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Shameless Plug - Osprey Packs


AustinBike
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Yeah, I am now scoping out a second pack, a hip pack for cooler weather and single speeding where I don't need all of the water and stuff. I have a Dakine that someone gave me but I am warming up to the idea that I could have a hip pack for longer winter rides because I do not drink as much water.

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15 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Switched after 20+ years from Camelback to Osprey for moral reasons.

To each their own

I bought an Osprey Waist pack, worst POS bike product I have spent $$ on.  Magnet for the hose is undersized, hose constantly drops where as the Camelback I can get w/ in a 1/4" and it grabs it.  Waist Belt will not stay tight, I bet I have to retighten it every 1.5 miles.   I sent them some suggestions on both and absolute no response.   POS is now sitting in my garage collecting dust.

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I have an Osprey Raptor 10 hydration backpack and a Seral 4 hip pack. I've had the backpack for over 8 years and, while it does not get as much use as some riders would have put on it in that time, it's held up very well. the hip pack is rather new to me, but it does the job. I think the bladder is a bit oversized for the pack, so you really have to cram it in there when it's full, but it's comfortable and I am unconcerned with hurting it.

1 hour ago, Taco Man said:

To each their own

I bought an Osprey Waist pack, worst POS bike product I have spent $$ on.  Magnet for the hose is undersized, hose constantly drops where as the Camelback I can get w/ in a 1/4" and it grabs it.  Waist Belt will not stay tight, I bet I have to retighten it every 1.5 miles.   I sent them some suggestions on both and absolute no response.   POS is now sitting in my garage collecting dust.

yes, the magnet does not work that well. the solution is to clip a retractable lanyard to the pack near the magnet. this cost me $0 and works 100% of the time with zero fuss. the retractable line works better because I can grab the hose, take a sip, then spit it out and just let it go. the line snaps it back into the magnet. if the magnet loses its hold for a second, the line keeps it from bouncing around until the magnet finds its home again. any similar pack from another company would benefit from the same feature. it would be nice if they included a clip to really secure the hose better, but I have no doubt that if they did that, people would bitch about how they put a clip there instead of using a magnet.

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I have to tighten mine every few miles as well. It's not because the belt slips, but because I am drinking water from the pack, making it less full. as the water volume goes down, the pack effectively loosens. as a control, I use this pack sometimes without the bladder (shorter rides on cooler days when I can get away with just a water bottle on the frame) and the pack does NOT come loose. the tension stays consistent because there's no water bladder in the bag changing the tension as I go. 

There are other products on the market that have reasons they might meet personal preferences, but mine is fantastic such that I would not think of replacing it.

Edited by mack_turtle
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17 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Had a ripped zipper and called them on their lifetime warranty. Brand. New. Pack. At. My. House. Now.

Can't beat that!

Fan for life now.

I've gotten 2 warranty replacements with brand new packs and one where they fixed the zippers.  Wasn't even manufacturing defect.  One was the side pouch (loose stretch pouch) that I ripped up when it got caught on tree.  They couldn't fix it so they sent me new pack.  Another was zippers frozen from not cleaning enough.  And the turnaround is legit fast.  The fit in their backpacks is also top notch.  My wife hated backpacks until I got her an Osprey women's pack that fit's her back so much better.

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48 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

 

yes, the magnet does not work that well. the solution is to clip a retractable lanyard to the pack near the magnet. this cost me $0 and works 100% of the time with zero fuss. the retractable line works better because I can grab the hose, take a sip, then spit it out and just let it go. the line snaps it back into the magnet. if the magnet loses its hold for a second, the line keeps it from bouncing around until the magnet finds its home again. any similar pack from another company would benefit from the same feature. it would be nice if they included a clip to really secure the hose better, but I have no doubt that if they did that, people would bitch about how they put a clip there instead of using a magnet.

 

I have to tighten mine every few miles as well. It's not because the belt slips, but because I am drinking water from the pack, making it less full. as the water volume goes down, the pack effectively loosens. as a control, I use this pack sometimes without the bladder (shorter rides on cooler days when I can get away with just a water bottle on the frame) and the pack does NOT come loose. the tension stays consistent because there's no water bladder in the bag changing the tension as I go. 

 

interesting idea on the lanyard retractor.

For me its not the water, I really dont drink much as Im generally only riding an hour at a time and wouldnt even get a drink for first 30-45 min but yet it still happens.  I'll try the thing without the bladder soon enough to test the theory.  Could also be my conspicuous consumption of IPA and the result it causes right where the pack sits.

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1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

They need more than one "fit" design for those to include those of us who have "additional fuel storage capacity."

I have plenty of that additional fuel storage capacity myself.  I do have to adjust the Seral to tighten as I ride but that seems to be from drinking water and the reservoir shrinking.  Also, you have to make sure hip packs are actually on the hips, not your waist.

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6 minutes ago, gdog-1992 said:

I have plenty of that additional fuel storage capacity myself.  I do have to adjust the Seral to tighten as I ride but that seems to be from drinking water and the reservoir shrinking.  Also, you have to make sure hip packs are actually on the hips, not your waist.

Is there a word like cankles that describes hips/gut/lower back region for some of us?

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Osprey was bought by a company called Helen of Troy in December, so hopefully that won't change things. 

From the Cortez paper, Dec. 10, 2021:  The Osprey Packs story: Its roots, success, sale and its future in Cortez

I have a "thing" for Osprey.  I lived a few blocks away when they moved into a dilapidated building in Dolores in 1974 and set up all their operations in house,  and hired and trained Navajo seamstresses to sew all of their packs.  

Osprey history

Fast forward a few decades and we just closed on a lot in Cortez last week not too far from their current headquarters in Cortez (9 miles from Dolores). 

I give the company huge props for staying in Cortez.  It's not near any transportation corridor in an area with a  depressed economy in the best of times, dependent mostly on tourism, some ranching, Forest Service, and now retirees and others moving into the area who have been priced out of Durango and all the other mountain towns.   But maybe Osprey was prescient,  since the  area (Cortez/Dolores/Mancos) is getting "discovered."  Although Osprey moved production overseas at one point, they still provide good jobs at company headquarters. 

Sadly, real estate prices in the area exploded in the last year, so living there is no longer feasible for a lot of people.  "Exploded" meaning equal to or more expensive than Austin.  

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i'm with you AB, switched to Osprey a year ago and the pack is Just Better than that other brand product. I've also taken to a hip pack for short adventures, nominally under 2 hr jaunts that I only need a water bottle for ... i don't even bother with bladder in the pack ... i leave the space for the crap I want there (tools n parts) and keep the weight under control so it doesn't drop to my knees on a bad landing. 😛

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Kudos for Osprey to stand behind their product and replace items but... I have a lot of other packs/ bags that I've had for decades that never needed replacing in the first place. Come to think about it, I just tossed my first Hyrdopak "Hydration pack" that I got in 1999 because the straps literally disintegrated. This is after thousands of miles of hiking, disc golf, biking, dirt biking including one crash from a motorcycle onto gravel in 2003 where I spun like a turtle for 40-50' on my back with the only thing between me and the road was that pack, 3L of water and a thin tech shirt. 

I do like osprey's designs but if a company has to replace products multiple times over their life, are they a really good product or just a good company?

 

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55 minutes ago, RedRider3141 said:

I do like osprey's designs but if a company has to replace products multiple times over their life, are they a really good product or just a good company?

Does it matter? As long as the replacements happen in a "reasonable" timeframe, I'd gladly give up a 4 year old pack for a few weeks and end up with a brand new one. 

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if a company has to replace something multiple times over the lifetime of the product, they're going to lose a lot of money. they're banking on their product having good materials and craftship, so actually replacing a well-made product should be rare enough that they'll make more sales based on the customers' peace of mind.

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1 hour ago, AustinBike said:

Does it matter? As long as the replacements happen in a "reasonable" timeframe, I'd gladly give up a 4 year old pack for a few weeks and end up with a brand new one. 

Depends, was the replacement done in a reasonable amount of time to prevent my phone/wallet/ keys from falling out of a failed zipper?  My point is, I'm glad they stand by their product, but if something fails on me more than once it's not a good product and not worth my time, no matter how many replacements they send. 

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My one replacement was for a zipper issue.  The extra part was for dog damage.

I personally think bladders and zippers should be considered normal wear.  I'd be happier with repair than replacement.

If they're a good company, they take replacement data and use it to improve their next generation of products.

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1 hour ago, RedRider3141 said:

Depends, was the replacement done in a reasonable amount of time to prevent my phone/wallet/ keys from falling out of a failed zipper?  My point is, I'm glad they stand by their product, but if something fails on me more than once it's not a good product and not worth my time, no matter how many replacements they send. 

My replacements/repairs were not even from manufacturing defects but user error.  I literally ripped the side water bottle pocket catching the pack on a tree.  They replaced the pack because they couldn't repair it.  Free of charge (paid shipping there but that was it).  And when they didn't make that pack anymore, I got my choice of newer comparable models.  Another time was zippers froze because I didn't clean them enough and they got frozen shut with salt.  No questions asked or blame made, just replaced.  What I'm trying to say is it's not necessarily manufacturing defect that they're warrantying.  I haven't had any manufacturer defects yet that have needed replacement but 3-4 user error fixes.  Plus the fit and technology is on par or better than anyone else.

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1 hour ago, gdog-1992 said:

Another time was zippers froze because I didn't clean them enough and they got frozen shut with salt.

This is starting to happen to one of mine. Their website says do this - "use mild soap like Nikwax Tech Wash, warm water and a soft brush to clean zippers often to prevent them from failing". As much as I'd like to just get a free replacement, I suppose I should at least try my best to remedy the situation, if it's not already too late.

Who is doing this and how often? 

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I have 3 suggestions for you:

1. Wash the pack, this takes care of the salt

2. Put some vinegar on the salt corrosion point, that will eat the salt. I used to work at a shoe repair and we sold "salt remover", which was basically alcohol and vinegar. Just plain vinegar can be used, but not on leather because it does not dry up properly and leaves residue in leather. Vinegar is fine for non-leather things.

3. Rub some soap on a zipper (on the teeth) and it will help to "lube" the zipper

 

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Worst case and the zipper fails, just take it to the local tailor. I've had multiple packs and clothing brought back from the dead with a good tailor, and for dirt cheap.

Shameless plug for AAA alterations in Round Rock

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1NDCM_enUS720US720&sxsrf=AOaemvIWcz6nwl5-rudPuft1SDwSvc3qbg:1643317033073&q=round+rock+tailors+AAA+alterations&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirnImA6dL1AhUdm2oFHd0zDHIQuzEoAHoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=937&dpr=1

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