backpacking. I would never have imagined using such a pack on a long distance hike in the past, but not anymore. It's a great day pack for heavier loads, but it is also capable of handling a long haul. I completed an AT thru hike in the past, with a larger, heavier pack. If I were to attempt another thru hike I would probably carry my Exos 38. By the time I completed my hike I was down to a total weight (including food+water) of about 27 pounds for 3-4 days between food resupply. I've carried 27 pounds repeatedly with the Exos 38 and it does just fine. I've seen a few reviews claiming that the Exos shouldn't be used for weights above 20 pounds or so. I'm just not experiencing that. I feel great with the Exos 38 at 27 lbs., even with nothing on underneath but running shorts and a running shirt. The shoulder strap and hip belt padding are fine for me. It has the same eternal frame suspension of the larger packs in the Exos series (48 and 58), so it can certainly handle the weight. With a full load of food I put my tent underneath. When my food bag nears empty the tent goes inside. While not large enough for colder weather overnight use when I pack more clothing and a warmer sleeping bag, it's plenty big enough for summer and shoulder season overnight use. That's dependent on where you are hiking of course. While the hip belt pockets could be larger, the roomy "brain" makes up for that. I can hike all day not having to access the main compartment. I don't have enough time with this pack to judge the long-term durability of the stretch mesh pockets (sides and back). I'm guessing they would be pretty chewed up after a few thousand miles, but so was the mesh on my Circuit.
Yes , I recommend this product
cafeazul
San Antonio, TX
Mixed Feelings
8 years ago
I really wanted to love this pack. It is the perfect size and configuration for my gear. The quality and craftsmanship is exceptional. And at only 2 lbs., it helped put the "ultra" in my ultralight setup. But I just couldn't get past the fact that this pack was a bit uncomfortable for me. The webbing on the hip belt and shoulder straps is a little abrasive and could use a little more padding. And at least for the 38 L version, the frame is too short to give the load lifter straps the proper angle to lift the load off the shoulders. Please note that although the Exos 38L did not work for me, I would still recommend it. I had to deliberate long and hard to return it and in the end I still decided to purchase an Exos. I went with the 48L instead, since it seems to handles a load better than the 38L.
Yes , I recommend this product
Freezing Frank
Planet Earth
Large daypack / UL overnite pack
8 years ago
After 15 years with a previous daypack, it was finally time to replace it. Although 38L is big for a summer daypack, it is great for cold weather trips. And to my surprise, I found out I can fit my summer UL overnight gear and food in this perfectly. The pack "rides" nice and comfortable. It has a sternum strap but I prefer not to use it, so I cut it off already. Very pleased with this product.
Yes , I recommend this product
Paul16
Summer Heaven
8 years ago
Bought this for 3 season backpacking in CA mountains. Gear is always fluid based on the trip, but I have a base weight of around 10.5 lbs and this pack has more than enough room for me. Over time, I've found that I don't need or want lots of pockets and organizing pieces, I just need a tube and this pack fits the bill. I don't use the lid and I'm glad theres an option to take it off, but if you do use the lid, theres no really good way to keep that secondary flap out of the way. Hip belt pockets and shoulder strap pockets are great additions and I love them for holding snacks, and things I want to grab without going into the pack. The mesh on the front is awesome and the buckle means everything stays inside and tight to the pack. The suspension is really comfortable and you can feel the air flowing against your back, but you have to be a little more careful about packing. My number one favorite thing about this pack is the extra cut out in the water bottle holders. Being able to pull out and put back a bottle from the side instead of the top is so much easier and faster, osprey should be putting this in all their packs. Durability so far has been excellent even with the lighter weight materials, no holes or rips. Overall a really solid pack that comes in at just around 30oz if you take off the top lid.
Yes , I recommend this product
Squarepeg
Uvalde, TX
Thru-hiker tried, tested and approved!
8 years ago
I am a long distance hikers with two Appalachian Trail thru-hikes under my belt and around 5,000 miles hiked. I've used and been exposed to many types of packs from those weighing ounces to 5 or 6 lbs. But I've never seen a better made pack than the Osprey Exos 58. My first impression was good at REI when I loaded it with all of my gear and put it on was bliss as it fit comfortably and was so light. As I hiked the pack continued to meet and exceed my expectations as I exceeded the pack weight limitations of around 30 lbs by 15 lbs with 45lbs with a weeks worth of food and water. (Not recommended long term) I love the "trampoline" where the pack frame is about 2" off of your back and a mesh sits on your back so that wind passes between you and your pack preventing the awful sweaty pack back! I'm not the only one who loves this pack as on my AT thru-hike this pack is becoming the dominant pack in the AppalachianTrail community. Check it out for yourself and you may soon own one of your own! - Squarepeg 2013 250 mile Appalachian Trail section hiker, 2015 & 2016 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on ospreypacks.com
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