Osprey Packs Mutant 38 Pack

Posted: 22/01/2010 at 15:01

i dont know if this is any help but i bought the Exos 58 litre which ways in at an amazing 1.1kg for a framed sack. The materials are very similar but its not a climbing sack.

I know what you mean, when i opened the package i thought what the hell have i bought? being used to the usual bomb proof Lowe Alpine. However, its performed very well and after several uses i've got to appreciate the very thin yet what seems suprisingly durable material. I'm not sure how i would feel about hanging crampons off it.

Posted: 22/01/2010 at 20:24

In general, Osprey's materials are deceptively durable. They also often combine tougher materials with lighter stuff so that high-wear areas can take it, and low wear area's aren't unnecessarily heavy. The Talon series, for instance, uses Dyneema in some areas, which is weight-for-weight stronger than steel.

If a store doesn't have the size range in they can almost certainly get you the size you want to try. If not, then it's probably not the best store to be buying from anyhow. There should also be somebody there who can properly measure your back length and recommend the correct size. Osprey and Lowe Alpine both produce their own piece of kit specifically for finding the correct back size in their packs. 

The key is to identify the features that you need,  find a few packs that fulfill as many as possible, and then try them all on with some weight in and test each of the features as realistically as you can within the shop.

Hope that helps!

Posted: 22/01/2010 at 21:35

Posted: 23/01/2010 at 03:47

Posted: 24/01/2010 at 13:08

Posted: 24/01/2010 at 14:43

The dyneema thing was just an example of how overall weight can be saved without necessarily compromising the performance/durabilty of a product.

The blunt answer is that no, in normal use you will not wear a hole in your pack or puncture it. 

Posted: 24/01/2010 at 22:53

I think the materials are deceptively tough - modern fabrics are generally more abrasion resistant than equivalent weight stuff from, say, ten years ago - and I think it'll be fine for normal climbing use and a good compromise between weight and durability.

If you're looking at something you're going to haul regularly - in the real world not many climbers haul packs repeatedly ime - then maybe you should be looking at a heavier pack, or even a haul bag.

Heavier duty? Pod or Macpac probably, Lowe Alpine, possibly the Haglofs Roc as well. Light and still tough? Crux, who use Kevlar/Corura fabrics.

Posted: 25/01/2010 at 00:27

Mr. X wrote (see)

 Not sure if I like the idea of leaving my protection clipped to my sack. I guess its usually ok but if you ever have to remove your sack (e.g. to tackle a chimney - perhaps clipper the sack to your harness or hauling it later), you might regret doing that when you reach for an ice-screw and find there is none on your harness/bandelier. Also, semi-permanently fitting krabs would seem to negate much of the super-light benefit.

Posted: 25/01/2010 at 10:18

Posted: 26/01/2010 at 09:29