Osprey Packs Stratos 24 Backpack - 1300-1700 cu in

great pack, super comfortable, sleek, great when bushwhacking, easy to duck under stuff with it on, not getting caught up on stuff. Perfect for summer day hikes. I love all my Osprey packs, Ariel 75 for backpacking, Stratos 40 for winter day pack and the Stratos 24 for summer day pack. Happy Trails - Cindy

I have/use the Osprey Stratos 40 but needed a smaller bag for day hikes. I'm 6'1" 230 lbs, and it hard to find day packs that fit my large frame. I opted to get this bag due to it's torso length is the same. It holds everything I need for my day hikes. Including 2 bladders (if needed), my rain jacket, one extra layer, first aid, camera gear, all of my essentials, trekking poles and my ice axe (thanks to very thought out and convenient double ice tool loops. All of this is compressed down with a couple of straps. I can even run in this bag, and can hold my 32 lbs dog in the main compartment with his head hanging out when he gets too tired. The pockets built in to the belt are perfect for a odwalla bar, the point and shoot, energy gels, and my leatherman. It survived a lot of rain, but could still use a rain cover. The hydration tube has to go through 2 holes to get out of the bag from the main compartment, which is kind of a hassle. The straps are the most comfortable and stretchy water bottle pockets and the large pocket on the back are durable and haven't gotten stretched out. I use this bag all over the Rockies in Montana and it has performed well above average!

The Osprey Stratos 24 is a very good pack. The AirCore Suspension really does what it's designed to do: ventilate and keep you cool. However, the necessary curve required for the AirCore Suspension limits easy access to the bottom portion of the pack's main compartment. And as someone else has already mentioned, if you also use your pack for school or work in addition to hiking, it is difficult to carry a notebook computer. I returned the pack and replaced it with the Osprey Kestrel 28. I purchased two: one for my wife, who describes the lichen color as very fashionable, and one for me, who prefers the twilight. One other item: The Stratos has "O" rings on the zipper pulls; the Kestrel has a more simple pull. I prefer the "O" rings so I purchased a dozen from Osprey ($0.50 each) and replaced the pulls on both of our Kestrels. Nice. For the money, Osprey packs are among the best.

I have used my Osprey Stratos 24 quite extensively in a short while. I love it. I have used it for some early season mountaineering near my home in Southern Colorado, Loaded it up with food water, crampons and Ice Axe and have spent all day on the side of several mountains above 13,000 feet. No complaints.

I picked up the Osprey 24 Backpack for multiple uses. It is a convenient size for weekend airline trips yet still manageable while bicycle touring. It is well-made and very comfortable. The belt support is super.

I completed a tour of the South Dakota Badlands and Black Hills last summer, and this pack performed flawlessly. It is very comfortable for loads up to about 18 pounds (the maximum I carried on this trip). The Air Core back panel is great for ventilation, and the shoulder straps and hipbelt are very comfy. I did notice the suspension creaking once in a while, but it was minor and not an irritant. The pack itself is not ultra-light (2 lbs, 12 oz. in large), but that's not a concern for short hikes anyway. When the pack first arrived I was concerned that it was far too small (the curved back panel makes it look that way), but it stretches and swallows much more than you'd think. Like another reviewer noted, though, it's not ideal for flat, bulky items like books or laptops--I don't think this would make a good commuter/student pack. I like the dual-hydration option (one in the pack, one in the mesh backpanel), since I do a fair amount of hot-weather and desert hiking. Obviously using the interior hydration sleeve uses up pack space, but even then I still find plenty of room for a tarp, softshell jacket, first aid kit, and assorted sundries. In fact, if you pack light you'll find enough room for an overnighter or even maybe a fair-weather weekend in it. The small zippered pouch uses up main pack space but is very handy for small stuff. Speaking of small stuff, the hipbelt pockets are big enough for a small GPS, knife, and maybe a pocket digital camera, but not much more. They sure are handy, though. The external compression system is excellent (I used it to carry a lightweight tripod) as are the little looped zipper pulls. The curved side pockets look shallow but hold a 16 to 20-ounce bottle securely. The front stretch pocket is quite handy as well, and deep enough that I don't worry about things falling out. I wish the shoulder straps were perforated like the Atmos series, but otherwise I can't find anything to nitpick. This pack seems very well made and I expect it to last a long, long time. A note on sizing: I tried the medium but found that the shoulder straps pinched in too far and felt constricting (I have a 44 inch-plus chest with a relatively short torso). The large is a bit "tall" feeling but overall is a much better fit. Big and barrel-chested guys might find this useful especially when you're ordering on-line.

I bought this pack to do the Norwegian Birkebeiner, a 54k Nordic ski race over 2 mountains with backpack weighing 3.5kg. After skiing with it for 3 hours there was no chaffing or abrasion. The adjustments are simple and practical. You can change the packs position with ease. It is a very slim pack that holds a lot and is very comfortable to wear. Either to ski with or cruise around town. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a durable, lightweight technical pack that will withstand lots of abuse.

For day hikes this is the ultimate. Very airy on your back (good for CA), takes a lot of gear (not sure where it all comes from) and very comfortable to carry.

I was looking for a lightweight daypack that still managed to carry a lot of shtuff - and the Osprey Stratos 24 does! With the mesh back - it's a great place to store your hydration bag and leaves more room for other important things like food. I like the compression straps and the front pocket which the smaller Sratos 15 does not have. The pack really keeps its shape no matter what you stuff in it - it never sags with all the junk pooling at the bottom and it never feels as if you're carrying all the junk that you actually are. I'm VERY pleased with this purchase - it's my new go-with-me-on-every-dayhike pack.

I bought the Stratos 24 to provide a more supportive way of carrying heavier objects while I zip around the city on my bicycle. I also plan it use it day hiking a lot. There's a few great things about the pack, and a few things that are a bit frustrating. The pack is beautifully fitting and the straps work excellently. It's got a funky waist strap that is just such nice design, it makes you happy every time you use it. The internal frame on the bottom of the bag digs a little bit into your hips if you're twisting and turning a lot, especially if you're on a bicycle where the bag rides a bit higher than usual. The compression straps work great for tying down my lock and extra cable. The biggest problem, though -- if I'm carrying laptop inside, I just can barely fit anything else. The inside of the bag is curved, so anything big and square just takes up an exorbitant amount of space and it's very difficult to fit anything else in the bag. It'd be fine for day hiking, where you need soft clothing, water and maybe a camera, but for actually loading up extra shoes and such, it's a bummer. Weird shape. Also, it's not waterproof. Overall: great fit, great features, not perfect for my purposes. ~g

I love this pack. I wanted a good technical day pack I could hike and bike with and this thing fit like a glove. It's the perfect size, easy zips, and compresses well. The Air core also keeps me relatively cool. I don't think day packs get better than this one.