Osprey Advent

I'm honored to be the first guy on my block (and the internet) to get my hands on one of these great new packs. If you see an Advent in a store, try it on. If it fits you like a glove like mine did me, you've found the pack to end all packs. Your search is over.

Starting backpacking a year ago, I soon decided to be flyweight. I still am, except I am willing to haul more weight than the minimum in my boots and pack. The Advent weighs 5 pounds and 2 ounces, not all that heavy really. The suspension is more than adequate for someone who buys light stuff, like me. I haven't tested it with 60 lbs. or anything, but then why would I want to. If you are looking to haul that much weight, get something with aircraft aluminum stays (McHale and Gregory Pro Series packs use this). The Advent has standard 6000-series, which is fine by me.

The best feature of this pack is the Straightjacket compression system. It snugs the load right up against your body, and feels like... a straightjacket. No kidding. My girlfriend even thought it was TOO snug, like a little pygmy had jumped on her back and wouldn't let go. I love it. The closest competitor to the straightjacket system at this time (late summer 1998) is the Eureka Atlas. I tried on one of those just for a second, but preferred the Osprey's fit.

You can C-section this pack, so don't worry about it only having one big sack and a top pocket. Everything is instantly accessible, and you don't have the added weight of extra zippers, extra material, etc. Weight is a big thing for me even in a pack, and I must say the Advent seems to defy gravity. With all those straps and Crazy Creek-feeling lining, I would expect it to weigh a couple of pounds more.

Rockhopping is easy as pie with this pack. Bushwacking isn't such a problem either. This is a true backpacker's backpack. If you are thinking of mountaineering a lot, maybe you'd take a look at the Osprey Mutant instead. It's the same pack basically with red packcloth reinforced by white spectra.

A neat feature on the Advent is the mesh pocket on the back. A great place to put water bottles, etc. I like it better than side pockets because there is nothing in the weigh of your arms when extended back. The Mutant does not have the mesh pocket.

My pack color is Conifer. It's the most natural-looking, attractive shade of green I've seen in a pack. The Advent also comes in Chili (red) and Azure (blue). I've never seen a Chili one, and the Azure is a fine color, I just liked the natural Conifer better.

Osprey packs seem to fit skinny people like me better than larger people. The straps are tight and thin, and the hipbelt isn't as beefy as a Dana. I like the fit better, and it reduces weight. But I have found the shoulder straps don't fit some people very well.

I have no idea what the numbers are, but Osprey seems to have passed Gregory and is hot on the heels of Dana Design in its quest to become the #1-selling pack design company in the United States. I for one think you can't go wrong with a backpack from this high-end company. I'm even considering going out to Dolores, Colorado after graduation (I am a senior this year at the University of Virginia) and asking for a job... all packs are made in the United States by the way (Dana Design packs are now made in Mexico and Sri Lanka). I wonder if they need anybody... ;)