Osprey Packs

Soelden Pro Avy 32L Airbag Backpack

Comfortable and Versatile Airbag Pack

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

32

Weight:

160

This pack is exactly what I've come to expect from Osprey -- a quality and durable product with excellent fit and ergonomics. My favorite features are the flexible ski carry options and the Alpride airbag system. I found the fit and ergonomics of this pack much better than the Scott Patrol 30 or BD Jetforce 26. It compresses well, it's form fitting, and it feels as out of the way as a technical touring pack can while skiing and skinning. You do pay a 7-oz penalty over the comparably sized Patrol 30 (and a bit more if you're looking at the Jetforce), but I believe the excellent fit (and A-frame carry vs the Jetforce) make for a more comfortable and less taxing experience over the course of the day. I don't mind the minimalist organization, but if you want lots of interior pockets, this isn't the pack for you. The exterior does have places to stash small items, e.g. there's a small pocket on the hip belt where I keep my PLB and a first aid kit, and there's a zippered pocket on the right strap where I keep an energy bar and my radio mic. The Alpride E1 airbag system runs laps around all others, and it's telling that major pack manufacturers like Osprey, Black Diamond, Pieps, and Scott are flocking to it rather than building their own. I highly recommend researching it if you're unfamiliar. I found the E1 so compelling that I ruled out any airbag pack that doesn't use it. In a nutshell, it's airplane friendly, gives you multiple pulls so you won't hesitate to use it, doesn't have any temperature limitations, doesn't require replacing any canisters or lithium batteries, and is fully removable so you can use the pack in non-avy terrain without pulling all the weight when you don't need it. My only substantial complaint about this pack is that unlike all other Osprey packs which come with a lifetime warranty, Osprey only warrants this pack for five years, presumably to coincide with the warranty of the E1. This is too bad because the limitation on the E1 is a lawyerly one, not a technical one. I certainly intend to use it beyond its official 5-year lifespan (acknowledging it's not officially sanctioned by the manufacturer). And in any event, the backpack itself certainly has utility long beyond the life of the airbag system. I hope Osprey will change this policy and stand behind this pack for its full useful life, as it does for all its other products.