Osprey's load-hauler tested over three weeks of continuous Himalayan trekking, so how did it get on?
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Osprey Crescent 60
Tested
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Price: £180.00
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Weight: 2,380 grammes (
medium)
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Features: ReCurve
suspension and harness, BioForm hip-belt, front and side
mesh pockets, convertible top pocket / bum bag with
hydration pocket, StraightJacket compression system, Wide
Mouth zip access to lower main compartment, 60 litres
volume, zipped top pocket, zipped inner top pocket /
hydration pocket, head cavity, twin aluminium stays and Foam
X frame sheet, composite recurve straps, ErgoPull hip-belt
closure, twin axe loops, choice of harness and hip-belt
sizes for optimum fit.
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Awesomely comfortable.
Not cheap...
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The Concept Osprey is a specialist US-based pack maker with a
reputation for making Rolls Royce-like packs. The Crescent range is
their all-round backpacking sac designed to carry big loads easily
and with interchangeable hip-belts and harnesses designed for a
tailored fit regardless of size and shape.
Osprey say it's a big load hauler with a back system designed to
take heavy loads in comfort.
Features
We don't think we've ever come across a pack with so many
features - the whole thing is dripping with neat ideas and clever
wheezes. The heart of it all though is the back system and Recurve
suspension, two composite rods running down the side of the pack and
into the hip-belt mounting points. The idea is that you can pull the
pack snugly into your back for maximum stability.
The rest of the back system is more conventional, with twin alloy
staves, breathable, fast wicking foam and a stiff framesheet for
maximum support. We also like the BioForm hip-belt. Not only does it
combine an optimal stiff outer plate with a softer inner foam
section, but there's a neat cut-ouot over the hip bone designed to
relieve any pressure in the area. You also have the option of leaving
the hip-belt semi-floating for walking mobility or snugging it in
with four straps for maximum stability on rough ground. Plus the
hip-belt fastens using a four-way pull system that equalises pressure
across the belt, which is interchangeable to fit your hip-size.
And that's just the start: the pack lid detaches to become a
functional bum bag - or fanny pack as the Americans call them -
there's a moulded cavity for your head with an internal strap to keep
it neat and concave, a curved zipper gives easy access to the lower
main sleeping bag compartment, there's a big haul loop, twin mesh
sdie pockets, a main mesh back pocket, twin ice tool holders and
more.
Last but not least, customisation is the name of the game. The
Cresent (male) and Lunar (women's) series includes five frame sizes,
six harnesses and five hip-belt sizes.
In
Action We took the Crescent 60 off to Nepal for a three week tea
house trek in the Annapurna region. We could have gone lightweight,
but drunken packing technique meant a load of around 40lbs, including
essentials like a Discman and 30 CDs, ahem...
The highest compliment we can pay this pack is that 99 per-cent of
the time we didn't even think about what we were carrying. The
hip-belt is awesomely comfortable, with none of the hip soreness or
bruising you might have expected as the dense foam and hip-bone
cut-outs worked brilliantly.
It was also extremely stable - cinch up the hip-belt straps,
tighten the tensioners, screw down the compression system and
everything's pulled close into your back. It works well enough that
we were able to run most of the way down from the Thorun La, a
5400-metre pass... Bonkers. Nor did we have any issues with the
ergonomically-shaped shoulder straps.
We also appreciated neat touches like the top pocket that detaches
and converts, Macpac-style, into a useful bum bag for short day walks
and the curved zip which allows easy access to the sleeping bag
compartment even when the pack was fully loaded - always handy. The
big mesh back panel was relatively cool as well, though in hot
conditions we still got a sweaty back, things were definitely better
than average.
So it's perfect? Erm, not quite; the hydration system pocket is in
the lid of the pack, which is fine for a one-litre bladder, but
pretty useless for our three-litre Camelbak of choice, the hip-belt
tensioner straps had now sewn-over end, so pulled through when left
loose and, erm, at almost 2.5 kilos, this isn't the lightest of
packs. All things we could and did live with mind.
The highest compliment we can pay to the Crescent 60 is that once
we'd loaded it up and adjusted it to suit, we hardly thought about it
for the rest of the trip and we mean that in a good way.
Build quality is fantastic, comfort and stability are second to
none and after three weeks of walking every day, we had absolutely no
pack-related aches and pains. No sore hips, no bruised shoulders, no
aching back. That back system may seem a bit OTT in terms of
features, but it works brilliantly.
It's easy to use too with simple access through the long, curved
zip to the sleeping bag compartment and big, wide-opening top loading
opening too. We liked the twin mesh side pockets that happily swallow
one-litre plus water bottles and the humungous rear mesh panel for
quick storage.
If it weren't for the pygmy hydration pocket in the lid, the
Crescent would score a perfect ten, in fact, that excepted, it does.
If you're after a big load hauler and can afford the price, check out
the Crescent range and its women's equivalent the Luna. Sizes from 50
litres right up to 110 litres.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time:
More features than any other pack we've used and a
little on the heavy and expensive side, but the build
quality, comfort, support and stability are exceptional and
in three weeks of continuous trekking in Nepal we didn't
suffer a single pack-related twinge, which says it all. If
you're after a big load hauler and hang the expense then
check out the Osprey Crescent range. We don't think you'll
be disappointed.
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