Review: Osprey Kestrel 68 Rucksack

- product provided for the purpose of review, thanks to outdoorkit.co.uk -

An entry level pack, designed for those wishing to spend a night or two away camping. The Kestrel is manufactured by one of the most trustworthy companies creating outdoor equipment, Osprey, founded in 1974, they've gone on to become one of the go-to manufacturers for packs. 

This is an any-trail, any-season pack, an all rounder with a built-in raincover and adjustable airscape backpanel. Perfect for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award or a casual hiker who isn't looking for a technical, ultralight pack. The Kestrel comes packed with plenty of features for your pennies and should prove to be a solid pack out on the hill. 

Manufacturer's Description: 

• The Kestrel series has been developed to cope with any-trail, any-season. In wet weather and heavy downpours the built in rain cover provides protection. During hotter conditions the adjustable AirScape back panel keeps you well ventilated whilst offering the load support you require.

Technical Features:

• Capacity: 66 litres (S/M), 68 litres (M/L)
• Weight: 1.74kg (S/M), 1.82kg (M/L)
• Fixed top pocket with gear loops and dual zippered compartments
• Under-lid zippered mesh pocket
• Removable sleeping bag straps
• Sleeping bag compartment with internal divider
• Integrated raincover
• 'Stow-on-the-Go' trekking pole attachment
• Dual vertical zippered side pockets
• Mesh covered die-cut slotted foam EVA hipbelt
• Hydration compatible
• Front daisies with bungee tie offs

Feature Breakdown:

To those of you who already own an Osprey pack, a lot of these features will be familiar. The 'Stow-on-the-go" trekking pole attachment is a feature found on more or less every Osprey pack, along with the mesh covered die-cut slotted foam EVA hipbelt and the hydration compatibility. There's no one defining feature of the pack, it's all pretty standard - hopefully where this pack will shine is the durability and quality of materials used.

Field testing:

The Kestrel comes densely packed with it tightened around itself, it's definitely worth taking a moment to familiarise oneself with the pack and adjust it accordingly, after that it's good to go! Initial thoughts were good, Osprey have built their reputation on an unbeatable build quality and the Kestrel I received was no exception. No loose threads, good stitching and everything felt solid. 

Out on the hill, my fully laden pack (tent, sleeping bag, mat, stove, gas, food, waterproofs and water) felt comfortable and sat nicely on my hips rather than my shoulders. The large waist belt keeps the Kestrel comfortable over long walking periods and didn't rub or agitate my skin, the clip belt is a little thinner but this doesn't cause any issues and feels strong enough to put up with the strain. 

There's plenty of pockets: on the outside and inside of the top lid, along both sides of the bag and a stretchy one on the front as well as bags of room in the main compartment. I like how Osprey have made the Kestrel quite wide and low instead of their normal tall, thin construction. It allows heavy stuff to be stuffed into the bottom of the bag where it can sit on the hips and not put any strain on the shoulder straps. 

Other features work really well, the 'Stow-on-the-go' system is a true example of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' working reliably and keeping poles close but out of the way. The hydration bladder location feels vulnerable but there wasn't any leakage after walking with a full pack and bladder, best to load the bladder first the pack your kit in the bag around it. The integrated rain cover is a handy addition and once again, shows how this bag is designed with the entry level user in mind, great for expeditions with young people - easy to spot from far away! 

Long-term use:

The Kestrel continues to impress, there's no sign of wear and tear or loose threads. It feels like the bag has settled after a couple of outings, there's less creaking and the hip belt feels like a closer fit. 

Overall, I've been really impressed with this bag. It's not a high-end, super technical bag but it comes packed with plenty of tried and tested features that all compliment each other well, it's a workhorse and will keep on going while lighter and more expensive bags begin to falter. 

I'd definitely recommend the Osprey Kestrel 68 to a friend!

Great stuff from Osprey, perhaps the best entry level backpacking tent?

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The Osprey Kestrel 68 was provided for the purpose of review, thanks again to outdoorkit.co.uk. 

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Review: Osprey Farpoint 40 Rucksack

- product provided for the purpose of review by outdoorkit.co.uk -

Hi everyone, today's review is of the Osprey Farpoint 40 Rucksack, designed as a carry-on bag for weekends away. Here's what Osprey has to say:

"The Farpoint 40 is our lightest back-packable travel pack that fits within EU carry-on dimensions. Featuring a zip-away spacer mesh ventilated backpanel allowing the Farpoint to be carried like a backpack but packed like a suitcase. Cushioned carry handles on the top and the sides allow you to easily grab the pack off airport baggage carousels, we’ve included a removable shoulder strap. Your gear is all readily to hand, with the inclusion of a large zippered opening that allows access to the main compartment, featuring lockable zips for increased security. The inner compression straps allow you to fully maximise the capacity whilst securing your clothes thus limiting creases. Look a little closer and you’ll also find a top stash pocket for electronics and sunglasses, dual mesh front pockets for water bottles and a padded internal laptop sleeve. Our unique StraightJacket™ compression system pulls your load in – holding it tight, but it can also be used to significantly reduce the total volume of the pack. Making the Farpoint 40 the ideal travel companion for your next business meeting or weekend get-away."

After playing around with the Farpoint, I was glad to see Osprey have continued to maintain their high standards of manufacture and quality. Well thought out features have been partnered with great design, fabrics and price.

Let's start with the internal features of the main pack: internal compression straps help make the most of the space, a large mesh pocket helps keep things organised within the compartment and there's a solid back to keep things tidy. 

The structure of the bag really helps you absolutely cram it with stuff. I headed off to Morrocco for two and half weeks where I knew there would be a mix of temperatures and humidity so plenty of clothing was a must, I managed 6 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of underwear, 5 t-shirts, 4 pairs of trousers, 1 jumper, 1 fleece, 1 waterproof jacket and 1 pair of waterproof trousers, along with a microfleece towel. Bearing in mind the bag is designed for weekends away and short breaks there is a huge amount of room in the main compartment. The compression straps work well, they were a little on the thin side but they handled the big load with ease and really do make everything fit in, they're secured to the rigid back panel securely and there were no signs or indications of stress after use. 

The internal mesh pocket is good thinking on the design team's part, the way the pack is engineered you can strap things down within the main compartment and still fit more in the mesh - great if you forget to put something in but still want it stowed away. 

Moving away from the internals of the main compartment there's a smaller, pouch with a laptop/tablet sleeve, another zipped mesh compartment and room for a book or two. On my travels this became my go to pouch for storing things on the go without showing everyone my smelly pairs of socks. There's plenty of room for chargers, tablets, phones, guidebooks, etc. 

Tough zips feature everywhere on this pack

There's also a small pocket at the very top of rucksack designed for sunglasses, phones or wallets. It's a handy size but a little vulnerable and obvious for anything that's too valuable. 

Moving on to the outside of the rucksack: zipaway harness and hipbelt, shoulder strap, 2 carry handles and 2 water bottle holders. 

Osprey have continued the well thought out design with the back of the pack, the zipaway harness and hipbelt system is easily revealed or hidden if you're on the move or settling in at a hostel. A smart feature for cabin luggage where space is in short supply, it helps make the Farpoint a tidy bag for travel. There's also the shoulder strap option, which is easy to remove if you just want to use the bag as a rucksack, I ended up only using the shoulder strap on my travels as the bag hangs very nicely with it. 

Zipaway harness and hipbelt.

The two carry handles feel strong, they seem to be attached below the external fabric and "locked in" with another pieces of fabric on the inside of the pack. 

All these features feel like they're there to help you, not as gimmicks that have been thrown on to get sales, there's multiple handles and straps for when you're on the move, there's compression straps to get the most out of the space provided, there's a touch of modern with the inclusion of a laptop sleeve and overall there's a sense of quality.

In use I found this bag to be brilliant and I couldn't have asked for more, it just works. It keeps on working, taking the bumps and scrapes that travel brings, it can definitely fit kit in for a weekend away or a longer adventure if you're heading off somewhere for a week or two. 

I'd definitely recommend this rucksack to a friend!

Thanks for reading my review of the Osprey Farpoint 40, if you'd like anymore information please click this link to see the rucksack on outdoorkit.co.uk.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank outdoorkit.co.uk for their continued support of my blog, if you'd like to ask them any questions about the Farpoint 40 then please try their Facebook or Twitter.