Osprey Exos alternatives

If you’re eying the Baltoro, you may also want to check out another Gregory pack, Paragon. It’s not ultralight, at 3 pounds and up, but lighter than the Baltoro and more supportive than the Exos.

The Exos is my main pack, but I use the Paragon when I need to haul extra gear for my son and wife.

There is a whole world of pack makers out there. Fit of course is most important.

But then all the choices are yours to sift through. What are you looking for in a pack? How much weight and bulk do you haul?

So much to look at…

But unless I was forced to carry more than I ever would I would look for a lighter, simpler option. But that’s me.

Not interested in cottage vendors? A ULA Ohm could be my one pack if I weren’t fortunate to have a few to choose from. It handles 90% of trips.

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Check out Gregory’s soon-to-be-released (spring 2018) line of packs. I saw the catalog, and it looks like they’ve done some re-designing, and some lightening up. A 35# carry load for about 2.5 pounds for one model, I remember. There will be a whole line of their new pack models. They look to blow the Exos out of the water, and they’ll be more comfortable (and durable?) than the older Osprey Talon 44.

Thanks for the replies everyone! Sorry I left out some info earlier:

Looking to carry 35 – 40lbs tops – including gear for kids. Doing some rough calculations, 3lb food per day for 2 people x 5 = 15lbs for food. Adding another 5-6 pounds for stuff kids cannot carry, looks like I have a bit of wiggle room with pack weight.

Ken, thanks for the tip about the ULA Ohm, will def. look at that. And Gary, stoked to know Gregory’s new line is coming out soon. I may just postpone the purchase till I can see them in person.

There is always the Granite Gear Crown2 pack, which carries loads of at least 30 lbs very capably.  And Osprey is also coming out with some new lighweight packs if you’re not in a hurry.  https://www.snewsnet.com/press-release/osprey-launches-superultralight-levity-and-lumina-for-spring-2018

You don’t say how old your kids are and how much of their own gear they are schlepping, but if they are older, you might skew your purchase toward a pack that might not be super-comfortable right now with 40 lbs but would be nice when you’re not carrying extra kid-stuff.  One thing about the Baltoro packs is that they are so durable, if that is a concern.  Usually, light weight comes at a price, which is often in the form of more delicate materials.  I am very conscientious in caring for my outdoor toys, but I put a hole in the bottom of an Exos in three days of use.

Depending on where and when you’re hiking you may want to throw ventilation into the mix of features. For me its very important and the market is full of tech talk and hype, but the bottomline for me is simple. If you cant get a lot of airflow between your back and the pack, sweat just accumulates and does nothing to cool  you. Wicking may occur with some designs but its such a subtle thing its just not going to affect you enough to notice. So for me, Osprey’s Air Speed suspension which comes on the Stratos/Exos packs and the new Levity along with a couple Zpacks and a pack whose name I forget but has an adjustable arch back panel are the only choices. You will find a lot of people say hiking is sweaty, deal with it and others who poopoo the idea of ventilation, but once you try a pack that ventilates well I can’t see it not making a believer out of you.

I own the Exos 58. I chose it because it fit me really well. My next choices were the Granite Gear VC Crown 2 and the ULA Circuit. Both from reputable companies, and capable of carrying more than I ever plan to.

For 30-40 pound loads, you owe it to yourself to look at the Seek Outside Divide.  The Seek Outside packs are the best lightweight packs at carrying loads over 30 pounds in my opinion.

I have had an OSPREY EXOS 58 for 3 years and have way overloaded it for hunting trips. Nothing gave way or showed signs of strain, absolutely nothing. And it is hands down the most comfortable pack I’ve ever owned, including my 7.5 lb. Dana Designs Terraplane winter hauler.

BTW, I’ve used the EXOS pickup handle when I had over 50 lbs. in the pack with no problems at all.