Michael: Birthday

 Monday May 4, 2015

Walking down the road
With another west coaster
Was like being home.

Today is my birthday, but since Monday is a stay at home and relax day, I cheated and took a couple of my birthday presents out yesterday for an extended play session. Joining me for a 4 hr. jog/hike on the Quetzal trail were the Osprey Rev. 1.5 vest pack and the Asics Fuji Gel Runnagade jungle shoes. They were both so much more functional and fun to play with than prancing around a tasteless cupcake with a mylar balloon. I’ll talk about the Osprey today and the shoes tomorrow.

This is by far the most comfortable pack I’ve ever used. It carries the water high up on the back where I like it just like a Hydrapak. It cinches around the upper back and chest with two sternum straps that breathe with you that  slide on guides allowing for plenty of adjustment. Two straps in the back  can be cinched down on the go to pull the pack tight against your back as the bladder empties. It also has a bit of a skeleton formed by the foam backing and the plastic brace inside that supports the bladder. That is a great feature because 1.5 liters of water is pretty hefty and many packs just let the bladder sag inside the pack.

This design feature also makes the bladder easy to remove and fill through it’s large twist on top. The ease of removal is aided by the hose being divided into two sections so you don’t have to play with one long hose when filling the bladder. The mouth piece section stays with the pack while a short section is secured to the bladder so it doesn’t flop around or get in the way or get mucked up while filling. After filling, twist the top, slide in the harness, snap the hoses together, and away you go; very, very, simple.

Still not quite as simple as a bottle though, and for that reason at races where there are aid stations less than an hour apart, I’ll stick to using the Hydraquiver. But if I ever do sign up for a race where the stations are spread thin, this pack is set up to be stripped down and race worthy; either one or both of the sternum straps can be removed along with the convenient and ingenious digi-flip phone pocket, making the Osprey just about as light as any 1.5 liter bladder vest out there.   

At the other end of the spectrum, it has nowhere near the capacity to function as an over-night fast pack unless indoor beds and re-supply posts are on the itinerary. And even in the summer, with a minimum amount of spare clothes and essential gear, that would be a stretch. But I like this pack so much that if it’s compatible with my MSR filter, I’m toying with the idea of using a two pack system for some fast packing outings, particularly if I could map out a lollipop route where I could set up a base camp, drop my size-able lumbar pack that would carry most of my gear, than throw the Osprey on for long day runs around my base camp.

My only quibble with the pack is the same as I have with all bladder systems except the Hydrapak bladder. They’re difficult to clean. The Hydra pak’s bladder turns inside out so it’s easy to clean, but all bladder system hoses, at least to my knowledge, are difficult to clean and dry out particularly relative to the ease of washing a bottle.

Otherwise, this pack is a dream. It carries everything I want to take along for a good 3-4 hr. jaunt and could go much longer if re-supply points are available or you’re willing to jerry rig a water filter attachment harness. I even like the lemon lime green color. All this for just over the price of a $50 gift card to wherever. I don’t know how I’m going to top this present any time soon. That’ll have to be part of my wondering/wanderings through the net on the rest of this lazy birthday Monday.