OspreySopris 20 Women's Ski Backpack

My dad is something of an Osprey fanatic, and now I can see why. This is an incredibly well designed and crafted backcountry pack made especially for the smaller anatomy of a woman's back. The straps are robust, with ample padding and curve inwards a little so they never feel like they're digging into your shoulders of collar bone. Here's what stood out for me with this top notch pack:1. material selection - very lightweight, water repellent, and smooth against the skin.2. overall size and shape - as I said earlier, its very well designed with a woman's back in mind, which is rare among lesser brands. The shape is interesting as well, as it tapers out gradually toward the top. This leads to fantastic weight distribution when the pack is filled to capacity.3. fit - even completely filled to the max, this pack is comfortable, snuggly sitting against your back without making you feel weighed down.4. capacity - perfect for day treks, especially for a trip to the mountains to ride the slopes.5. rain cover - there is a zipper pouch at the top near main comparment that holds a mesh rain cover to protect your gear from moisture, also compact and hidden when not needed.6. accomodates a hydration bladder - though not included, there is a place for the hydration bladder in the main compartment, and a magnetic strip on the right shoulder strap for convenient hydration hose access. (Love that they started doing this!)7. Straps have additional support straps that go right above the chest, and also more substantial support straps that extend from the bottom of the pack around your waist. Both are optional, and when in use are very comfortable.8. Lifetime any reason warranty from OspreyBOTTOM LINE:I can see what all the hype about the Osprey brand is about, and it is very well deserved. The level of detail that is thought through with comfort and high performance functionality in mind is astounding. But overall this pack is a fantastic choice for day trips into the mountains, with enough room to carry everything you need without an unnecessarily large pack to weigh you down during your adventure. I think we may have yet another burgeoning Osprey fanatic here...

The media could not be loaded.  This Osprey Sopris 20 is an unusual backpack designed particularly for backcountry skiing. It can be used for other purposes, but in a number of ways this is not set up as a typical day backpacking bag. I have an Osprey biking backpack that can be used pretty easily for other purposes, and I do use it more for general carrying that as a biking backpack. This is probably similar. You can use it as a regular commuting backpack, but it is designed for skiing.I'll list important points about this particular backpack in a bit. Also see my video and/or the Osprey video on the product page which does a good job of explaining the backpack. But first... I bought my first Osprey bag 15 years ago in a outdoor gear store in Idaho. I asked the young woman running the store what she would recommend as the best laptop backpack she had in the store. She spent so much time enthusing over an Osprey bag that I ended up buying it, though I didn't like its looks and didn't believe it would hold up well. That bag is still going strong today after years of daily use. One of the shoulder straps ripped and Osprey fixed it under warranty. It was the crudest imaginable repair--just a series of runs through a sewing machine--but it gave the bag another decade.Osprey bags are superbly built, and this backpack is no exception. Now for some particulars...1) The backpack's main compartment is reached from the back, not the front. This would be the logical place to put a laptop if you're using this as a daily carry. More shielding exists in the back than in the narrower front compartment.2) Front compartment has a J-shaped zipper opening and is specifically set up to carry avalanche shovel and probes. Could be used for other things, but made for avalanche tools.3) Main compartment has two internal pockets, both of which would fit water bottles, though one is suggested as location for radio/gps equipment.4) Netting helmet holder is hidden in a little velcro compartment at the top of the backpack.5) Straps on the sides for holding skis or snowboard in a variety of configurations.7) Great, strong double zippers everywhere.Take a look at my video or the product video by Osprey to get more of an idea if this backpack could work for you. This is the smallest of four Osprey backcountry ski backpacks--women's 20 and 30 liter Sopris backpacks and men's 22 and 32 liter Soelden backpacks.

Really love Osprey backpacks in general so I had high expectations for this bag as well. And sure enough they did not disappoint. The fabric is wonderful and I love the vibrant blue/green coloring. There are a ton of little pockets all over the bag to help with organizing. There are also very sturdy loops all around the outside of the bag to hold your skiing or hiking gear.So in case someone is not familiar with skiing backpacks I wanted to point out the two main compartments on the backpack. The main large compartment on the backpack only opens from the back of the pack. That’s so you can lay down the front of the pack on the snowy ground and then open the main compartment from the back without getting any snow on the back of the pack that is touching your back. There is another large compartment that is closer to the front of the bag and that part opens at the very top and on one side. The very front pocket does not open all the way around the backpack like you see in most other styles of backpacks.I plan on using this backpack mainly for hiking. I got it mainly because of all the outside straps for dirty gear and how well the backpack will balance on my body while my way up a mountain.

This ski backpack is incredible. This backpack has all the pockets and features that I was looking for in a ski backpack. This backpack was very well used in my last trip up to the mountains. It held up very well and was just what I needed to keep all of my gear together. The quality of this ski backpack is incredible. The stitching and materials that this ski backpack is made of is of excellent quality. I really like the color of this ski backpack as well. This ski backpack has plenty of pockets and compartments for what I need when go on a skiing trips. Overall this is an incredibly high quality ski backpack. I would highly recommend this ski backpack.