Lightweight backpacks 50L+

I'm after advice on backpacks for a week away.

I currently have a Golite Jam which I have used for a week wild camping before but the bag was at bursting point and it doesn't have any compartments so sometimes finding stuff meant emptying the bag.

I'm looking at a couple of bags, OMM The Villain and Mountain Mover 55+15, or an Osprey Aether 60.

I like the fact the Osprey has pockets and compartments but it's also heavier. I fear the Omm Villain bag may not be big enough and the Mountain Mover maybe too big and not many pockets.

Are there any owners here?

Well firstly try them for comfort on you with weight in - much the most important thing

Having said that, the Aether 60 does seem likely overkill, and a very different design to the Jam! Osprey's  Exos 58 is only a little over 1kg so a lot closer weight wise.

Also plenty of other rational options besides the (very good) OMM packs.

In terms of features/size, the Villain doesn't seem terribly generous for its capacity and the +15 bit is semi nonense as the floating lid doesn't work. 

Slightly confused cf compartments - doesn't the Jam have a front pocket/side pockets etc? Current ones seem to, perhaps you've got an idealistic early version The main way of getting some internal organisation is typically dry bags which you'll want for protection vs rain anyway.

I have an Aether 60 which I am soon to part with second hand...its a great pack, but I have moved to a custom pack I had made for me with panel loading front... I am a big fan of panel loading and can't for the life of me understand why there are so few high capacity packs out there with it. 

Anyway, let me know if you're interested.

There's no discernible difference, capacity-wise, between the Villain and the Mountain Mover. Well, none that I can find.

As Martin says, use stuff-sacs/dry bags for keeping stuff organised  in a "simple" pack.

Edited to add: I've also got a Haglofs* LIM 55 which is (for me) a superb pack. Love it.

* I'm Scottish. You'll find no "an Haglofs" here

Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours.

~Chief Tecumseh~

I have the older Aether 60  I think it is a bit lighter than the current version.  It is the most comfortable pack I have ever owned (and I have a lot of packs).

 I spent a several evenings trying on every pack in the various  outdoor shops around covent garden before settling on the aether (I was on a course in London), I've not been disappointed so far.

I've used it on several  4-5 day trips, at the end of the day you need a pack that fits and is comfortable, find a shop that will allow you to try loads out with a decent weight in.

Steve D

I bought a villain a few years back and its way smaller than its stated capacity. I love it but its just too small for me, and is significantly smaller than my friends old style jam as we tried putting my stuff in his sack.

I bought an Osprey Atmos 50 (the lastest version) and that is far bigger than the theoretical 5L increase on the villain.

I'm pretty pleased with the Atmos, but there are a few points I think worth making. Both the Atmos and the Aether sit higher on your back than other packs I've worn, making the side pockets pretty inaccesable when wearing, even with the side access to the pockets. Also on the Atmos the side and back stretch pocket material just isn't very stretchy and so don't give as much space as you'd like. Getting a water bottle back into the side pockets is a 2 handed job even if you could reach them when the packs on. Also if the packs are full the top of the pack can be level with the top of your head, so makes wearing brimmed hats impossible.

The suspended backpanel of the Atmos is good at keeping you cool and sits much closer to the back than previous models and so it doesn't move the weight too far back. i do still wonder if the Aether may have worked almost as well as it doesn't contact your back as much due to its design.

I went with the Atmos over the Aether due to the .75kg? weight saving and I knew if I had another 10L of space I'd just fill it up with more weight. The Aether was just overkill for what i wanted to do, but was amazingly comfortable. I ruled out the Exos as the hip belts are just too narrow for me and cut into me if only wearing a T shirt.

I like the Osprey EXOS 58. Size medium is 58 liters, size large is 60 liters. It may be my next 3 season pack. It's carry comfort is excellent.

I  use an REI Cruise UL 60 (predecessor to the current REI Flash 60) and I use aftermarket side pockets to add another 400 cu. in.  I recommend them on any pack from overnight to larger packs for week long trips. A few US cottage industry pack makers sell  them.

 Side pockets organize the gear you may need quickly like a 1st aid kit, potty kit, water purification gear, etc. Also side pockets isolate stove fuel from the main pack.

 The above recommended Granite Geat pack is a very good pack and, like the name, very durable.

I have got 6 days of food and gear into a Jam 2, (one without hip pockets), but just about.

 An other 'sack to look at is Lowe Alpine Nanon 50:60, weighs slightly under a kg. has an adjustable back system. I find one adjusted, very comfortable.

Frameless - Aaaarrgggghh!

As Osprey says, the extra energy expended carrying a frameless pack does not make up for the small weight advantage. (And I add "the extra discomfort" ain't worth it either.)

The ONLY way I'd use a "frameless" pack to carry 25 to 30 lbs. is if I designed it to take two halves (upper and lower) of a closed cell sleeping mat in tightly rolled and inserted into two vertical fabric tubes inside the pack's back.

THAT would give enough rigidity to adequately transfer weight to my padded hipbelt. Without good weight transfer to the hipbelt a pack mainly rests (umcomfortably) on one's shoulders. Obviously the rolled pad halves need to be tightly held down by top flaps over the fabric tubes with adequate Velcro strip closures.

So far no pack maker has tried this method. A good method of joining the halves of the sleep pad is needed. Again, Velcro comes to mind as a good closure material for this purpose.

Another vote for the Osprey Exos 58.

All packs are compromises but the Exos fits me well and the slight lack of stability is more than offset by the lightness and excellent features.  The Exos 58 must be gaining in popularity on this side of the pond as I had to import mine from the US a couple of years ago due to non-availability in the UK.

If the Exos doesn't fit you, the Gregory Z55 is well worth a look.  A bit heavier than the Exos but also a bit more stable.

There's a few guys on here who like frameless packs but I've never got on with them.  Too sweaty and uncomfortable.

Has anybody got any experience of the Osprey Atmos 50?

Looks a decent pack at around 1.5kgs