• Home
  • ABOUT
  • HOW TO START
  • ALPS CLIMBING
    • Swiss Alps
    • Italian Alps
    • German Alps
    • Austrian Alps
    • Slovenian Alps
    • Huts
  • TENERIFE TOURS
  • ABOUT EQUIPMENT
  • FAQs
  • WRITE FOR US

Mountains For Everybody

Site about mountaineering, climbing and equipment, for those who love mountains

  • Outdoor Sleeping
    • Tents
      • Solo tents
      • Tents for 2 People
      • Tents for 3 People
      • Tents for 4 People
      • Tents 5-6 people
      • Tents in general
    • Tarps and Shelters
    • Sleeping Bags
    • Sleeping Pads
  • Backpacks
    • Day Packs
    • Mid-Size Packs
    • Large Packs
    • Kids & Youth
    • Packs FAQs
  • Clothing
    • Men’s
    • Women’s
  • Footwear
    • Men’s
    • Women’s
    • Insulated
  • Gear
    • Camp stuff
    • Lamps & Helmets
    • Poles
    • Filters
  • Deals & Discounts
    • Backcountry
    • Campmor
    • Keen
    • Osprey Packs
    • Patagonia
    • REI
    • Sportsman’s Guide

The Osprey Stratos 26 – Review Of A Great Day Pack


The Osprey Stratos 26 review given here is about a lightweight 1.19 kg daypack with an excellent suspension system and ventilation. 


Why the Osprey Stratos 26 – key benefits

  • Bonus rain cover.
  • Excellent ventilation.

Description

Osprey Stratos 26 in one out of 4 colors.
Osprey Stratos 26 in one out of 4 colors.

Stratos 26 is a popular pack that has been around for many years, redesigned and improved in the latest version. This is a classic top-loading pack with the lid and collar underneath it.

The main compartment is what you normally have in packs, one simple storage area and with the water bladder sleeve. So the pack is hydration compatible and you have hose ports on both sides.

On the bottom section, you have one attachment loop for trekking poles or for an ice axe. Higher up is a bungee tie-off on which is there for the same purpose, and it can be stowed away when you do not need it. You can see in the picture below how it is used.

Removable dual straps are on the bottom, for a sleeping pad or tent attachment.

On the sides you have dual compression straps, the upper are with buckles and the lower with InsideOut feature.

On the bottom section, you have a separate pocket for the integrated rain cover.

The Osprey’s Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment is used here as well. It is designed to conveniently stow your poles when you are on the move and want to store them to have free hands for any other activity. See how it works in the picture below.

Side view showing the mesh separated from the pack.
Side view showing the mesh separated from the pack.
Stow-on-the-Go attachment system.
Stow-on-the-Go attachment system.
Ice axe attachment system.
Ice axe attachment system.
The integrated rain cover.
The integrated rain cover.

The suspension system

The trampoline style tensioned mesh back of the pack.
The trampoline style tensioned mesh back of the pack.

The suspension is really the best part of this pack. It is based on an aluminum LightWire frame and a tensioned trampoline style mesh. This is what they call the AirSpeed system, quite an appropriate name because it provides the best possible ventilation.

The space between the pack and the mesh is quite large so the air can escape in every direction. I have been using packs with such a ventilation for many years now.

The shoulder straps are covered with mesh, and underneath it, you have a die-cut foam. The sternum strap is adjustable and with an emergency whistle.

The hip belt is pre-curved, with sewn-in spacer mesh, and with Ergo Pull closure.

Note that the harness is not adjustable so you chose your size in the moment of purchase, see more in the specifications below.


Pockets

The lid has two external zippered pockets one on top of another. On the hip belt, you have dual zippered fabric pockets, but their back is in fact mesh, I guess for some extra ventilation.

On the sides there are dual mesh woven pockets with InsideOut compression. This allows you to secure loads easily even when the side pockets are in use, i.e., through the pockets.


See the features of the Stratos 26 and the corresponding version for women Sirrus 26 in this video by Osprey (just disregard the part about panel access, this is a mistake, from a larger pack in the Stratos series):


Pros & Cons

This is my summary:

 Pros  Cons
  • Rain cover.
  • Two sizes.
  • Great ventilation and suspension.
  • Nice colors.
  • Single attachment loop.
  • No front pocket.

Osprey Startos 26 has received great reviews. On Amazon, the average rate from customers is 4.5/5.

I love the colors of this pack and really cannot make any serious objection. You will see in the comparison table below that it stands very good in comparison with some other brands.


Specifications

  • Purpose: hiking, mountaineering, cycling, running.
  • Internal frame pack.
  • Two sizes:
    – small/medium (S/M),
    – medium/large (M/L).
  • Weight:
    – S/M: 2 lb 7 oz (1.11 kg).
    – M/L: 2 lb 10 oz (1.19 kg).
  • Volume:
    – S/M: 1465 cu in (24 l).
    – M/L: 1587 cu in (26 l).
  • Torso fit:
    – S/M: 16 – 19 in (41 – 48 cm).
    – M/L: 18 – 21 in (46 – 53 cm).
  • Maximum carry weight: 20 lb (9 kg).
  • Maximum dimensions: 24 x 11 x 9 in (61 x 28 x 23 cm).
  • Top lid access.
  • Integrated detachable rain cover.
  • AirSpeed trampoline suspended mesh back system.
  • Internal hydration sleeve.
  • Materials:
    – 210 D high tenacity twill nylon, 420 HD nylon rip.
    – Aluminum peripheral frame.
  • Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment.
  • Removable sleeping pad straps.
  • Upper and lower side compression straps.
  • Single ice axe loop.
  • Stowable bungee tie-off.
  • Dual zippered hip belt pockets.
  • Fixed lid with dual zippered pockets.
  • Stretch mesh side pockets with InsideOut compression.
  • Sternum strap with emergency whistle.
  • Colors: 4, see the pictures.
  • Warranty: Osprey’s All Mighty.
Osprey's All Mighty guarantee.
Osprey’s All Mighty guarantee.

Summary

In the conclusion of this Osprey Stratos 26 review to stress again that the best features of this pack are related to its suspension system. It provides the best ventilation and this you might bear in mind if sweating is a big issue for you, or you need a pack for particularly warm areas. But the integrated rain cover makes it a great tool in the Alps or in any other region with a lot of rain.

There are several packs from this series described in the site, so see the texts about Stratos 24, Stratos 34, and Stratos 50 pack.

Note that there exists the Sirrus series for women with the same basic features plus some extras in the design, introduced to fit women’s figure.

Check on Amazon
Check at REI

I hope the text has been useful to you. If you have any question or comment please use the comment box below. Thank you and have a nice day.

Mountains for Everybody site is reader-supported. This means that some of the links in the text are affiliate links, and when you buy products through our links we may earn some small commission to keep running the site. Filed Under: Day Packs Tagged With: osprey packs stratos 26 backpack, osprey stratos 26, osprey stratos 26 backpack, the osprey stratos 26

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


My photo on the summit of Jalovec.Hi everybody and welcome to my site which I nurture with love and passion. Here I describe my own climbs and give reviews of equipment. I hope you will enjoy it. More about the site and about me here.

Categories


Cookies Statement

In this site we do not have any cookie tool. But we do use services by third parties that either use cookies or may be doing so, yet we do not have any control of it. This is covered in their privacy policies. For more details please check in our Privacy Policy page.


  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

My Most Memorable Tours

  • Magic Moments On Mount Teide Tenerife
  • Climbing Weissmies solo
  • Climbing Mount Fuji
  • Climbing Zugspitze solo
  • Lagginhorn my first 4000er

Recent Posts

Osprey Exos 58 Pack for Men review.

Osprey Exos 58 Pack for Men

Best Mountains to Climb in Dolomites without Special Equipment

Best Mountains to Climb in Dolomites without Special Equipment

Eureka Jade Canyon X 4 Person Tent review.

Eureka Jade Canyon X 4 Person Tent

Climbing Piz La Varella

Climbing Piz La Varella (Lavarela) from Capana Alpina

Big Agnes Spicer Peak 4 Tent review.

Big Agnes Spicer Peak 4 Tent

Affiliate Disclosure

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. So when you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission. These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products. My reviews are based on my personal experience and research. I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales. It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.

Categories

  • About mountains in general (33)
  • Alps (85)
    • Austrian Alps (5)
    • German Alps (3)
    • Great mountain roads and passes (5)
    • Huts and Shelters (13)
    • Italian Alps (35)
    • Slovenian Alps (22)
    • Swiss Alps (20)
  • Backpacks (348)
    • About Packs in General (57)
    • Day Packs (104)
    • Large Packs (111)
    • Mid-Size Packs (80)
    • Packs for Kids & Youth (16)
  • Clothing (66)
    • Men's Clothing (40)
    • Women's Clothing (24)
  • Equipment (106)
    • Camp stuff (40)
    • General Stuff (6)
    • Helmets & headlamps (22)
    • Trekking poles (13)
    • Water filters & purifiers (23)
  • FAQs (68)
  • Footwear (44)
    • Insulated Footwear (6)
    • Men's Footwear (29)
    • Women's Footwear (20)
  • Guest Author posts (5)
  • Hiking tours (11)
  • Sleeping Bags (110)
  • Sleeping Pads (85)
  • Tenerife (20)
  • Tents and shelters (260)
    • About tents in general (22)
    • Solo tents (29)
    • Tarps and Shelters (13)
    • Tents for 2 People (76)
    • Tents for 3 People (58)
    • Tents for 4 People (83)
    • Tents for 5-6 people (2)
    • Winter tents (24)
  • Uncategorized (2)

Copyright © 2022 · Mountains for Everybody · All Rights Reserved