The Osprey Stratos 24 daypack I boughta couple weeks ago has seen a handful of small stream trips, and due to a couple inquiries, I’d gather it’s time for a quickie review.

Osprey Stratos 24

The Stratos 24 neatly occupies a middle ground for daypacks...

First, it’s comfortable. Very comfortable (ohhh, the comfort).

The trampoline style back support eliminates the hiker’s dreaded sweaty back, and it hugs my torso like a frightened monkey.

In fact, one of the best things you can say about a pack is that you forgot it’s there, and with this pack I always forget it’s there.

However, that comfort comes at a cost; the pack’s support stays are deeply dished, and while they keep your back cool and purring, the curve limits the amount of stuff you can jam in the pack (especially bulky items).

Osprey Stratos 24

The "Airsupport" designs keeps your back cool and comfy, but robs the pack of space.

For warm-weather use, that’s not a problem; I could easily carry a day’s load (reel, rod, neck pack, lunch, jacket, spare fly boxes, pack stove, Wally food, etc).

Still, if you wanted to carry full-bore fishing kit (waders, boots, big vest, lots of fly boxes, big lunch, rain jacket, etc) on a long hike, you’d need to lash the boots on the outside, which isn’t this pack’s forte.

I could probably find a way, but small, warm weather day packs tend to lack a lot of exterior lash points. If I regularly carried fly fishing’s full catastrophe of gear, I’d probably opt for my larger Lowe winter pack, which — like most winter/snowboard/ski packs — offers a snowboard/snow shovel flap (a great place to stow wet boots).

Life, it seems, remains a series of compromises.

Neatly illustrating the principle of alien perspective is this: Older Bro thinks this style of pack is too big for most day trips, and has settled on a glorified hydration pack.

So much for simple.

That said, I think this is a brilliant day pack, and for most of my fishing, which involves hiking in my wading boots with a little extra gear and lunch and Wally food and the other stuff we burden ourselves with, it’s the real thing (and ohhh, the comfort).

In a nod to life beyond fly fishing, the Stratos 24 is the perfect size for a hike with the family (lunch, jacket, kid gear, dog stuff, wife stuff, camera, backup stuff for the stuff you lose along the way…).

The Summary

The Osprey Stratos 24 is a small daypack that more than punches its weight (full disclosure: I bought this sucker, and at full retail).

Osprey Statos 24

Tommy likes...

It’s basically heaven with straps (ohhh, the comfort), and it’s clearly designed by people who regularly use packs: all the straps adjust easily, and it’s got enough handy little pockets to satisfy your inner Navy Seal.

The big questions revolve around capacity and the lack of external lash points.

A few features:

  • One main compartment (with hydration sleeve)
  • Two side mesh pockets (water bottle, rod tube)
  • Two top-loading small pockets
  • Built-in rain fly
  • Two hip-belt pockets
  • Shoulder strap pocket
  • Ohhh, the comfort

See you on the trail, Tom Chandler.

Posted in fly fishing stuff, Review and tagged , .