OutdoorGearLab

Once again, we've chosen the ever-impressive Osprey Mutant 38 as our favorite mountaineering backpack. The pack's current mutation is even better than the last, with improvements to utility, versatility, durability, and climbing comfort. This is a pack that can morph from a gear-hauling beast to a light and nimble summit pack in mere moments. It has an excellent suspension for heavier loads and logical and useful climbing features for technical pitches.
Many climbers still retain some skepticism toward Osprey as a manufacturer for technical climbing packs. We did, too. Some of their packs have too many features and so many straps that they slap you in the face when you're on the hardest part of the climb &#40;classic&#41;. This pack has more features than some, but it can be slimmed down to become comparable with the simplest and lightest packs in this review. Overall, this is an excellent update to an already awesome mountaineering pack. Be sure to also check out the Osprey Mutant 52 which fills a void in our backpack quiver as the most comfortable pack of its size. The Mutant series is now relevant to longer and more complex, colder, or more gear-intensive climbs.

Switchback Travel

To be honest, we didn’t think we’d ever see an Osprey—a favorite among backpackers and hikers—at the top of a climbing article, but we stand corrected. Their alpine-specific Mutant is a super impressive climbing pack, combining class-leading comfort with an array of technical features and a customizable build. With a framesheet, padded hipbelt, and comfy shoulder straps, the Mutant carries and distributes weight better than other streamlined alpine packs, even with loads up to 50 pounds. And when you’re ready to climb, it easily strips down to become a fast-and-light climbing machine.

All told, the Mutant is one of the most versatile packs on this list, and so comfortable and durable that we’d even recommend it for the crag. It also has all the features we look for in an alpine-specific pack, including ice tool attachments, removable components, ski-carry loops, and glove-friendly zipper pulls. We do wish the Mutant’s hipbelt was detachable—it wraps around the pack to stay out of the way of a harness, but we prefer the added customization when possible. And for a follower pack or overnight rig, check out the 22-liter and 52-liter versions of the Mutant... Read in-depth reviewSee the Osprey Mutant 38

Once again, we've chosen the ever-impressive Osprey Mutant 38 as our favorite mountaineering backpack. This pack seems to get better with every mutation, with improvements to utility, versatility, durability, and climbing comfort. This is a pack that can morph from a gear-hauling beast to a light and nimble summit pack in mere moments. It has an excellent suspension for heavier loads and logical and useful climbing features for technical pitches.
Many climbers still retain some skepticism toward Osprey as a manufacturer for technical climbing packs. We did, too. Some of their packs have too many features and so many straps that they slap you in the face when you're on the hardest part of the climb &#40;classic&#41;. This pack has more features than some, but it can be slimmed down to become comparable with the simplest and lightest packs in this review. Overall, this is an excellent update to an already awesome mountaineering pack. Be sure to also check out the Osprey Mutant 52 which fills a void in our backpack quiver as the most comfortable pack of its size. The Mutant series is now relevant to longer and more complex, colder, or more gear-intensive climbs.
Read more: Osprey Mutant 38 review

Mountaineering Backpack Comparison