Osprey Aether Pro 70 Pack - Men's vs REI Co-op Member Exclusive Flash 22 Pack

[, Music ]: what is up guys, schnapps, ik here and today we're taking a look at the Osprey aether pro 7. So this is the pack. I just picked up we're g...

I wouldn't use this for hiking, we have a better backpack for that, but that's not what I bought it for. It's perfect as a commute bag, especially when you will only need it full when going and not when returning (or vice versa.) I also like that the bag itself adds practically no weight to whatever you're carrying. I've used packable shopping bags before this, and it's very similar, but seems a lot sturdier and definitely more comfortable since the weight can be distributed better

About the brand: I can recommend the smaller Osprey bags but I haven't been especially happy with the Aether 70, and I've had broken zips on several Osprey bags. They do have a great lifetime warranty, which is handy if you've got an Osprey returns facility nearby or can DIY repairs with spare parts they'll send, but I'd look at other brands too.

THis is a great little backpack. Only giving it 4 stars because the zipper didn't work very smoothly. Otherwise, no complaints!

It is indeed heavy as other folks have mentioned, but the suspension is top notch and it doesn’t carry heavier on your back, in my opinion. If you’re carrying extra gear/weight from your wife, you’ll appreciate the beefier suspension. The daypack lid is a great feature—some say it’s a gimmick, but I’ve used it quite a bit for day hikes, summits, and fetching water for camp.

The old version had a zipper pocket in the interior of the pack’s body. This is the feature I'm missing most. The new design has no good place to put my wallet and keys. I don't want those on an exterior pocket, as those pockets contain things I want to access during the hike (sunscreen, food); nor do these pockets have key loops (unlike the older version, where every pocket had a key loop)

this one doesn't. It's super simple, right? You got your four buckles so you snap it on. Got a couple of little loops here, but really, you've got one...

The main compartment itself was deep and voluminous having a simple cinch that efficiently closed it up, protecting the contents from accidental spill. It did take me a minute to figure out how to work it but once I realized I didn’t need to press a tab and it closed and opened by simply pulling on the cinch string, getting in and out of the main compartment was a breeze. I loved the bungee that held my hiking poles in place. Attaching my poles was pretty easy and they felt pretty secure

The 2 front straps are just too short. They don’t even fit a regular Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad. I am attaching 2 more straps to carry while leaving the 2 original unused (adding more weight). The z straps on the sides are not as effective as 2 independent buckled straps for attaching heavy snowshoes (but I will make it work)

Size and Layout: Both backpacks have the exact same layout. The Matador Daylite's stuffsack is slightly smaller, which I've actually found makes it difficult to get the backpack in (must be rolled a very specific way). The 4Monster's stuffsack is slightly larger, which makes packing much easier. Note that both backpacks can compress down to the same size; it's just the stuffsack that is different

The ether pro 70 has a convenient integrated panel, which covers the packed contents when the lid is off. If you want more storage or a small pack for...

Cons: The straps are not comfortable. They are rather thin in width and made of a netted material that’s kind of scratchy. I wore this backpack in the hot sun while wearing tank tops and I personally didn’t like the way the straps felt on my skin. When I packed the bag with heavy items, the straps rubbed my shoulder and it felt uncomfortable

These are a pretty cool new bag which we have for spring 20 which are designed for real high-end use. So these have got very, very minimal, very very ...

This will get stuffed in my carry-on bag for day trip use when I arrive at my destination. It will hold a light jacket, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a water bottle, basically all your needs for a short walk or hike, a bike ride, etc. It is not meant for long haul hiking, it offers no shoulder strap padding. What it does offer is extreme light weight and ability to carry a few essentials for a day trip