Osprey Ariel women-specific pack

I need to get a new pack, as my recent Bonds hike proved ... ouch .... and I'm wondering if anyone has the Osprey Ariel pack or knows anyone who does? I have heard in general great things about Osprey and that the Aether, which I think is the guys' version of this pack, is light, efficient and all-around excellent, but nothing specifically about the Ariel.
Also, this pack comes in 2 capacity sizes and I'm wondering if I should go with the bigger one. I do pack an awful lot, but the pack I have is so inefficent I think a good pack could handle it all and then some. Hard to say though, since it's such a cheapie I don't even know its actual capacity. The sizes for the Ariel are 3,700 cu and 4, 250 cu I believe. In winter, I like to have extra everything in case of emergencies so I generally pack for a day hike as if I were packing light for a weekend. Anybody have any advice on which one I should go with? I'm thinking I might just go with the slighly larger one since I can get such an excellent deal on either pack right now. I haven't decided yet, but I definitely need a new pack and I don't want to lose out on a opportunity to get what might be a great one for little money right now. Any advice anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance ,

I would go with the larger pack for more flexibility.

I have the Aether 90. Excellent pack, though it's so big it generally only comes out to play in the winter.

Ariel

I realize that everyone has their own idea of what pack is the best and what works for them, but I definitely wanted to give a plug for the Osprey Ariel. I have had my pack for a few years and carried it for the 1500 miles my husband Snowman and I did on the AT this year. I loved it! It is very comfy with padded hip belt and straps, and the way the hip belt clinches is great--very easy. The mesh side pockets which I used to carry my water bottles are great.

I never found that I didn't have enough room, even when we were packing 7 days worth of food out of town.

So you can get an idea of what I managed to stuff into this pack, here is an approximation of what I carried over those 4 months on the trail:
sleeping bag, tent fly and stakes, 3/4 thermarest, thermarest chair converter, water filter, long johns, gloves/hat, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, extra skirt, 2 pairs of socks, rainpants and jacket, Waldies, toiletries, pocketmail and small notebook, 2 Nalgene bottles plus a collapsible 1.5 liter pouch, 1/3-1/2 of our food, sometimes a book, and in the early months my MountainHardwear Compressor jacket too. I would say I carried between 25-30 pounds in it, depending on food.

Really, I think the pack is the perfect size. You can fit a lot but it doesn't allow serious overpacking, which is a good thing!

Good luck with finding the right pack, but I'd definitely vote for at least trying on the Ariel to see if you like it!

-Sparkplug

I am also interested in purchasing a new pack, and I have heard great things about the Osprey womens packs. Does anyone else have firsthand experience with the Ariel or the Luna (the bigger/heavier duty verson, right?)? Does anyone know how heavy the pack is itself compared to other similar packs on the market? That is the downfall of my current Dana pack that I might need to replace--it is 8-9 years old and very heavy!!
Thanks,
Katie

My wife has the Osprey Aerial. She's more of a section hiker or a weekender rather than a long distance hiker. No complaints from her about the pack and it's performance so far.

There's no substitute for taking your backpacking gear to an outfitter and trying on the pack loaded up with your gear, water, and food.

I've got a Luna (3700ci). It's been said here before: if it fits YOU, then I recommend it. Workmanship is impeccable. I have an Osprey Ceres 38 daypack too, and it's also a beautiful thing.

I'm also in the market for a bigger pack. The 3700 just doesn't do it for a summer backpack of more than a couple of nights. I'd rather be able to fit most everything inside rather than attaching stuff all over the outside. I don't go strict ultralight, but I'm no packrat either.

I've heard many good things about Gregory packs too, so I'd give those a try.

audrey said:

I'd rather be able to fit most everything inside rather than attaching stuff all over the outside. I don't go strict ultralight, but I'm no packrat either.

Click to expand...

I agree. I too prefer a pack that is big enough to carry all of my gear internally rather than tying stuff on outside. Organization is simpler, gear stays drier, gear is less likely to be lost, and gear is less likely to catch on vegetation.

Doug

Osprey

If you haven't bought it already, the Osprey is on sale at LLBean.com.

My wife has the Ariel and she has used it on three or four trips (generally weekends in the Whites) and loves it. She has even taken it on dayhikes a couple times because she loves the fit and feel of it.

Thank you, everyone, for your backpack feedback .... I ordered the Ariel from LLBean and I expect it should be here .... ummm yesterday!!! lol I can't wait to try it out. It was a great deal and I think it's going to be the perfect pack for me given all the raves I have heard about it and that I finally think I'll be getting the fit right as well (I need a small, not a medium). Special thanks to you, Danielle, for giving such specifics of your use of the pack and how it performed for you . That's just the kind of feedback I was hoping for!

Thanks Again,

gaiagirl,
Glad to be of help... Hope you like the pack! ... and happy hiking
-Sparkplug