REI Co-op  Packmod Replacement Sternum Strap

I am sure this would be a decent fix for anyone who doesn't have an Osprey pack, but, unfortunately it absolutely cannot be used for the purpose I purchased it for, as advised by REI staff in the Eugene store. I am not sure why the associate thought this would be an adequate replacement for my Osprey Ariel 65 pack...maybe he wasn't paying attention, or maybe he was just embarrassed because his fellow associate actually broke the Osprey replacement strap I brought in to have installed on my pack. There is no way this product can attach to the shoulder straps on an Osprey pack.

I wanted these for a few daily commuter bags that didn’t have sternum straps (specifically the Osprey Axis because those straps are too wide apart) and was excited to try this product. They work, as long as you’re not having to take off your bag very often, which for a commuting bag, isn’t my case. Most straps tend to tape towards the bottom, meaning when you take the bag off and remove pressure from the straps, they slide down. Then the next time you put the bag on you have to find where they slid to, but put them back in place. I’m not sure how this would be addressed since it’s trying to work with both these straps and the straps on whatever bag you have. Maybe a sticky material on the back to try to provide more friction to stay in place? I’m not sure, but I also considered taking some sewing thread and tacking mine directly on the backpack straps, but then you don’t have the flexibility to adjust or remove them.

The reason this is a "universal" replacement is because it doesn't actually fit the way the original straps fit. The REI 40L Ruckpack (this item: https://www.rei.com/product/235558/rei-co-op-ruckpack-40-pack-mens) has a sternum strap that attaches using a c-clip to a slider. These replacement straps loop around the shoulder strap and cinch them, which means they aren't at their full width where the sternum strap attaches. If REI is going to make a replacement strap for a pack with cost a fair amount of money, it should actually make the matching replacement strap. When I called customer service, their answer began with "unfortunately" which is unfortunate but expected. I'm very disappointed but not so surprised. If you need a proper replacement, try this one: https://fstopgear.com/product/replacement-sternum-strap-for-mountain-series-pack/ In the reviews, it says it's compatible with REI packs.

Pirate black is green. Legit. It's forest green. I don't care if the strap works, it's insane to lie about the color black especially when replacing the sternum strap on a black backpack also made by rei.

Easy to use and universal fit sternum strap at a good price. I am using it as a second strap to augment one already on the pack for more stability and to minimize “ pack roll”.