Osprey Aether 65 Review: 4.9 lb of Load Hauler, and Who Should Skip It

Osprey's spec table says 4.919 lb for the S/M and 4.963 lb for the L/XL. Three reviewers weighed it too. SectionHiker and SwitchbackTravel both got 4 lb 14.7 oz. CleverHiker got 5 lb 1.5 oz.

Convert the maker's figure and it's 4 lb 14.7 oz, the same as the two scales. Exactly the same. I checked it twice. CleverHiker's pack came in 2.8 oz heavier, about 4%. So the honest answer is "about 5 lb", and I'm using the maker's 4.919 for the sums below.

Here's the surprise in SectionHiker's comparison table. It lists the Gregory Baltoro 65 at 4 lb 14.4 oz. That's 0.3 oz lighter than the Aether. Two heavy haulers, one-third of an ounce apart. If weight is your reason to pick between them, it isn't a reason. I'd pick on fit.

Osprey's carry notes list an injection-molded AirScape framesheet, a LightWire frame, and a Custom Fit-on-the-Fly hipbelt with ErgoPull, which pulls the weight into the lumbar as you tighten it.

The reviewers loaded it up. CleverHiker took it to 60 lb and says the frame stayed controlled. SwitchbackTravel loaded the 65 with about 40 lb in Olympic National Park and says it excelled in nearly all facets. SectionHiker lists the 60 lb maximum and says it agrees. Three testers. Three loads. One verdict.

The catch is CleverHiker's. Its heavy-load testing found the Gregory Baltoro more comfortable at similar weights. CleverHiker also says the Aether feels overbuilt when the load drops, and that if your normal load is closer to 30 lb, the Gregory Paragon is lighter and more comfortable for the job.

Then there's airflow. I'll be quick. SectionHiker marks the pack "Ventilated: No", and SwitchbackTravel says the AirScape panel breaks from the old AG design with less suspended mesh. OutdoorGearLab reads it more kindly and says the panel still allows ventilation. If a sweaty back ruins your day, Osprey's own Atmos AG 65 is the one CleverHiker points to.

Two things are gone. I miss both, on paper.

The first is the AG, or Anti-Gravity, back panel of the previous generation. SectionHiker and SwitchbackTravel both note the switch to AirScape. The second is Osprey's trekking pole attachment, Stow-on-the-Go, which let you stash poles without taking the pack off. SectionHiker calls it noticeably absent, and SwitchbackTravel says the latest pack lacks it.

What you get instead is the Fit-on-the-Fly system: shoulder straps and hipbelt that adjust in length and angle, plus an adjustable torso. SectionHiker gives the torso range as 17 to 23 in and the hipbelt as 28 to 55 in.

And one thing the old version of this review left out: Osprey includes a raincover, made with PFC-free DWR and bluesign approved materials. OutdoorGearLab found it stored in the top lid, taking up most of that pocket, and says you can move it. That's a piece of gear you don't have to buy. I like that a lot.