New $700 pack from Osprey

[Mike Islander]

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.

I suspect you are confused because you lack reading comprehension. I never said must be made in USA.

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".

Stop being a dick. Not once did I say "must be USA". You are confused because you aren't reading what I'm writing. You are butt hurt and now babbling things I never said...for the third time. At least quote me accurately instead of jousting with StawMike.

Now you are insulting the quality of the state I live in. I truly hope your castigation of the state that I know and love (you know, because I actually live here and know the place and the people) keeps a few folks from moving here.

Your emotions are wrapped so tightly that you utterly miss the very simple point that others here have no problem understanding and have tried to explain to you. Pay rates in Asia are an order of magnitude lower than here. If a company moves offshore to lower costs but then charges USA-made prices, I'm out. That's my consistent position on all made in USA topics.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Incorrect.

Nope.

 

[Dos Perros]

Vietnam may very well be a great place to raise a family. Mike’s point is that the cost of labor is very low compared to first world/western countries.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Vietnam may very well be a great place to raise a family. Mike’s point is that the cost of labor is very low compared to first world/western countries.

Am I the only one who finds great humor in Dos translating for Mike?!?! LMFAO!

 

[Team4LongGun]

*Mike-not that you need it-its just why its so funny to me

 

[Marbles]

I like Osprey products for under $300. However, the Osprey packs I have used are severely deficient when compared to my Exo and Seek Outside packs. I find Osprey packs are consistently too heavy for the minimal amount of weight they can comfortably haul. Same goes for the Gregory pack I once had. So, no way am I paying more than Exo or Seek Outside prices for an inferior product.

As a budget option they are a good choice, though there are other packs in the $300 price range that have a better reputation for heavy hauling.

This pack is amusing to me, especially considering that even Osprey does not think it is good for more than 55 pounds (so my low end training weight is too much for it) and it weighs as much as my K3 3200 with the lid and over a pound more than my Seek Outside Revolution with 5400 bag. Both of those are cheaper too.

 

[Dos Perros]

Am I the only one who finds great humor in Dos translating for Mike?!?! LMFAO!

Ya that’s probably annoying. My bad Mike.

Welp, might as well pack up shop head to Vietnam and raise incredibly balanced children on just 12 cents a day.

 

[westsloper]

I have nothing against Osprey packs in particular. I had an Argon that was a beast of a pack. It was also heavy and not as comfortable as other options I had afterwards, including a foreign-made Mystery Ranch pack.

My wife has an Atmos that is holding up well and works fine for what it is. We like knowing that if we have a problem with it, Osprey will have our back in regard to warranty issues.

If I was in the market for an internal frame pack in the $250 range I would look at Osprey. My main point in starting this thread was that for $700 you would expect something really groundbreaking AND you'd probably expect USA made as well. Whatever the pack has, it looks like a variation (probably an upgraded one) on the same stuff Osprey has been doing for a while, just for a lot more money.

I won't get too into the USA made thing because I don't want rokslide to turn into 24hourcampfire.

 

[Mike Islander]

Ya that’s probably annoying. My bad Mike.

Welp, might as well pack up shop head to Vietnam and raise incredibly balanced children on just 12 cents a day.

Literally didn't think anything of it. And that's funny! ^^^

 

[HaydenLane]

I’m not going to cast judgement as I have no experience with this pack, but the Osprey I do have is incredibly comfortable and well made, with good features for the weight. I use it for day trips/scouting/shed hunting when the SG is overkill.

 

[Shraggs]

I suspect you are confused because you lack reading comprehension. I never said must be made in USA.

Stop being a dick. Not once did I say "must be USA". You are confused because you aren't reading what I'm writing. You are butt hurt and now babbling things I never said...for the third time. At least quote me accurately instead of jousting with StawMike.

Now you are babbling about the quality of the state I live in. I truly hope that keeps a few folks from moving here.

Your emotions are wrapped so tightly that you utterly miss the very simple point that others here have no problem understanding and have tried to explain to you. Pay rates in Asia are an order of magnitude lower than here. If a company moves offshore to lower costs but then charges USA-made prices, I'm out. That's my consistent position on all made in USA topics.

Glad you replied mike, I was about to tune out if yet another interesting thread due the “thread killer” with expertise on everything….

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’ve been to Vietnam, just like the rest of SE Asia, the only people really living well are the wealthy and western tourists. So many people go to places like Thailand and Vietnam, stay in resorts then talk about how nice of a country it is. Usually it’s not that great for the people from there, that’s why wages are so low and so many people from those countries want to come to the USA.

 

[Dos Perros]

While the Osprey execs are pretty thrilled with the margins on this pack, the Vietnamese bourgeoisie is rather "meh."

 

[Dos Perros]

Frame is bent tubular 7075 aluminum. No doubt done on a machine. Looks like injection molded joints, and (I think) a stainless cross bar. No doubt Kifaru has much more labor/cost in their frame.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

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".

Take 5. Mike stated his opinion. You stated hours. There are no misunderstandings any where. So, discussing it like there is plays no role except to harp on a point he didn’t make.

 

[FishDaddy10]

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.

I was specifically talking about the "MEN'S OSPREY UNLTD™ ANTIGRAVITY 64" which is what this post originated from.

A $700 made in Vietnam pack is preposterous. I would rather purchase a "lame hunting" pack that has even a portion of US labor and/or components.

 

[Jimbob]

Article about the tech

I wonder if that lumbar "pad" will actually be good?

 

[Hoodie]

Regardless of the tech they put in that pack, it's not worth $700 if it weighs 5.5lbs and is only rated to haul 50. That makes it exactly 0% better than any of Osprey's other packs.

Osprey to customers:

"Hey, would you like to pay 3x as much for a product that weighs more, carries less, and is manufactured in the exact same place?"

"No? Okay, just checking."