Osprey Stratos Review – Tested in the Canadian Rockies

Lover of all things outdoors, Hugo packs his bags and heads off on and adventurous trip to North America taking his trusty Osprey Stratos 24L daypack with him. He puts it to the test on many day hikes through Canadian Rocky Mountains and shares his experience along with some epic photos, with us.

I’ve found the Osprey Stratos 24L to be a very lightweight and durable daypack; it has been the ideal travel accessory in my recent North American adventures. Having previously only used back packs with no ventilation and only two thin shoulder straps, this bag is a game changer for people looking for extra support, comfort and no more ‘sweaty’ back problems. I found the straps to be highly adjustable meaning that you could fit it to people of all shapes and sizes.

My partner and I would take turns using the Osprey Stratos on our hiking adventures and, as a result, we were constantly adjusting the shoulder and torso straps to our preferred fit. We also found the adjustment to be very easy, which allowed us to correctly fit the pack each time we switched over (which was quite a lot). This was great as no matter who was wearing the pack, we could have it properly fitted. The Stratos has a light but very supportive hip belt, which doesn’t look out of place when you come down out of the mountains and head into town. The hip belt is also seamless which I really appreciated when wearing a thin top, as I didn’t feel any rubbing.

I originally got the Osprey Stratos 24L day pack to accompany me on a North American trip through the Canadian Rockies and down the West Coast of America. Although, I’ve found myself using it almost daily since the trip has finished. As a daypack, hiking around cities, I found the laptop sleeve and the many compartments to be very handy as it allows you to fit a lot of gear into the bag in an organised and accessible manner. The Stratos also comes in a 34L version which would be great for those hikes where you need more gear, but as I was planning on packing light I only needed the 24L.

Unfortunately for me, a lot of my 3-month trip involved wearing waterproof gear due to the rainy climate, but the green integrated cover that folds out from the bottom compartment of the bag kept all my belongings dry, no matter how heavy the rain got. It is a very easy accessory to put on, with adjustable straps ensuring it fits snugly around the edges of your daypack and packing it away is just as easy.

When the sun was shining, the ventilated mesh back panel kept my back cool and mostly sweat free (we were doing some pretty big hikes, so a little bit of sweating was unavoidable!).
The bag is also very durable, having no signs of damage or disintegration after heavily using it for almost 6 months now. Lastly, I found the mesh stretchy drink bottle holders on each side of the bag to be very strong and each able carry my two 1.5L water bottles.

I’d definitely recommend this pack to anyone heading off on some adventurous day hikes. It’s lightweight, comfortable and still looks great to wear around town. It is the ultimate all rounder day pack. Head into your local Paddy Pallin today to check it out for yourself, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

#ExperienceIsEverything | #PaddyPallin