If you’ve spent any amount of time on the slopes or trails the past few seasons, chances are you’ve seen someone sporting an Osprey pack. There is good reason for Osprey’s growing popularity amongst us outdoors folks: function, style and innovation are built into every bag they sell. New to the lineup for 2011 is the superlight Hornet series: three packs made for those of you looking to go lightweight without sacrificing performance. Osprey sent us the Hornet 32 for testing, and the pack has done more this summer than a lot of weekend warriors out there.
The Osprey Hornet 32 weighs in at 1.25 pounds- superlight indeed. This top loading pack features one large main compartment, two mesh side pockets with compression straps and a front stretch mesh pocket. The floating lid has a zippered storage area and a zippered mesh pocket on the underside. The pack also features gel pockets on the shoulder straps and two hip belt pockets that will fit anything from energy bars to point and shoot cameras. Osprey used 70D Triple Ripstop Nylon material to construct the bag, and while it is lightweight, it is also burly enough to stand up to a normal backcountry beating.
I took this Osprey backpack everywhere: canyoneering excursions in the desert, peak bagging in the mountains and as my every day bag for work and road trips. In the desert the performance was great. The external hydration compartment allowed me to slip my bladder (Osprey’s Hydraform Reservoir) into a compartment that is separate from the rest of the gear. This also adds some structure to the sack, though it is built with a closed cell foam back pad. The venting in the back panel kept me cool even when hiking slickrock trails in 90 degree heat. When bridging and stemming in slot canyons the pack was barely noticeable, despite having a full day worth of gear stowed in it. During mountain summit season, the Hornet delivered again, comfortably carrying everything I needed for a long day on the trail. It seemed no matter how much (or little) I crammed into the Hornet the fit and feel were always right in the sweet spot.
When it comes to capacity, this bag shines. I doubted the Hornet’s claims of being a superlight backpacking bag, so I loaded it up. Check out the list: a bladder, sleeping pad and bag, small food sack (breakfast and snacks), dehydrated dinner, cooking cup, stove, fuel, rain jacket, first aid kit, survival bag (matches, compass, headlamp, knife, and water tablets), water purifier, pack towel and journal all fit into the bag with room to spare. All this gear fit into the main compartment and zippered pockets, meaning I still had all the exterior tie-off points available for extra gear. Add a tarp to all that and you definitely have an ultralight backpacking kit. All of that in a bag that weighs less than two pounds.
My biggest complaint with the Hornet is the side compression pockets. They barely fit a standard 1 liter Nalgene bottle, and the inside out compression system didn’t work as advertised. During a summit descent in the Wasatch I arrived at the bottom to find that my camera had fallen out. An expensive lesson to learn. I resigned the side pockets to carrying small and cheap items like sunscreen and energy bars after that. Also, any superlight bag will need to be treated with care- after a slot canyon hike I noticed some tears where the pack had come in contact with sandstone walls, but that surface can shred just about any material on earth.
If it’s a superlight day hiking bag you want, then the Hornet 32 is a good bet. Big enough to fit serious loads and comfortable no matter what you carry in it, this sack is what you would expect from a company that is fast becoming the rage in the outdoors. The series also includes the Hornet 24 (a more traditional day bag without the top lid) and the Hornet 46 (perfect for superlight overnights or day hikes that demand tons of gear), so no matter what your pursuits, Osprey has your back in style.
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