New $700 pack from Osprey

[westsloper]

$700. And it weights 5.5 lbs! I know inflation is bad but come on now.

I have to think that this is mostly going to appeal to certain wealthy people as a sort of status symbol (like people who wear Arcteryx at the mall), but who knows - maybe there's something magic and revolutionary about it that I'm not seeing.

In a sense it's hard to believe that people will by this thing when for a lot less they could get a SO Divide or a Unaweep in the size of their choice and have an American made pack that will be lighter and probably be more comfortable and capable.

I believe that the SO, Stone Glacier, and HPG packs - the ones I have the most experience with - are worth the money. Particularly when you know that they're US made. I would assume the same is true for Kifaru, Exo, and others that I am less familiar with. This pack on the other hand... maybe I'm missing something.

 

[KHNC]

Doubt its as good as the AKEK , that pack is the bomb!

 

[Maverick1]

$700. And it weights 5.5 lbs! I know inflation is bad but come on now.

I have to think that this is mostly going to appeal to certain wealthy people as a sort of status symbol (like people who wear Arcteryx at the mall), but who knows - maybe there's something magic and revolutionary about it that I'm not seeing.

In a sense it's hard to believe that people will by this thing when for a lot less they could get a SO Divide or a Unaweep in the size of their choice and have an American made pack that will be lighter and probably be more comfortable and capable.

I believe that the SO, Stone Glacier, and HPG packs - the ones I have the most experience with - are worth the money. Particularly when you know that they're US made. I would assume the same is true for Kifaru, Exo, and others that I am less familiar with. This pack on the other hand... maybe I'm missing something.

Did you miss the part where it is antigravity?

 

[mlgc20]

Doubt its as good as the AKEK , that pack is the bomb!

In general, I like Osprey packs. They tend to be pretty good packs for the price. Having said that, this seems silly. Don't know why you need to spend that kind of money on a 5.5lb pack that is only comfortable to 55 pounds. There are plenty of 2.5 pound packs that can do that. for significantly less $$$. In fact, the Osprey Atmos 65 would give you basically the same specs for half the price. Strange choice by Osprey it seems.

 

[MuleyFever]

Did you miss the part where it is antigravity?

I thought Kifaru had the patent on that.

 

[doncarpenter]

The load lifter system reminds me of McHale packs bypass system.

McHale Alpine Style Packs

It does seem like a lot of money for a heavy pack. I do like that they are doing a lot R&D and pushing new materials and processes.

Osprey makes good packs, but this will be a hard pass.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin_t]

The load lifter reminds me of McHale , not sure if they licensed it or the patent expired . The frame seems to be an attempt to be stiff but flexible ( like an articulating frame ?) and it uses 7075 alum ( we use that in the flight ). Fabric is a UHMWPE ripstop ( similar to our SpectraGrid ) . Belt sizing adjusts on the fly ( likely from behind the lumbar ) like we do on the flight . I’m not sure what is new they are bringing to market other than putting REI shelf type appeal

 

[Mike Islander]

Made in USA, right? Right? Wait..right? ;-)

 

[FishDaddy10]

Made in USA, right? Right? Wait..right? ;-)

$700 made in China pack...... pass

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

$700 made in China pack...... pass

Osprey makes bad ass quality packs that aren’t made in China. I’ve used them since the early 90s.

They started in California and then moved to Colorado. Their manufacturing and repair facilities are in England and Vietnam. The American owners spent several years building a company quality culture living in both locations to get them up and running to their standards.

You’d be hard pressed to match the quality and features of Osprey packs to these lame “hunting” brand packs that actually are pumped out of China in a lot of cases.

 

[BBob]

The load lifter system reminds me of McHale packs bypass system.

The load lifter reminds me of McHale , not sure if they licensed it or the patent expired .

A patent search shows it expired.

US5181638A - Backpack with independently adjustable stabilizing straps and shoulder pads - Google Patents

An improved strap assembly is provided for use with a backpack for allowing the independent adjustment of the stabilizing straps and shoulder pads of a backpack. The strap assembly includes a pair of shoulder pads anchored at one end to the backpack and at the opposite end to a pair of first...

patents.google.com

 

[Mike Islander]

Osprey makes bad ass quality packs that aren’t made in China. I’ve used them since the early 90s.

They started in California and then moved to Colorado. Their manufacturing and repair facilities are in England and Vietnam. The American owners spent several years building a company quality culture living in both locations to get them up and running to their standards.

You’d be hard pressed to match the quality and features of Osprey packs to these lame “hunting” brand packs that actually are pumped out of China in a lot of cases.

Okay. So a $700 pack made in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where the average monthly salary is $286. Maybe they pay their seamsters more, but considering a top five wage earner makes $1500 a month, it's not a stretch to assume pack builders make a few hundred a month (at most). Hard pass.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Okay. So a $700 pack made in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where the average monthly salary is $286. Maybe they pay their seamsters more, but considering a top five wage earner makes $1500 a month, it's not a stretch to assume pack builders make a few hundred a month (at most). Hard pass.

I wouldn’t pay $700 for any backpack regardless where it’s made. All I’m saying is Osprey makes incredible quality packs speaking from real first hand hard use. You don’t know what you don’t know Mike.

 

[Mike Islander]

I wouldn’t pay $700 for any backpack regardless where it’s made. All I’m saying is Osprey makes incredible quality packs speaking from real first hand hard use. You don’t know what you don’t know Mike.

What don't I know? Don't dance around something you want to say, come out with it please. I'm always willing to be educated.

To my point, I did not say a single thing about the quality. I'm, an Osprey pack fan. I have two, for which I paid a fair price. I also have two Exo packs.

My point is not that Osprey packs aren't high quality. My point is that if you take your manufacturing offshore and still charge USA-labor-based pricing, I'm not a fan.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

What don't I know? Don't dance around something you want to say, come out with it please. I'm always willing to be educated.

To my point, I did not say a single thing about the quality. I'm, an Osprey pack fan. I have two, for which I paid a fair price. I also have two Exo packs.

My point is not that Osprey packs aren't high quality. My point is that if you take your manufacturing offshore and still charge USA-labor-based pricing, I'm not a fan.

I’ve owned Osprey packs for decades and their durability and function have been fantastic. I’ve put them through the absolute ringer in the sierras for countless hunts and backpacking/scouting trips. Thousands of field days on multiple ospreys. They are indeed high quality and last years with hard use, and there’s no arguing it. I’ve done it.

You come in gate keeping saying it “must be made in America” yet then you say you own 2 ospreys? You’re a confusing dude my friend. Haha.

 

[Dos Perros]

I think Mike's point is that, if this pack is made overseas, the margins must be ridiculous.

 

[BBob]

MI said he owned two Osprey he felt he paid a fair price for but balked at $700 (which aligns closely with some US made packs) which I took as he doesn't feel fair coming from offshore. I see nothing too confusing there.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Osprey has been trash ever since they left Colorado.....so a long time.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Osprey has been trash ever since they left Colorado.....so a long time.

Incorrect.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

MI said he owned two Osprey he felt he paid a fair price for but balked at $700 (which aligns closely with some US made packs) which I took as he doesn't feel fair coming from offshore. I see nothing too confusing there.

I haven't even looked at this $700 osprey pack as it's not something I'm interested in. All I'm trying to say that bashing a product because it's "made overseas" makes no sense to me. You have no clue what Osprey's or Kifaru's profit margins are for the same priced pack. All you can do is speculate. Both packs are designed for their specific applications and will have strengths and weaknesses depending on use case.

You'd be surprised to learn that the quality of life in Vietnam is really high, where as gatekeeping Mike's South Carolina is a perennial bottom 5 state in just about every single measurable category. Life expectancy, crime, poverty, education to name a few.

That's why I mentioned you don't know what you don't know. People sit here and think things are so "great" yet they live in crappy places to live and raise families; and then blindly point the negative finger "overseas".