Not a review of the Osprey Stratos 36

Three weeks ago when I walked around the top of Langstone Harbour I carried my old Vaude Tour 45 rucksack and I hated it, which is sad ‘cos I’ve have carried it most winters and some summers for at least five years. This year I wore my Osprey Atmos 50 a lot more, mainly so that I could sort out what I was going to carry on our Lakeland Circle Walk and then over a few walks work out how to pack  the sack.  During our Lakes walk the Atmos, the kit and the packing worked a treat no faffs and things to hand as needed. Now carrying the Vaude for the first time in months it felt, and looked, as if I was carrying a bag of spanners.

So we paid a visited Snow and Rock at Porchester to try on a few rucksacks.  Then a couple of days later, to make sure, I called into Cotswolds in Nottingham a to try a Deuter I’d read about, but also to see if they had a Stratos 36 in, they didn’t but after chatting to the guys in store, I wanted the Stratos.

A quick scoot around the interweb and I placed an order with Taunton Leisure.

At this point I was going to write“a review” but having read a couple of anti gear review reviews I think we’d all be happier if I just tell you what I like and dislike about the Stratos and the bits I’m still thinking about. I should also say that I have only worn it lightly loaded on two short walks, which probably makes the whole thing invalid, to serious gear reviewers.

Anyway, the utmost likes are the hip belt and airspeed back, these are the reason I bought this sack. The Atmos which has a similar belt and back has been wonderful, stable, comfortable, it stays cool on warm days, a joy to carry and I can feel that the Stratos will be much the same.

Then there are the things I have discovered, the pouches on the hip belt are a good size taking my camera and several bars of chocolate for the grandkids, Also for the first time with any of my rucksacks I can actually get my hand into the wand pockets while wearing the sack. And just to prove that I am only interested in the gimmicks I really like the MP3/phone pouch on the right shoulder strap, just right for the iphone.

As far as carrying goes it, with the limited use I’ve had, it give that ‘right’ feeling, the hip belt sits well and is easy to adjust as are the shoulder straps, as you’d expect. The water pouch can be hung outside the bag between it and the airspeed trampoline. This frees up room in the bag and moves weight closer to the back. The compression straps, despite the top ones looking a bit odd pull the sack, when lightly loaded, into a quite narrow and not to deep shape.

Dislike, so far, I don’t like that there are no loops or D rings on shoulder straps which is where I prefer to hang my GPS from. The Stratos has the stow on the go wizzywig that allow walking poles to be stowed on a bungy cord under the left arm pit. Now being a gimmicks person I was quite excited about this and took my walking pole out for a walk and a carry, and I hated the stow and go. If this was a proper review I would explain how it works and why it didn’t for me, but I’m not. It was a pain. But on the bright side the bungy bit does give me a loop to hang my GPS from.

There seem to be a lot of straps on the sack all with very long flapping around tails or waste I think they’re called. All will have to be tested for length, cut, sealed and sewn up again.

The things I’m still thinking about are the colour, black and slate, the materials and the loading, what goes where and in what order, that will take a couple of walks to sort out. I also don’t understand why there are two top pockets in the lid instead of one big one, save a zip and the material that divides them, then there’s the big zip that opens up the main compartment, why. I’ve already mentioned the top compression straps, they probably do a good job but they look odd, and foul the big zip to the main compartment and seem awkward with the straps pulling the lid down.

So it looks and feels good, a bit of practice and learning to do yet and I am looking forward to a good long walk with it. Finally, as I have been known to say about other people’s reviews, if he’s paid that much for it, he’s bound to say it’s the best thing since sliced bread, aren’t I