Overnight Packs

Featured review by Andrew F.

The Coulee 40 could either be a really large daypack, think carry stuff for a small family, or serve you for overnights with lightweight gear. The two fiberglass stays help it carry quite a bit of weight comfortably, and the hip and lumbar pads are very good as well. The key feature that makes this backpack great is the three zippers that allow full access to everything. It's outstanding, my new favorite smaller backpack.

BASIC DETAILS ABOUT THIS BACKPACK The Coulee 40 is a backpack from Mystery Ranch, the Montana-based backpack company founded by the same guy that brought us Dana Design backpacks years ago. This pack holds about 2400 cubic inches of your stuff, primarily in the main storage area, but with a few interesting other spots. The frame consists of a shoulder "harness" that incorporates a hard plastic piece and adjusts up and down to fit your torso length to a "T", a wide-ish hip belt that wraps around your hip bones and keeps weight off your shoulders, and two synthetic/composite stay rods inside the pack that make up the key portion of the internal frame.  Adjustments abound on this backpack.

Read more: Mystery Ranch Coulee 40 reviews (2)

Featured review by Twig

The 2400 Southwest internal frame, DCF backpack is a minimalist’s dream. It holds just enough for an overnight or for a multi-month journey, it just depends on the user. It also seems up for the challenge of lasting through multiple long thru-hikes. I considered a long list of packs for my thru-hikes and this one came out on top, for good reason.

Conditions of Testing: I bought this pack in September of 2017. While owning it for less than a year, I have put over 2,000 miles on it so far. I used it on a 170-mile section hike of the AT and then for a 4-month thru-hike of New Zealand’s 3000 km Te Araroa.  I plan to use it again for my upcoming 2018 PCT thru-hike. It's hard not to feel a bit sentimental over something that has been so integral to my happiness this past year, but at the same time, given my extensive use of it, I am also comfortable in giving it such high praise.

Read more: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest reviews (4)

Featured review by Sprint Chicken

Best lightweight backpacking pack I've used. Definitely recommend for lightweight packing, for those who are not into ultralight backpacking and comfort is still important. Do not recommend for people packing heavier loads. I have definitely found that packing >30 lbs significantly and negatively affects comfort. Normally, my total pack weight is somewhere between 24-28 lbs, food and water included.

Fit: 5/5 stars, excellent fit. I am a woman 5'7", 135 lbs. I bought the pack when it was "unisex" or men's only, I have it in M. They have a women's specific version of this pack available now (Eja 38), which I have not used. I found the original unisex version of this pack to be perfect with no homemade modifications necessary for better fit. I was not able to try the pack in person as I bought it online. Going off of Osprey's recommended sizing measurements, I originally ordered a S, but I have a comparatively long torso, so a M fit me much better.   Comfort: 4.5/5 stars, excellent comfort.

Read more: Osprey Exos 38 reviews (3)

Featured review by Yul

Incredibly comfortable pack for long day hikes. Superb quality, but with bad pocket design.

I've used this pack for nearly four years now. It's my everyday pack for work as well as long day hikes.   Comfort and Suspension: The suspension system is unbelievable, and even in its maximum load, it makes the weight disappear. I can snugly fit the pack to my back, thus it eliminates any momentum while moving. I experienced no hot spots or too much friction on the waist belt. It's relatively ventilated with a mesh back, a mesh shoulder and waist straps, with foam lining, and a space between the body of the pack and the mesh panel.

Read more: Osprey Stratos 34 reviews (3)

Featured review by Byambaa

This is just about the perfect pack for me. As an archaeologist who does field survey walking and excavation in Asia, this pack has served my needs perfectly. Yes, it is slightly over the size regulations for acceptable carry-on luggage, but if it isn't bulging out of the seams, then you will be able to get on with most carriers (I still haven't had to have my Kestrel 38 checked in). The pack is comfortable, fits everything I need and is generally well designed. I'm not fond of packs with the trampoline style back air circulation system.

Read more: Osprey Kestrel 38 reviews (10)

Featured review by Jakuchu

Light pack that is one with your back and allows for great organization.

Fit and Ride: This pack has a really great fit. It stays close to your back and rides with you like no other pack I know. This is why I have had these in several volumes for different purposes. The shoulder harness length is adjustable to fine tune your fit and it really adds to the comfort level in the end.  The only thing that is only just OK for me is the hip belt size. If I tighten it to the max, it is only just tight enough (I am 184cm tall and 72Kg). So for me in the summer it just works.  The pack has the standard straps to compress the volume down.

Read more: Osprey Kestrel 48 reviews (16)

Featured review by Mike Light

Pack is targeted for overnight or short multiday adventures. I use it for my dayhikes as well.

Living in Southern Arizona, the water I carry for a dayhike is the heaviest item I carry. I routinely carry 6 (or more) liters when I hike. My dayhike pack weight exceeds the base weight for some ultra light enthusiasts' thru hike pack weight. While my previous pack would accommodate this much cargo, after three hours or so the back and shoulder pain would set in. This led me to start looking for a framed pack. I chose the Stratos 36 with the intention of using it for my weekend dayhikes and the occasional back country overnight adventure.  My pain issues have disappeared.

Read more: Osprey Stratos 36 reviews (5)

Reviewed by Jake W

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism is a 40-liter alpine-focused pack with attachments designed to carry your axes, pickets, tools, crampons, screws, skis, etc. It carries heavy loads well, boasts a woven Dyneema face fabric on high wear areas so it's incredibly durable, and can be stripped down to be an ultralight climber's dream. Mountaineers, ski tourers, ice and rock climbers will all appreciate the level of design put into this pack. My one criticism is I am not a huge fan of the G hooks (not a fan of G hooks in general, so there's nothing wrong with these ones in particular, I just don't like the style of securing a lid).

FIT AND COMFORT I am right on the edge of torso sizing (19-inch torso which borders Medium and Large) for most brands, HMG included. I usually prefer to go with the lower end and order the medium, same here. I do have previous knowledge that helped me in this decision as I own the medium torso HMG Ice pack and it fits me well. The Prism comes in four torso size options so it should be fairly easy to find a size that fits you: Small (15.0 - 17.0" torso) Medium (17.0 - 19.0" torso) Large (19.0 - 21.0" torso) Tall (21.0"+ torso)   The shoulder straps have nice padding and an S-shaped curve to them.

Read more: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism Pack review (1)

Featured review by Forgetfulfungus

This pack is a perfect size for most day to 2 day activities. Though it took me around India for 3 weeks so it can stretch quite far... I am an amateur adventurer in lots of different things so like gear that covers lots of bases,  i have taken it hiking, travelling, canyoning, climbing, back country and resort skiing, adventure racing, kayaking and it suits everything. have owned it for 2 years + *I find it useful for all top entry packs to separate my gear into dry bags to minimise time wasted on finding items.

Read more: Osprey Talon 33 reviews (7)

Featured review by Troyfromtexas

A lightweight, well constructed, and functionally designed mid-size backpack for 80% of my backpacking needs.

Thus far, I have really enjoyed using this backpack. I have used the pack for a 3-day trip to Seminole Canyon, Texas, a 3-day trip around Lake Georgetown, Texas, and a 5-day trip through the Ozark Mountains, Arkansas.   Fit: I have an average build — 6 feet tall, 175 lbs and 34 inch waist. I tried on both the small/medium size and the medium/large size and purchased the medium/large pack. The pack length fits my body well, but I really like the fact that even with the different back sizes the pack can be micro-adjusted by moving the shoulder strap harness up or down.

Read more: Osprey Talon 44 reviews (19)