Osprey Packs

It's no surprise that the Osprey Exos 46 won Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year award for 2009. The Exos series packs focus on being ultra-light weight, without compromising comfort and necessary features. There are 3 packs within the Exos series (34,46,58 -- the numbers are based on capacity in Litters of the Size Medium Pack), and three sizes of packs within each style. Due to my size and the capacity I needed, I selected the Exos 46, size Large. It weights just 2 pounds and 7 ounces, and has 3000 cubic inches of cargo space. Osprey recommends a carrying weight less than 35 pounds.

Each summer I visit our family cabin in a remote area on the Alaskan Peninsula. Needless to say, I take a lot of gear. For years I used a simple duffle bag, then I saw the Osprey Space Station 140 at the Winter Outdoor Retailer show. I immediately thought, "That's perfect for going to Alaska." As it turned out I was right. I was only limited by how much weight the airlines would let me carry. I was at the 50 pound weight limit, and the bag was only three-quarters full.

Osprey Space Station 140 Travel Bag

The Osprey Talon 4 is a new Hip Pack designed for hiking, trail running, nordic skiing and biking. The pack weights only 12 oz. and has a capacity of 240 cu. inches. I tested the Talon 4 on recent trip to the family cabin in Alaska. As you can see from the picture below, it's a great holster for bear spray.

Osprey Talon 4 Hip Pack