Osprey Packs Exposure 50 Backpack - 2800-3200 cu in

I got the backpack to use about 4 times a year for trips lasting 1 to 3 days. On the pos side: It is pretty well built and feels good on the back. On the neg side: It wasn't as big as I thought and there was no obvious place to hook a sleeping bag to. Overall, I recommend the backpack.

This pack is perfect for the 3-4 day alpine trip. If you like to pack light and go fast; if you have to climb with your pack, or if your daily itinerary includes, an alpine ascent and a ski descent, this pack will haul the load comfortably, and effectively, allowing you to keep your mind focused on more important things, like the next powder-turn or your next hand-jam.

Good news: Decent weight (versus competing alpine / climbing backpacks); Decent fit (for climbing / hiking / traveling); Handles a lot of gear. Bad news: Experienced durability issues (had to return to store); Color is subjective. As a rock climber / alpinist / traveler, I research gear before purchasing. I thought the Osprey Exposure 50 might be a wise pick for my new alpine / climbing / travel pack, even though (at the time) there were no internet product reviews. I didn’t think the lack of reviews would matter, seeing how Osprey has a great reputation, the pack’s feature-to-weight ratio, and the categorization as a climbing pack. This pack treated me well for a climbing trip to Indian Creek, UT (this Osprey 50L pack handled the biggest rack of gear a trad-climber will most likely ever require) plus a trip to Costa Rica. HOWEVER, after only a few months, I experienced three different flaws (top pull-string blew out; beginning of a major hole in the bottom stitching, and tears/punctures in the bottom). I returned this pack, seeing how my previous pack (Gregory Reality) put up with years (not months) of weekly abuse. In Osprey’s defense, I am considering buying it again, based on the feature-to-weight ratio and Osprey’s overall reputation. We shall see.

I purchased this pack in April '06 and have since used it on a number of trips in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Superior Hiking Trail. It handled heavy loads with ease, and was balanced enough to handle some impromptu but necessary bouldering. One downside is the base of the framesheet is curved towards your back and so there is some friction there that is not to comfortable when you are wearing one shirt. A high note, the covering by the tool straps protects your pack and stuff inside it from any sharp objects or blunt tools that you may carry. Plus you can load this pack down with tools, ice axes, rope, helmet, rock hammers, saws, coffee mugs in such a way that they aren't clanging around or getting caught on branches. Sweet! With some ingenuity you could pack this thing for a 3 nighter but I found that 2 nighters are what this pack is designed for. The suspension is almost too good, it has more rigidity than the other Osprey suspension systems, but it helps for hauling heavy items. Plus the top compartment is HUGE and you can easily open it with one hand while you are wearing the pack! Allowing you to retrieve items quickly (camera, field notes, bird guide, map, snacks, etc...).