HISTORY. Osprey was born in California, 1974 at the seat of a single sewing machine, with a head full of ideas and a desire to design & build innovative backpacks to the highest quality. Today, Osprey products continue that pioneering spirit, being used on the highest mountains to the remotest islands and everywhere in between.
The Founder and Chief Designer, Mike Pfotenhauer recounts; “My personal philosophy is that I enjoy life more if I’m surrounded by things that I built myself. I understand my surroundings and I connect better with my environment. It was a love of building product, making things for myself and my friends that got me into this business.
I started out by building day packs and backpacks for customers in Santa Cruz. I was fresh out of University and I really enjoyed setting my own hours, building gear and listening to stories about how that gear had travelled to some peaks or around the world.”
Osprey are a success story. I think on the Camino up to 35% of walkers will have an Osprey backpack.
The one to the right is a Talon 33 weighing less than 1 kg which is attractive. There are men’s and womens styles and at 31-33 L is on the smaller size. Careful choice of what you take means it can work provided the weather isn’t going to be cold as cold weather clothes tend to be bulkier.
The next size shown below is the Talon 44 which depending on your size will hold up to 44 L. More than enough if you plan to stay in albergues or similar where some bedding is provided and you are sheltered from rain and cold. At 1.1 kg it is again an extremely light pack for this capacity.
Remember though the lighter weight has been achieved by minimising what other brands add as standard. It is always a trade off.
There are so many styles to choose from, all I am trying to do is to provide enough information to guide you in the right direction. Please follow the link if you wish to read some reviews on individual styles and check pricing for your home area. Don’t look at most of the packs, including travel packs, as they are designed for hostel hopping using transport or day outings; not day after day of walking on the Camino.
CLICK HERE FOR REVIEWS AND PURCHASES
