I bought this in February of 2007 for use on a 10-12 day backpacking trip at the Philmont High Adventure Base in New Mexico. We hiked at elevations from 6500 to 11,700 feet with loads from 40 to 50 pounds. I carried anywhere from 35 to 45 ponds in this pack. When I had the pack on it felt like it was part of your body. When you were hiking it felt like you were carrying a lot less. I have had and tried quite a few packs and in my opinion this was probably the best fitting one that I have ever had. The price was excellent compared to other packs of this capacity and the pack weight was just about 5 pounds. This pack in my opinion is a keeper for the serious backpacker.

I can't say enough nice things about this pack. I became so familiar with heavy cumbersome packs that I didn't realize there were other options. I went from a very old school pack to a Gregory, which had great suspension, but it was entirely too heavy for its only function to be to hold the rest of my stuff. After a LOT of research, and coming to the reality that many backpacks aren't designed to fit someone my size (6'6"/265), I ended up with the Osprey. At 5 pounds, it was slightly heavier then I wanted, but it was much lighter then most others. The most noteworthy thing about this backpack is the fact that after using it for a solid 10 hours on day one, by day two, I was ready to go and my body didn't hurt at all because the pack is designed to put nearly the entire load on your hips (where it should be). I can say confidently that this was the most comfortable pack I've worn to date to carry...and that should say a lot to everyone. Like most Osprey products, the pack is made very well, it is very durable, and has just enough bells and whistles to keep the typical backpacker happy. If it fit me, it will fit you. Buy it.

So very disappointed. I returned this pack after 1 trip in the Grand Canyon. Granted the Canyon eats gear alive,but I was really expecting more from a company with Osprey's exalted reputation(not to mention price tag). The belt is basically worthless,barely padded,and inadequately suited for comfortably supporting a heavy load. At the time I bought the pack, the heat moulding was not available at BCDC outlet,I am skeptical that it would have made any difference, a skinny, unpadded belt is what it is(I have since noted that there is a moulding machine available at the outlet). The fabric was pummeled by an endless variety of vicious rock surfaces, and the afore mentioned belt began to basically unravel. My partner pack, years older than mine, but also an Osprey, seemed to perform admirably,his model sported a much beefier belt, and a tougher fabric. It seems to me that the "big bird" is running on fumes and reputation. I hate to harsh, but the Royal Arch Loop is the last place you want feeble gear. For those that say, I should have tried the pack out under gentler circumstances, I accept your censure.

This sucker is roomy. I bought mine last summer to replace my old, cumbersome, not so comfy pack. It's so comfortable when properly adjusted, it seriously feels like there is NO weight in the pack. I thought the airscape backpanel seemed silly, but it does keep the air flowing to your back to keep the bodily condensation down. There aren't a ton of pockets to speak of, but it's fine the bare minimum is what I prefer. The removable lumbar pack is a bit of a waste of what could have been a cool idea. Everything on the pack just seems to be designed with simplicity & comfort in mind.

Great Pack, but could be better.

This pack carries very well up to 40 lbs; I haven't tested it above that. While I really appreciate the empty weight of this pack, from examining the sturdiness of its frame - I am of the opinion that I'd move up to the Argon when packing above 40 lbs.

The Aether 85 just has an amazing amount of room in it! I'm currently a 3 to 4 night packer and I never fill the pack but the straps allow me to cinch up all that extra material just fine. (The Aether 70 only weighs 3 or 4 ounces less than the 85.)

The "Could be better' part:
1. The side water bottle pockets are terrible to retrieve a bottle from. I have to take the pack OFF to get the bottles in and out. I solved this by ditching the bottles and carrying two 2L Outdoor reservoirs (good old Walmart); one in each side about 3/4 full on long dry hauls. (If you a bottle man/woman this is a Major Problem.)
2. NO pockets for your camera or GPS. Again, you have to stop and doff your pack to get at snacks, camera, Gps unit, etc.. That's just plain dumb. (Major)
3. I'd move the key keeper a little closer to the opening in the top pack. (Minor)
4. The Aether 85 has a reservoir sleeve in the main body of the pack. This was difficult to use. The 100oz res. that I stuffed into it really didn't fit well when it was full. Unless you fill using the tube leading to the res. it's a problem to remove and reinsert it into a loaded pack. I don't use it anymore. It would give you one more location for a 2L res. though. (Minor or Major?)

I recommend this pack to anyone contemplating outings lasting more than 3 nights. It is a very comfortable pack and will haul loads of bulky gear!

After extensive research and using a Kelty pack for years I made the decision to buy the Osprey, Aether 85 and couldn't have made a better decision. It carries a tremendous amount of gear with tremendous comfort becausue of the hip belt which is custom molded to fit your waist based on circumference and the air compression support for your back.

Positives: after the first day of an 8 day expedition trip the 60+ lbs I was carrying was vertually weightless which was amazing. In fact, I let others in our party try on the pack and they couldn't belive how light the pack felt considering the weight load. In addition, it's built very well and takes the abuse of canoeing, portaging and winter camping in fridgid temperatures.

Negatives: the pack doesn't have all the bells and whistles of pockets for organization and its not all that easy to get a Nalgene bottle from the side pockets.

Overall Grade: A and is a must have weather your a novice or serious backpacker.

This pack is a great overall pack. I use it mostly for longer summer approaches and any winter mountaineering I do. Holds everything I need, and does it pretty lightly. Highly recommend.

Osprey sells (of course) extra "add-ons" for the Aether line including different sized strap on pockets for GPS, Camera, a 500ci extra bag, water bottle...

I bought this pack for a 2 week trip to Egypt and Jordan. I haven't been on the trip yet but I have used it for a week in Iceland and a 4 day trip to Spain. I can't believe how much stuff I can fit into this pack. It fits very well and is comfortable to carry. Buy it now while you have the chance.

There are things that this pack does well. And then there are things it does just "okay".

First the good. Its well-built and the zippers don't fail. The zippers come with easy access rings, and the teeth are large and sturdy. Everyone keeps harping on how large it is, but for my 4 day trip on Rainier, it was just enough. I routinely carried 60 lbs in it, no problems.

I'm 5'6" and 136lbs. I got the Medium and that fit me comfortably. I have to admit, it wasn't as comfortable as others I've tried, but its amongst the top 3. I think few will disagree, its a comfortable pack. My only gripe on the size and fit is that it does shift a little too much for my personal taste. But maybe if I got the small, that would be different.

Now, my major gripe with the bag is that it doesn't have any side access. With a large bag, its very useful to include a side zipper so you can retrieve things from the middle of the pack. That would have given this 5 Stars in my book. Additionally, it doesn't organize very well. It would have been nice to be able to get some exterior pockets and additional organization.

Still, it did the job in fine style. And I love the color. For anyone who's interested, this is a link to my Rainier Trip video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j99yIFgndc&fmt=18

I bought this pack for a week long backpacking trip in Yosemite with my girlfriend, and wanted to get a pack large enough to carry my gear plus most of the group gear (it was her first long trip, and she is quite a bit smaller than me). Suffice it to say, it was even too big! I think I'll downsize to the 70L. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but a good pack overall and well built.