Anyone know somewhere I can try a few of the different models?
The Talon, Manta, Hikelite, Skarab, Stratos and Archeon all seem to be contenders, but I'd like to have a play and try them on before buying.
Thanks in advance.
Do you have a Go Outdoors near you? The one near me has loads of Osprey bags.
If you trying, make sure you load them up. I tested the Stratos and Talon back to back when I was looking for a pack around the 30/40l category. I actually preferred the layout of the Talon and it was also lighter. However, after testing with loads, there was no contest, the Stratos was miles comfier so the Talon went back.
I’ve never had a pack that distributes weight as well as the Stratos, it genuinely feels like you are carrying a lot less than you actually are.
Cheers folks, off to Go Outdoors this afternoon.
Coming from 20 years of minimalist packs I'm tempted by one of the simpler versions, not sure all the 'features' will get used.
Mrs S has a Tempest 30 for day hikes and raves about it. Survived the Himalayas and Pyrenees without issue.
I have a couple of Alpkit Gourdon 20's but as I'm starting to do more winter/longer distance walking the capacity isn’t enough.
Sustainability is a thing too, the Gourdons tend to last about five years max, but I know several people who've been using Ospreys for well over a decade, regularly crammed with heavy climbing gear.
Cheers once again.
Well, ended up with a Sportlite 25.
They had a huge pile of last years models on sale.
Fits well, stable when loaded and quite minimalist compared to the Talon.
Nice.
£45 at the Bury store. They've several other models at half price too.
This can replace the Gourdons. If I get on with it, I'll try one of the bigger ones.