Great backpack for its low initial weight ratio to high carrying capacity, especially considering how tough AND comfortable it is. It does squeak, and if adding silicone to headrail ends does not end squeak, ship it to Osprey who can deal with it.

Customer Service

Excellent.

Similar Products Used:

Gregory packs.

I got this very lightly used on e-bay, could not tell anyone had worn it outside. I love this pack. I am 6'2" and 176 lbs. I use this for day trips into the back country in winter with tele skis (mostly vertical hiking for turns on steeper terrain), and less in the summer for 1 or 2 backpacking trips. It fits like a glove (I have the large size) even on my long torso. It is very light and is big enough for 4-day trips backpacking and small and light enough for daylong trips into winter country when gear space requirements are greater than a simple day pack. This thing won some award in some magazine at one point, and for good reason. Enjoy!

Customer Service

not used.

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Contour IV

Used the Aether 60 on several AT day hikes and a 4 day hike in the Grand Tetons. Carried <35# very comfortably. I used the Excessory Solo, but I liked the internal capacity and the exterior pockets and lash points. I have a size medium and could have used a little larger hipbelt.

Customer Service

Haven't used it.

Similar Products Used:

Jansport Adirondack

Have only used this pack for a 4-day through-hike so far, but based on only that I'd have to give it high marks. Max weight was 30lbs, not a ton but I'm an ultralight wannabe. Didn't even have to clean it off after the trip. My only complaint is that the hipbelt (size Medium) was a little big for my thin waist (31"), but that's nitpicking, it didn't cause me any issues.

Similar Products Used:

None, this is my first pack.

I get 5+ days out of the medium Aether60. Lightweight, tough, lots of features. Who could ask for more. I've beaten this pack silly, and the only wear to show is a pull in one side of the mesh pocket, and that was because I continually shoved a 32 0z nalgene where only a 16oz should go. Can't beat the quality of this one.

Customer Service

Bought through REI via clinic. REI is awesome.

Similar Products Used:

Gregory, Arcteryx etc.

Got pack- 2003 model for overnight to 3 day hikes or longer, as long as loads are under 40 pounds. The pack has sturdy reinforcements in key areas where the poles might be prone to poke through in heavy use and is one of the new features for '03. Also new in '03 is a thicker padding on the harness. I tried out the pack on a local peak and subsequently on a 3-day 32 mile hike from 2500 ft to 8400 ft and back down again. It was a very comfortable fit and comfortable carry. Even though the pack does not have a stay it does have two rods and with the framesheet and padding plus the "ergo-pul" hip-belt system, it's more than enough support and a really good suspension. My only complaint is that the fabric is a really plasticky nylon that seems pretty tough but it's a little noisy and seems to squeak. I miss the fabric Osprey used to use on its packs when they were all made in Colorado, USA. I used the accessory feature to latch on an old solo for day-hiking, removing the main harness for that purpose, and it was pretty quick and easy to do. The pack has a nice compression system and I was able to really lock everything in place tightly. Bottom line, for a $200 pack, you get a great-fitting and lightweight backpack that seems pretty rugged.

Customer Service

haven't needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Gregory Makalu - great pack, maybe a tad too ligthweight matl's for a desert/chapparal terrain; osprey 75 '00 model my standard for 1-2 week hikes, a little heavy for an overnight local peak-pagging e

tried the 2001 model and found it to be very impressive. held out to buy the 2002 b/c of the new features (pad straps, mesh pockets, beefier harness/hipbelt). after 10 months and around 200 miles of trail (including a 3-week urban to rainforest trek in Costa Rica), i found the pack to be perfect in terms of weight and size. i, too, found that the pole/stays would pop out. (i believe this occurs when carrying too heavy a load -- as it happened to me only in Costa Rica). my biggest concern is the hipbelt being so long for my 30in waist. the buckles overlap the beltclip. as long as i keep my load less than 30lbs (which i normally do), it's smooth sailing.

Customer Service

i have understood that many stores in the area have cut osprey out due to poor customer service and hipbelt problems.

Similar Products Used:

i used the bigger, tougher, heavier gregory palisade for 5 years and loved it! (haven't used it, however, since i made the shift over to the ultralite movement.)

I used this pack on a thru-hike that I just finished, no thanks to this pack. The other reviews seem to be mostly positive, and I agree that it has some nice features. HOWEVER, beware of the internal stays. Not only did they pop out of the sleeves on top (why this sleeve wasn't sewn shut at the factory is a mystery), but they both eventually poked out the bottoms of the sleeves. In order to poke through the bottom, the sharp poles busted through not only the flimsy rubber caps on their ends, but through the fabric and rubber coating. These problems were major: popping out the top caused severe shoulder pain (weight of pack was forced to rest on only one shoulder), and was only resolved when I sewed the sleeve shut myself. Popping out the bottom also destroyed the weight distribution, and the pole would push farther and farther out, nearly puncturing the skin of my "backside". This problem was fixed only with homespun ingenuity involving duct tape. BEWARE of this pack if you are going to be relying on it for your very existence, as one does on a thruhike.

Customer Service

We'll find out this afternoon.

This is the most versatile pack I have owned. Extremely light, yet carries a considerable load well. I jammed it full - up to 45 lbs, which is pushing the limit for the size, and it stayed comfortable and carried well. It compresses easily, seems very well made and tough. I also do ski tours - and I predict this pack will be a great ski pack because it fits snugly with little sway. I bought the solo pocket accessory and it works beautifully with the pack. This is my third Osprey pack and they are terrific.

Customer Service

Very good - a little slow responding to email questions.

Similar Products Used:

Osprey Finesse (had one for 10+ years).

None

first of all, I BORROWED this pack to try out and we estimated the cost because they couldn''t remember what they paid for it. I''ve tried a lot of packs out and we own a couple that range from tech day stuff to multiple week trips. And I don''t like the Osprey folks at all BUT...this pack was awesome! Fit well with a few minor adjustments..and it was like a part of me. We spent the weekend on the skinny skis and it was perfect for the load, didn''t get in the way tele skiing, and again, it was a perfect fit!

Customer Service

My expereicne back in 1999 defined the word "lame." In fact somewhere in this site is a review of them by me when I was Tig at Earthlink.net. Anyway, they were beyond lame. But who cares...the pack

Similar Products Used:

Lowe, Mountainsmith, Dana of old (my Terraplane is still the best big pack ever), Dana of new (Mystery Ranch is only fair), Marmot, and a couple others over time