Mutant 38L Backpack
Osprey's Mutant 38L Backpack carries your essentials whether you're on a technical alpine objective or running laps on ice climbs. Complete with the necessary features required for light and fast missions, the Mutant 38L strips itself of the extra components of a typical technical pack. Reinforced A-frame ski carry holds your skis securely and the 3-point haul system distributes the weight of the pack evenly when clipped at an anchor or hauling up a climb. The hip belt features two gear loops to clip and carry equipment that can be easily accessed when wearing the pack while climbing. Ice tool locks safely stow a set of ice tools, and an included helmet carry attachment conveniently holds a climbing helmet during the approach.
Details
- A streamlined pack hauls your gear on light and fast alpine objectives
- 38 liter capacity is perfect for long, single day missions
- A frame ski carry securely holds your planks while straddling a ridge
- 3-point haul system fastens pack to an anchor on multi-pitch climbs
- Hip belt and ice axe gear loops allow for additional gear storage
- Helmet carry stores your helmet when hiking back to the car
- Item #OSP00BC
- Material
- [main, accent] 210D nylon, [bottom] 420D nylon
- Volume
- [small/medium] 36L (2197cu in), [medium/large] 38L (2319cu in)
- Support/Suspension
- removable Atilon sheet lamination, HDPE top stay
- Shoulder Straps
- laminated EVA
- Waist Belt
- fixed
- Hydration Compatible
- yes
- Access
- top
- Pockets
- 2 zippered lid
- Gear Loops
- 1 front panel daisy chain, 2 waist belt gear loops
- Helmet Carry
- yes
- Ice Axe Carry
- yes
- Weight Capacity
- 40lb
- Dimensions
- 29 x 13 x 12in
- Claimed Weight
- [small/medium] 2lb 10.7oz, [medium/large] 2lb 13oz
- Manufacturer Warranty
- lifetime
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
4.5 based on 4 ratings
Review Summary
Fits True To Size
Screen reader users: the following list provides a visual scale to illustrate the product fit. Please refer to the heading above for the fit type in text.What do you think about this product?
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageMay 27, 2021
Almost perfect
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Height:
- 5' 7"
- Weight:
- 155
This is my first quality pack (was a gift from my GF for my birthday), and I choosed this model because I do rock climbing and I'm planning to do some light mountaineering soon, so it looked like this was the best option for me, but I should probably had to choose a different model. This is why; I've had my 38L for 3 months now and I use it every weekend to carry my climbing equipment to the crag and it is great for that, it is a very nice pack, the material looks like is going to last forever but there are a couple things I don't love about it. 1. SIDE STRAPS. it has a strap to hold your rope on each side, I'd love to have those placed a few inches lower, they are located very high on top and the hanging loops of the rope move all around when you are walking or approaching, getting stuck on trees etc, It has a couple of compresion straps below, and I use those to secure the rope but those dont have clips and is very difficult to put the rope inside them. 2. SIDE POCKETS. You can carry watter on your internal reseirvoir and that's ok, but if you are carrying coffee or something else in another bottle the only place you can put that is inside of the pack, not very convenient if you want to drink that on a quick break during your walk to the crag, you need to put the bag in the gound, open it, take out your stuff to get your coffee out, then put everthing inside again to continue walking. Every weekend I have to choose if I carry my coffee in my hand or go thru all that. 3. BREATHABILITY. If you are walking in warm days you will probably end with a sweaty back, there is not a lot of breathability in that area of the pack. As I said, probably another osprey model would be better for what I need, but that is my experience so far.
September 26, 2020
More Please!
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
Awesome Pack! This pack is nice and lightweight! It's the perfect pack for those long(or short) approaches to the crag, summiting peaks or just going for a casual hike. The frame and waist moves well with your body as you're climbing up and over obstacles. It felt comfortable on my back even as I hiked 16 grueling miles completely packed down. I always wanted to see more from Osprey geared towards climbing and here is what I was looking for! Oh, and the helmet carrier on top is a really nice feature! Keeps you from having to strap it onto you pack and hearing it smack around. Very happy with the Pack! Keep 'em coming Osprey!
September 22, 2020
Everything you Need for Technical Routes
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Size Bought:
- M/L
- Weight:
- 185
I fret over packs. I routinely destroy packs through use. This thing is the closest to perfection I've seen after 10 years of climbing. I previously shied away from Osprey packs because they've always seemed over-engineered and a little too ultralight (i.e. delicate) to me. But I'm really glad I went with the Mutant 38. I got it to replace my Cold Cold World Valdez, which is bomber but doesn't carry heavy loads very comfortably. I wanted something small enough to climb with, but big enough to fit everything for 2-4 day routes (with judicious packing). After a summer of abuse in the Cascades (including two nights on Stuart's North Ridge and a day of using it as a haul bag on Liberty Crack), I'm as convinced as the reviewers at OutdoorGearLab, who fawned over it. Volume: It may advertise as 38 liters, but this thing is a bottomless pit. It took sleep kit, food for 3 days, 2.5 liters of water, a single rack, extra clothes, etc. without batting an eye, and it was still comfortable for a long approach. Climbing: Just as important, it climbs really well, even with the frame in, so you can keep that internal structure for a long approach without it being uncomfortable when things get vertical. I really liked the extra hood feature that covers up the top of the pack when you stuff the brain inside -- it keeps moisture out and gives the big cinch straps a place to go instead of just dangling. Cons: The cons are pretty minor here. I agree with Connor that the attachments are a little fiddly when using more technical/aggressive tools. Also, the cinch straps for the brain run directly over the handle attachments for your tools, which ends up being pretty annoying (and is the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars). Finally, there is absolutely no internal organization to this pack, except for a hydration sleeve. I actually prefer this, but it's something to keep in mind if that matters to you.
May 29, 2020
Really Nice Backpack For a Great Price
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Size Bought:
- M/L
- Height:
- 6' 5"
- Weight:
- 170
This backpack is really awesome for ice climbing. Very very comfortable, pretty light, and the axe attachment points work pretty well and the price is amazing. My only gripe is that it can be a bit hard to load properly if you are putting rigid or awkwardly shaped items in it. Also, the tool attachments are a bit fiddly when used with a very curved and handled ice tool (Cassin X-Dream for example). The head attachment works great but the tools require some fiddling to line up well with the handle loops. This would not be an issue with an ice axe or a straighter ice tool.
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