Osprey Backpack Review

Osprey rucksacks are made for all leisure activities. They are popular with mountaineers, backpackers and day packers alike.

What is the difference between a rucksack and a backpack? Nothing. These terms are interchangeable.

When buying an Osprey rucksack, the first thing to decide upon is what type of pack you will need. There are three basic rucksack categories and each one has its advantages.

The three types are: daypacks, external frame and internal frame backpacks.

A day pack is what you might see around your average high school that is designed to carry books, lunch etc. You may find a commuter on a train carrying her laptop in one. You may find someone at the airport pulling along the wheeled variety of the Osprey pack.

External frames are exactly what their name indicates. They are usually large and have a lightweight metal frame surrounding them. They are popular with the military and have been around for hundreds of years. The internal frame backpacks requires everything to be carried inside the pack, but the external frame pack allows you to attach boots, your sleeping bag etc to the frame. Although tying things to the frame can save space in the pack, it can also be a disadvantage in certain situations, like climbing. The external frame backpack is designed for the serious hiker and works well on flat and gentle terrain. External frame backpacks are also uncomfortable. They are big and bulky and somewhat awkward, and do not fit well against your body. Although external frames are great for carrying a lot of gear, they just don't measure up when it comes to comfort.

Internal frame backpacks have only been around for about forty years and were designed to eliminate all the drawbacks associated with the external frame models. There are a few design features that give this backpack a definite edge over the external frame model. Internal frames are built with the frame on the inside of the pack. This frame is flexible and allows the backpack to fit the contour of your back, resulting in a much more comfortable fit. Internal frame backpacks are also wider at the bottom which lowers the center of gravity making it much easier to balance.

So to conclude, it really depends on your need The day pack is obviously for small jaunts into the countryside etc, whereas the frame  rucksacks are for more serious activities. If you want a well designed comfortable backpack then consider the Osprey internal frame packs. Foe example the Osprey Aether 85.

If you plan to be a pack horse, or a thinking of joining the Special Forces, or like to clang your mugs around then consider an external frame pack.

I wanted to tell you about one of my favorite parts of the world you might like to take your trusty Osprey Aether Backpack to! Snowdonia National Park is located in Northern Wales.

The landscape is dramatic and varied with mountains, high passes, craggy peaks, sheer precipices and cascading waterfalls, it contains over 100 glacial lakes (or Tarns) See picture.

Snowdonia National Park has well over 100 summits of varying heights and difficulties, to test the most experienced of climbers. Snowdonia was the training ground for some of the early mountaineers, who conquered Everest. Mount Snowdon is the highest peak 3560 feet (1085 meters).

For those of us who are not climbers, there is an amazing railway which rises within 66ft of the summit. This is one of the great railway journeys of the world – an unforgettable experience. Snowdonia National Park's geology consists of four types of rock, Pre-Cambrian, Cambrian, Ordovician and the youngest, Silurian over 400 million years old.

The shape and character of these ancient mountains changed when the glaciers melted after the Ice Age, taking out vast sections of the mountains, which became separated by deep valleys, creating the glacial lakes beneath. There are also numerous castles, fortress and museums that can be visited in this area.

More information can be found on the Snowdonia National Park Website.

In the far North West of England, near the border with Scotland is England's largest National Park, the Lake District . You will also find England's highest peak here, Scafell Pike and England's largest lake, Lake Windermere.

For the hiker, climber, mountaineer and mountain biker there are an endless number of expeditions to be made across this timeless and dramatic landscape.

Not be missed are the quaint small towns of Ambleside, Coniston, Grasmere, Keswick and Windermere where you will find places to stay and shops that sell all the right equipment you will need.

Napes Needle (see picture) is one of the most famous climbs in the Lake District, mainly because it was one of the first. Apparently modern rock climbing was invented here. For more information go to the Lake District National Park website.

What can I say about the well trodden 180 mile route that is the Tahoe-Yosemite trail? It is one of the most famous trails in North America and there have been countless books written about it. You know what?

I'm not going to say anymore, but instead point you to the best book on the Tahoe-Yosemite trail.