This backpack is my portable home around the world
The Osprey Aether backpack is big and tough but light and comfortable — and it’s carried me from North Korea to the Sahara.
Michael Y. Park
Michael Y. Park
This layout means I can load my heaviest gear in the middle so that the pack isn’t too top- or bottom-heavy, keeping my center of gravity right where I want it. And though I never use the lid as a day pack, being able to separate it from the rest of the pack came in handy in North Korea, where I constantly had to duck through door frames to avoid cracking my skull (the buildings there were built with the average male North Korean height in mind — about 5 feet, 5 inches).
There are other features that I couldn’t live without anymore. Because of the lightweight internal frame, even the heaviest loads are easy to maneuver with once I’ve got the pack on my shoulders. In places like Mauritania, India or Guadeloupe, the mesh webbing helps the sweat evaporate off both the pack and the back of my shirt. And I use the big side pockets for water bottles or easy-to-grab camera lenses. I don’t use ice axes or hydration reservoirs and have never been able to get the hang of walking sticks, but the bag has loops, pockets and attachments for those, too.
Though it only weighs about 2.5 pounds on its own, the Osprey Aether 85L isn’t something I carry on short jaunts to most cities in North America or Europe — a hardshell carry-on with rolling wheels is perfectly fine for a flight to LAX, for example. But when I know I’ll be navigating muddy slopes in Guatemalan villages, snow-shoeing from hut to hut in the Rockies or spending more than a couple weeks on cobblestones instead of pavement, it’s the Osprey Aether I haul out of the closet.
If you’re looking for a lighter pack or one that’s a hybrid of a backpack and a rolling suitcase, consider looking at these highly rated packs.
With a removable internal frame, seven pockets and large main pocket, the Mariposa weighs 2 pounds empty and can carry up to 35 pounds or 60 liters, according to the company. It has an average rating of nearly 5 stars from over 500 reviews on the Gossamer Gear website.
The Osprey Meridian functions as both a backpack and wheeled luggage, so that you can pull it when you’re racing through the airport or carry it on your shoulders when you’re hiking up a remote treehouse you’re staying at. It can carry up to 60 liters, according to Osprey. It has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 150 reviews on Amazon.
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