Customer Reviews Osprey Stratos 34

This is my favorite out of 3 Stratos packs. I have the 24, 34, and the 36. The 34 is far better than the other 2 Stratos packs I own. Being able to unzip the pack and see all your gear with out digging for it like a top loader. This pack also fits like a glove. Small enough for a hike but big enough for on overnight minimalist backpacking trip.

My Stratos 34 and I have been together for going on 13 years. We have been all over the world from Singapore to Honduras and it has been as close to me as a friend as a pack can be. When I hurt my back in Germany I sinched it tight to me and it eased my pain. When my son was tired of walking he would stand up inside it while I carried him. It is the best pack I have ever owned and I hope to have it for thirteen more.

Possibly the best pack I've ever owned. I say that because I just purchased an Atmos 65 AG and that pack may be the best, I guess we'll have to wait and see. This pack is extremely durable, it holds all of my gear for extended day hikes, and the suspension system makes the pack feel weightless.

This pack has it all.. size, adjustability, compartmentalization, support, durability. I have an ultralight setup and everything fits into this pack (thermarest vesper 20 quilt, thermarest NeoAir Xtherm Max pad, MSR Advance Pro 2 Ultralight 4 season tent, thermarest airhead pillow, Osprey Hydraulics 3L reservoir. Along with a blackdiamond rain shell, extra clothes, a tripod and food.. this is perfect. I really like how supportive the back panel is along with the pockets, straps, and compartments (no more uncomfortable rucksacks). The fabric is also very durable.

I have been backpacking in the Pacific Northwest for more than 40 years and this is, by far, the best daypack I have ever owned. Easy to load, easy to access when loaded, comfortable when loaded, durable, good easy to use zippers, light when not loaded, ample number of pockets and load loops, easy to adjust great hydration set up. For me I just don't know how it could be improved as a daypack.

Purchased for long day hikes. I like to carry extra stuff like a camp stove and shell clothing, or sometimes snowshoes. The suspension is amazing. I can carry everything I want easily. I toss it on and don't think about it because it's so comfortable. I love the waist band and the fact that it has easily accessible pockets. On a long day hike you always want some handy items (sunscreen, lip balm) that you don't have to take off the pack to get. 2 improvements I'd suggest are larger or more small pockets for flashlight, powerbars and the like and the way the top compression straps attach...would be better if they were attached via webbing as opposed to fixed in place. LOVE THIS PACK!

All the bells and whistles in a day pack (long day hikes). Best pack I have ever used. Good for tall hikers.

I have been very happy with this pack (the version released in 2017). It has accompanied me on supported multi-day trips to Peru, New Zealand, and Nepal; and on countless day hikes here in BC. I have found the pack to be very versatile; particularly the many pockets which have been helpful in organizing things (e.g. snacks in vertical pocket; headlamp, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, etc. in the top pocket; rain gear and first aid kit in sleeping bag compartment; layers, water purifier, lunch, essentials, and spare batteries in the main pocket; lightweight gloves in one hip belt pocket; and lip balm and candies in the other hip belt pocket. I have carried an ice axe in the ice axe loop and trekking poles in the side mesh pockets without any problems. The ventilation offered by this pack is excellent and the included rain cover has been useful and saves the cost of buying one. I have traditionally used a 1.5L bladder inside the pack and while it does take up some space in the main pocket, I never found it too restricting. I think it could be a problem if you were attempting an overnight trip and had to fit a shelter, sleeping set up, and food in the pack. I recently started using a 3L bladder inside the pack and the pack (mine is a S/M) is just long enough to accommodate it. After reading some of the reviews here, I may try hanging it outside the pack between the suspension and pack body. I agree with the one reviewer who said that the pass-through for the hydration tube is tight, particularly if you are using an insulated tube. Fortunately, I have not had to cut my pass-through to make it work. I have not experienced any durability issues with my pack at all and everything functions as it should. The materials have all held up very well. Overall, I have found this to be a great pack for day hikes and supported multi-day trips. Highly recommended.

I day hike in western North Carolina regularly and have been making do with a Raptor 14 that I also use for mountain biking. The Raptor is a great little pack and while I have been able to cram quite a bit of gear into and onto it, I finally bought something a little more appropriate: a Stratos 34. I took the pack home and adjusted the frame to fit my torso using the velcro adjustment pad, then adjusted and checked the shoulder and belt straps. On my first outing I hiked for six hours at Mt. Mitchell State Park and was delighted with the fit of the pack as well a the comfort. The Stratos never got caught on branches, a problem I have occasionally had with an older Deuter Futura 42. In short the Stratos seems like a great choice for day hiking. I will be interested in seeing how I like it for winter hikes when I carry more gear but really, I couldn't be happier. In the event that I have any problems with quality as some reviewers have mentioned, I'll simply use Osprey's warranty.

I don't know why people are complaining about this bag, maybe they are doing something wrong. I have had no problem with this bag at all. Took this on a cross country trip with lots of hiking and the only problem I had was that I ran out of water every now and then. I have had 0 quality issues and love the quick disconnect of the hydration bladder. If you find it difficult to remove just use the quick disconnect and leave the hose where it is. This is supposed to be simple. I took this from the hot and humid south to the dry and arid desert and had no problems with comfort and usability. My back did get a little hot and sweaty during some hikes. I loved how adjustable the bag was in finding that perfect fit. you gotta change your bag for different scenarios, not all the woods and hikes are the same. This bag will continue to serve me well. Great purchase.

I Recently took my newly acquired pack on a family trip to Disney World. I have two daughters so needless to say the pack was loaded. It still had plenty of room for souvenirs and extra water bottles. I carried this pack for 12 hours a day in 40+ degrees Celsius (I'm Canadian so I will leave the conversion for you if needed) and not once did I find the pack hot or uncomfortable. In fact, I didn't even realize how heavy it was until my wife made mention while picking it up. Taking the bag off and putting it back on countless times for the rides was a breeze, it stayed dry from water splashes on the rides, and I even used the rain cover for a severe rainfall and everything remained dry. I was originally uneasy after paying what I thought was too much money for a backpack but after the last week I truly believe this pack was worth every dollar and more. I know this was not its intended use but please if your looking for something for family outings I recommend this pack.

This is a really great day pack that can be used for a brief overnight camp. I gave it a work out over Easter in the Grampians along the Major Mitchell Plateau trail, Mt Difficult and other trials. The pack was comfortable to wear all day and robust. This pack has similar layout / features to my 70ltr Back Pack. The only thing is the water bladder pocket is inside the pack, not between the pack and harness as per the pack instructions online. Its a easy mod if you like your bladder on the outside for easy access (Personal Choice). The hanger for the water bladder can be put through the hose port and long enough to be able to hang and fit a 3 litre bladder between the pack and the harness and stays in place perfectly on the hikes even on the rock climbs.

Twenty bike commute

Choose this pack to complete my Stratos family (I have stratos 50). After having a lumbar injury, I decided to reduce weight while hiking (and fully dependant to porter). I bring my don jacket, light rain jacket, ponco, small camera bag and an Osprey's 1.5L water bladder. I'm choosing this bag for the comfortable back system as well as the some usefull featurs (e.g. stow-on-the-go). Brought this bag to 2 hiking trips and so far have no complain about it. I hope it has a front mesh pocket instead of a vertically zipped, but still quite useful. Overall, this is not the perfect backpack, but it does the job for my needs.

This pack is the perfect pack for day hikes and minimal overnight. I've never used a pack more comfortable than this one for carrying weight. The ONLY negative is the vertical front zipper pocket. This pocket cannot fit anything when the main compartment is full. Major design flaw. If this pack had a front stretch shove-it pocket, it would be the best hiking pack available! I've tried to get a pocket attached from a custom gear repair company, but since the frame of pack isn't removable, no custom alterations can be made to the pack. Would also like so see wider, more durable YKK Zippers on pack.

This is a very well thought out pack for the most part that is very comfortable. However, I have 3 issues that have cropped up over a few months of weekend day hiking 6-10 miles at a time with about 18lbs loaded. 1. When the load lifters are tightened and you are moving, the back panel is very noisy. 2. the small strap the holds the shoulder strap to the waist belt is fraying and coming off already. 3. The should strap tighteners do not keep their position well. I have to re-tighten often. I will need to modify the straps now... If you are ok with the above, get it :)

I wanted a pack with inside water storage as I snowshoe in -30 C days also. However with 2L of water and basic necessary gear for a summer day hike in the Rockies where it's always necessary to take a down coat and a tarp, this pack is too small. My biggest issue is the hole for the bite valve is incredible small, I had to cut it to allow the valve to go to the outside! I'll keep my 32 L Asolo for the winter trips.

I received this pack when my previous generation manta was replaced under the almighty guarantee. I took this pack for a short trial hike and found it to be uncomfortably narrow. I found the hook and loop rear adjust to be extremely un-confidence inspiring. I could hear some tearing on the back that was disconcerting while I was walking, but it never did fail on me. I also found the rear water bladder difficult to use, and had trouble removing the bladder tube when I had anything in the upper mesh pocket. I regret not requesting the manta and would recommend that pack instead. While the pack is in basically new condition, I understand that I would not be allowed to return it to osprey to be exchanged.

I travel a lot and I love testing bags out for personal use...I'm not a blogger or anything. I planned out my trip to Nepal to hike the Everest Base Camp trek last month, November 2019. I REGRET USING THIS BACKPACK. It's 34L, but because of the awkward curve along the back, you can't really pack bulky things so everything has to be super strategic...meaning it's a pain in the butt to load and unload. Especially if you're forgetful like I am and forget where things are in your pack. Pro: the back ventilation is AMAZING. Con: the back ventilation causes packing problems. Also, the center vertical pocket is absolutely useless. I used it for my rain gear, but when full, it creates a balled up look on the front of the pack that's hard to unzip without every thing falling out. For a supported trek, like the Everest Base Camp trek, where you get porters and a guide, I cannot recommend using this Stratos pack. I was so excited, but ended up disappointed with the awkward packing and the heavy weight of the bag. In order for this bag to work, EVERYTHING has to be ultralight. The tiny sleeping bag compartment is so small...only a super lightweight 20+degree bag will fit inside it. My regular 700 fill NorthFace bag didn't fit. The hip belt pockets are horribly small and inconvenient to unload without everything else falling out. I wish I would've used my Patagonia Nine Trails 28 pack...even though it's listed as 28 litters and not 34, it would still fit more stuff because of the shape and comfort. Last year I used the Atmos AG 65 to trek for a month in New Zealand. The bag was too big and bulky and performers poorly in wet conditions, holding in ALL the water in all the excess cushions. This years bad experience with the Stratos might be my last Osprey adventure for a long time. I still use my 2019 Atmos 50 AG, but for new packs, I'll stay away from Osprey for now until they fix their curved backs and make Stratos easier to load

It's a strange complaint to make but the internal airframe makes a creaking noise since day 1. No amount of silicone or similar seems to stop it. It's a shame as it's the most comfortable pack I have ever owned and it fits me well. But it areas of splendid solitude and peace and quiet all I can hear is my pack making a creaking noise. I'd maybe expect some creaking on a pack with a more substantial metal frame but this is not thatl

Love the pack but the quality is not very good. I own a osprey momentus 22, day lite and my son owns a quasar pack. All great packs. This Stratus 34 was purchase in March 2017 and it already has issues with the strap. To me it is a poor design. Osprey has great warranty, but it is a hassle to know this may happen again.

Stratos 34 has a lot of flaws and I regret selecting the Stratos 34. The Zulu 30 has much better designed pockets for stowing gear and small items like keys, wallet, and identification. I selected the Stratos because it is shorter and it seemed to fit better as I am 5' 7", but it is so poorly organized that I am thinking of trying to sell it and buy the Zulu 30. Also the shorter Stratos means you cannot fit a 3 liter water pouch in the bag. Even a 2 liter pouch will take up so much space that the top pocket is rendered useless. Another problem with the water pouch pocket on the Stratos is that it will not turn inside out to dry and it does get wet and moldy from condensation. The medium size Stratos 34 is actually 32 liters and it does not have the outside pocket so it carries less and it is not as convenient as the Zulu 30. The system for stowing hiking poles is better on the Stratos.

I'm an archaeologist. So I am outside in all elements. I need a good, reliable bag because I'm outside 10+ hours a day in all sorts of terrain. I've had this bag for about 2 1/2 years now. About the 3rd month I had it, one of the zippers blew out. Couldn't use it at all. I ignored it because, hey I had another one! Well, the zipper snags/gets stuck on the seam and it caused a huge hole. Now, the other zipper has failed completely. Pretty bummed to say the least. It's a good, comfortable bag. It was just cheaply made. I went ahead and filled out the repair form and will send it in. Hopefully they can fix her up and send it back!

The backpack is too heavy for its capacity and the materials like the straps feel cheaply made. It is also uncomfortable at the shoulder straps and also the hip belt. I would not recommend this product.

The backpack is just beautiful and it seems to be of excellent quality. But after testing it for only 5 days (round trip from home to work, 2x a day), the first problem showed up. Osprey used a material known to be of poor quality and durability to attach the straps to hipbelt pockets. I would love to replace this one by another of the same model but without defect, but since the material is is not good, certainly I will have the same problem again and again, so the only option I have is to exchange it for a different brand and/or model, even though it isn't as beautiful as the Osprey Stratus 34 is.