The ultimate intermediate backpack for the pack mule trying to go lightweight.
Written: Feb 21 '04 (Updated Feb 21 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive, dependable, durable, nice feature set, excellent suspension
Cons: No sleeping bag compartment, sleeping pad straps short, non-removable lid and hipbelt
The Bottom Line: This pack is the perfect intermediate pack to make the move from pack-mule to a lightweight. You'll hike longer and faster and feel better than ever before.
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| wvabackpacker's Full Review: Aether 60 Backpacks by Osprey |
-The Osprey Aether 60-
~Introduction-
Have you been trying to go light but you can't seem to give up good hot food, a nice soft cushy bed, or maybe a gadget or two? Well then don’t worry. You too can lighten up your backpacking load without sacrificing too many luxuries and the Osprey Aether 60 is your ticket to getting there.
~Specifications-
When shopping for a backpack most people look at two things: capacity and weight. A size small Aether 60 will get you 3,500ci at 3lbs4oz, a large will get you 3,900ci at 3lbs8oz and the more common medium (which I purchased) will get you 3,700ci at 3lbs6oz. The capacity is perfect to accommodate a weekend trip and for the more advanced backpacker trips up to a week in moderate temperatures (50-95F).
In addition to excellent capacity and a miniscule weight, the Aether 60 carries a surprisingly small price tag of $199. I got mine on sale at Altrec.com for $149 and you can usually find this pack on eBay and other merchant websites well below MSRP.
Also for you ladies out there, the Aether series offered by Osprey is designed to fit men. The Ariel series is the sister series to the Aether line, designed to better fit women. Most of the specifications and features are the same, however, the Ariel sports a different hipbelt and shoulder harness which conforms do the female body better.
~Suspension-
The Aether 60 features an Ethereal suspension that weighs a total of 9.3 ounces which is quite low. According to Osprey the Aether 60 features a single "easy-to-remove" ½" 2024 aluminum stay with two ¼" D composite fiberglass struts. However, after examining the pack for 20 minutes I couldn't figure out how to remove the stay from the expanded polyethylene framesheet. Osprey also failed to provide a manual for the pack which was still in factory shrink wrap when I got it. Instead they provided a catalog of their pack lineup with a reference to their website for any instructions you might need on fitting the pack. The online manual isn't much better.
The IsoForm hipbelt is made of 3D dual density foam which is designed to "learn" the anatomic structure of its user and remember the shape for a better fit. It's fairly comfortable with a decent amount of padding, however, far less comfort or padding compared to a Dana Designs or Gregory hipbelt. It's also a little shorter than hipbelts I've used on other packs. The hipbelt on the Aether 60 is NOT interchangeable—it is sewed directly to the pack.
The Aether 60 also sports an interchangeable IsoForm harness made out of laminated dual density foam. For me this was the hardest part of fitting the pack. The included M size harness was extremely small compared to the M size on other packs. The L size was slightly too tight so I finally settled on the XL for a perfect fit. The harness is interchangeable via the removal of four straps and breaking the Velcro hold from the harness to the ½" 4# cross-linked polyethylene backpanel. The Velcro allows an adjustment of up to 4" to the torso size for a better fit. The backpanel is also made from ½" of spacer mesh to allow breathability while removing sweat from your body. I found the sternum straps on the M and L a tad small when compared to other packs. The XL accommodates my chest fine, however, when moved down as far as it can go on the shoulder straps it is still a tad high.
This all adds up to a comfortable fit and a smooth ride. The suspension does an excellent job of transferring the weight of the pack to your hips. For a lightweight pack it has a great full suspension that won't let you down even while managing loads of up to 45lbs. I find the suspension works best around 35lbs or less.
~Organization-
Got a lot of stuff? The Aether 60 can probably hold it but you're not going to fit it all inside. The pack has two side mesh pockets accessible from the top or the side (canted) for easier access. These pockets were designed to hold a standard Nalgene bottle or small items. The back of the pack features an extremely large mesh pocket capable of holding rain gear and pots, or any other large awkward items that you might need immediate access to. The lid of the Aether 60 is large enough to hold a 2L Platypus, a water filter, and an average size medical kit. If you stuff it you might fit a few smaller items up there as well. Unlike the rest of the Aether series, the Aether 60 doesn't have a water bladder pocket or a sleeping bag compartment and it is NOT removeable.
Straps straps straps. This pack has an unusual amount of straps. For one it has 3 sets of buckles and straps on the back that have two modes of compression: normal and "straightjacket." In normal mode the buckles on the back of the pack are used to allow the most space inside the pack. You may also use these straps to hold down a sleeping pad or tent. In "StraightJacket" mode the buckles on the side of the pack are used and the compression is greatly increased. This is ideal when using the pack for ultralight loads or for dayhiking as the lid does not convert to a daypack. Sadly, the straps on the bottom of the pack where a sleeping pad or large tent is usually stored are way too small. I doubt anything larger than a small tent or a Therm-a-Rest would fit within their grasp. The bottom of the pack has two loops for ice axes and the bottom sides of the pack have loops for skis. Near the top on the sides are two adjustable loops to retain skis, fishing poles, or trekking poles.
All in all if you use the lid and all the straps this pack could carry a large load. You can also extend the skirt underneath the lid to accommodate an extra 500-750ci of gear. However, the idea behind getting a smaller pack is to force yourself to pack lighter so try not to overload it.
~Notable Features-
More than the canted water bottle holder on the Gregory Shasta impressed me the Ergo-pull hipbelt mechanism on the Aether 60 has taken first place among best features to have on a backpack. What is an Ergo-pull hipbelt mechanism you say? It's an ingenious idea that gives the user a mechanical advantage on tensioning (or tightening) the hipbelt. Insteand of snapping the belt together near your belly button and pulling outward on the straps to tighten the hipbelt, the straps are looped back to your sides. To tighten the hipbelt you pull the straps forward! This makes tightening the hipbelt easier than ever before. No more straining to adjust the belt to where it will take the weight off your shoulders, a low power pull on the straps sufficiently tighten the belt without using a ton of force.
The Aether 60 also features a Derlin reinforced headcup. This is a U shaped composite rod that is directly behind your head. Its purpose is to keep the loaded backpack and its contents away from your head. This adds a tiny bit of weight but allows you to bend your head back and look up at the sky without interference from the pack.
The most intriguing feature I found was the hydration hose holding clip on the shoulder harness. A small flexible half circle of plastic perfectly sized to retain most hoses on hydration systems. This feature is great as it stops the mouthpiece of your hydration hose from swinging around all the time or falling to the ground and getting dirty when you lay the pack down. It's also extremely easy to use as it acts like a simple clip, snap it in, snap it out. This feature was not listed in the online manual, I had to call Osprey to determine its use.
~Field Test-
So far I've only used the pack once due to the cold of winter. However, by the end of the summer I'll have an update on how the pack performs outdoors in a variety of situations. So far it has done exactly what it was designed to do: carry my gear comfortably. The pack features a DWR (Durable Water Repellant) finish designed to keep the rain out and resist wear. The lid on the pack also helps keep the pack contents dry by keeping water from running directly down inside the pack or pooling on the top. The mesh backpanel also works well at ventilating your back and keeping it cool and dry. The bottom of the pack has been reinforced with 500d plain nylon while other areas of the pack have been reinforced with 420d-500d broken twill nylon. The majority of the pack is made with 210d double ripstop nylon in the color of your choice; blue, green, or yellow.
~Accessories-
Osprey sells five accessories for the pack: A raincover, an airport transporter (large bag), and three different sized add on pockets that can be used as a daypack. I wouldn't bother with the raincover as you can buy or make a better one or the airport transporter as all you need is a large sturdy duffle bag.
However, the add on pockets may be a worthy addition. The small add on weighs 12oz and adds 500ci known as the "solo", the medium pocket known as the "daylite"adds 750ci at a weight of 1lb, and the "alpine" which adds 400ci at 1lb but also adds the ability to carry a snowboard or a snow shovel. All three pockets can be used as daypacks and connect to the Aether 60 via the 3 sets of buckles used to compress the loads in the pack.
~Customer Service-
Osprey is a small company in Cortez, CO that can be reached by calling 1-970-564-5900 or by visiting their website at http://www.ospreypacks.com So far I've only contacted them once with some questions. I didn't have to wait at all for someone to answer the phone and their customer service rep was friendly, well informed, and willing to help me.
~Conclusion-
This pack is perfect for the heavy weight backpacker trying to lighten his load. While it's smaller than most technical backpacks, it still maintains many of the same features at under 4lbs total weight. The nearly 4,000ci capacity allows those learning to get lighter to still carry much of their older gear and a few luxuries too. The suspension works and the pack does its job without sacrificing comfort. What more could you ask for?
Note: Epinions.com has the Osprey Aether 60 listed as a daypack, however, it is a standard technical backpack and not a daypack.
© 2004 WVaBackpacker (Jeremy W. Hays)
Written for http://jeremy.qn.net/ 21 Feb 2004
~Outdoor Reviews by WVaBackpacker-
--Backpacks-
Gregory Shasta Backpack | Dana Design Glacier
--Tents-
REI Half Dome Plus 2 | Mountain Hardware Trinity | Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD
--Sleeping Gear-
The North Face Thunderhead 3D | The North Face Kilo Down 32F | Cascade Designs Therm-a-Rest Luxury LE Self-inflating Mattress | Down Sleeping Bag Buying Guide
--Hydration-
MSR Dromedary Bag | Platypus Big Zip | SweetWater Walkabout Microfilter | SweetWater Walkabout Replacement Filter | SweetWater SiltStopper
--Misc Gear-
Black Diamond LED Hybrid Headlamp
--Destinations-
Heart Lake, Yellowstone National Park | Keyhole State Park, Wyoming
--Books-
The Backpackers Handbook
Recommended:
Yes
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wvabackpacker
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Member: Jeremy Hays
Location: Columbus, OH, USA
Reviews written: 40
Trusted by: 46 members
About Me:
Maybe I'll write another review someday...lots of new gear...
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