Osprey  Sirrus 36 Pack - Women's

As one of my last purchases for geologic mapping field camp I was convinced by a store employee to go with the Osprey Sirrus 36 in Stealth Grey (which is actually more of a dark green.) The pack has been through almost a month of abuse through thick brush, rain, mud, sharp shaley outcrops, etc...The bottom compartment is perfect for rain gear, thermal layers, and hats and gloves. Inside the main portion I am able to lug around a map board, brunton compass, GPS, pack of pens, pencils, rulers/scales, the large 1.5 L Nalgeen, and lunch. There are two handy pouches on top that I use for my phone, first aid stuff, or little things that get lost easily. There is what seems to be a laptop pouch in the main body, but fitting anything in there is a little weird with how the pack frame curves. Overall the XS Women's is a perfect fit. I'm about 5'4" and have a smaller frame and torso, but hauling around all my gear for 10 hours a day up and down steep ridges hasn't been a problem. I'm glad I was able to shell out the cash for this pack, it's been well worth it.

I bought this pack for my Hut to Hut hiking through the White Mountains in NH, and it was just the right size for my clothes and other essentials, and hydration pack. It was easy to find my items when I needed them and all the smaller pockets were just right for my camera, sun glasses, snacks, lip balm, etc.

Used it for a week in Chiapas and a week in Quintana Roo/Yucatan. Overall great backpack, comfortable, adjustable. Love all the different openings to squeeze in more stuff and get out my things more easily. Lots of space. Only thing is the water bottle pocket is a bit tight, so it was hard to squeeze the bottle in without it falling. I'd buy it again!

This review concerns the Osprey Sirrus 36 size XS/X women's specific design pack. I own more than a dozen backpacks/daypacks from various manufacturers (ranging from expensive to cheap), and this is my favorite for something that can carry 20-30 pounds. First and foremost, it is the right size for someone my height, which I had not succeeded in getting in unisex packs or men's packs. With my gear in it, the pack weighs about 28 pounds, and despite the fact that my standard hike is 8 miles up and down a mountain with a significant elevation change, I scarcely notice that I'm carrying it, because it fits so well. This has become my default pack. Other features I especially appreciate: -- The zipper pulls are wonderful. Sturdy and round, they are very comfortable to pull and work better than any other pulls I've had on any other bags. -- The zippers work well -- no getting caught all the time. -- The trampoline back does help avoid overheating. -- The bottom outside zipper pocket (intended for a sleeping bag) gives me easy access to my rain gear, useful if there is a sudden shower, because I don't have to open up the pack and root around in it in a torrential downpour. -- The main compartment of the pack does have two access points, the top and the essentially the whole front of the pack, which helps if one wants to get something from the middle or bottom of the pack without taking everything out of it. Is there anything not to like about it? A few minor points: -- The color (green) is named "stealth gray." (It's so stealthy I never would have guessed it.) -- Apparently because of the trampoline back that moves the pack a little further away from my back, I cannot get water bottles (that I use for electrolyte replacement, instead of putting powder into a water bladder and creating a cleaning problem) out of the outside side mesh pouches when I am wearing the pack. -- The zipper hip/waist pouches (fanny packs) are too small for my cell phone with its external battery attached, too small for Clif Shot Bloks without bending the packages, etc., and are hard to reach when I am wearing the pack. -- Because it is hard to reach anything in the pack (see above) when wearing it, I am currently wearing a safari vest with the pack so that I have some items within easy reach (e.g., cell phone, Personal Locator Beacon, Garmin GPS, map, snacks, electrolyte replacement powder, pocket camera, etc.) For example, if the PLB were in the pack and I fell and couldn't get the pack off, the PLB would not do me any good. Etc. -- This pack shares a characteristic with most (but not all) other packs, which is that one has to essentially unpack the entire pack to get the water bladder in after filling it. This is inconvenient. All of the above said, I would not do day hikes with any other pack.

My first real good backpack. I do like it but I did struggle a bit with trying to attach the hiking poles to the backpack in midst of trekking. I think it is just me and need to get used to all of the bells and whistles on this. My one complaint is that I wish the little waist zip pockets on belt would be just a touch bigger. Can't fit a regular size iphone in it which would have made this awesome.

Very comfortable pack that offers plenty of room. Top and front load main compartment access is the best feature! No longer need to unload the entire bag to get what is at the bottom.

I have been using this pack for nearly 2 years as my daily school bag. I chose this pack because my shoulders and back get sore from hours of computer work and lab work, and the weight of a backpack on my shoulders is uncomfortable. I love it and don't want to go back to a normal school backpack. On a lot of days it's more space than I need, so I cinch the straps down and it compacts well. But there are plenty of other days when I fill it up! (for example: coffee, lunch, dinner, gym clothes, gym shoes, and an extra sweater in addition to my normal laptop, planner, umbrella, and bike lights). I look pretty dorky walking around campus with the pillowy hip pockets, but using a real hip belt makes my shoulders happy, and those hip belt pockets are super convenient (mine hold phone, wallet, keys). The frame is curved so my laptop doesn't fit flush against the back, but that's okay. I've also taken it hiking and on one-night summer backpacking trips, and it works great. I considered a smaller bag (such as a Mira 34), and something designed for school use (i.e. with a laptop sleeve) would stay more organized, but I'm glad I have the extra space when I need it with this larger pack.