What is the Stratos 50
The Stratos 50 is all about breathable comfort for multi-day camping, hut-to-hut adventures or day hiking with extra kit when the weather is changeable. It is the perfect for pack for any kind of walking or travel and thanks to the fully adjustable AirSpeed ventilated back system; carrying this pack will literally, be a breeze.
What is it made from?
The Osprey Stratos 50 is definitely built to last and uses tough, durable nylon fabrics to ensure it can soak up the bumps and scrapes of an active life. The main bulk of the bag is made from a super tough 210D Nylon Crosshatch with a durable water-repellent finish to keep your kit dry during light rain (a rain-cover is included for heavy downpours). This fabric is reassuringly thick, yet light enough that you barely realise you're wearing the pack, even when fully laden. Heavier and more durable 420D fabric is used on high wear areas such as the base and sides of the pack.
What is the back-system?
This is where the magic happens! Osprey have taken inspiration from their brilliant AntiGravity technology to create a seamless construction across the back-panel and hip-belt using highly breathable suspended mesh to create the AirSpeed Ventilated Trampoline Suspended back system.
This seamless and continuous construction method transfers weight superbly and is incredibly comfortable and lightweight. The whole pack is suspended away from the back-panel to produce an air gap that allows superb ventilation even on the hottest days. It won’t stop you sweating, but it will make you feel more comfortable.
The hip belt is reinforced with a die-cut foam to produce stability and control whilst allowing that ventilation theme to continue. It’s a well-padded hip belt that’s capable of dealing with the weight in the suggested load range of 12-18kg. It does an excellent job of transferring the loads to your hips and away from your shoulders.
The shoulder straps also feature die-cut foam for comfort, support and ventilation and flex beautifully around your body to increase comfort. You also get an adjustable sternum strap (with built-in whistle) to help spread the load.
Available in two different back lengths:
Small/Medium = 41-51cm
Medium/Large = 48-58cm
Each size of the AirSpeed back system is adjustable to ensure the perfect fit using a simple, yet highly effective, Velcro pad on the shoulder harness that can be easily set to various heights depending on the user. Please remember that your torso length and not your height will determine the back length. For example, I’m 191cm tall, yet only have a 47cm torso length, so my Osprey packs are all size Small/Medium. For more advice on pack fitting have a look at our video here.
Underpinning all that comfortable, breathable AirSpeed mesh is a flexible wire frame to transfer weight to the hips and to provide stability. The frame allows a degree of flex to the pack, so when you’re striding out, your shoulders can move independently of your hips.
What are the features?
It isn't just the comfort and support that we love about the Stratos 50, we also love the attention to detail and the number of clever, and unique, features.
The main entry point is through a traditional double-clip lid opening to give easy access to the pack’s contents. This style of opening arguably affords better weather protection and improved compression of the load. The top lid is extendable to provide extra storage if required, handy if you want to store a rope under the lid for scrambling or some via-ferrata. It can even be completely removed if not required to keep the pack weight to a minimum. A compression strap across the opening helps to secure that extra kit or keep the pack closed when the lid is removed.
In addition to the classic top loader opening, there’s a vertical side zip that enables you to access the contents without having to undo the top. This is really useful if you want to get at something at the bottom of your pack. The main compartment can also be split in two using the built-in divider and toggles. This creates a separate base compartment for wet or dirty kit, or to simply organise your pack more effectively. The base compartment can be accessed via a large zipped entrance at the bottom of the pack.
Inside the main compartment is a hydration sleeve with a little clip to stop the bladder from drooping down to the bottom of the sleeve. This is the perfect place to pop your Osprey Hydraulics reservoir.
Osprey equip the Stratos 50 with a single walking axe loop and the unique “Stow-on-the-go” trekking pole attachment system is a revelation. This allows you to safely stash your trekking poles away when they are no longer required without having to remove the pack or pester a mate to do it for you.
Four side compression straps pull the weight closer to your back, increasing comfort and carrying efficiency; they also stop gear from rolling about in a half full pack. The two at the bottom of the pack are called “InsideOut” straps as they can either be used inside, or outside the side pockets. Inside the pocket they compress the pack and not the pocket, and outside the pocket they secure the contents of the pocket and compress the pack. Simply thread the straps in the manner that suits your needs. Two further straps at base of the pack can be used for storing sleep mats or extra clothing; or can be completely removed if you just don’t need them.
Starting from the top, pockets wise, you get a zipped top lid pocket for quick access to kit that you need to get to easily, such as snacks and navigation equipment. Under the lid is a mesh pocket with an internal key clip, this is perfect for stuff you want to keep separated for safety and security.
The two mesh side pockets will easily take an insulating layer or a 1L bottle and feature a tougher fabric at the base to stop the mesh from being damaged by abrasion. There are two 3D zipped pockets on the hip belt that you can still gain access to even when the hip-belt is done up tight.
On the front of the pack is a large stash pocket, the perfect place to store soggy waterproof clothing or even a wet flysheet. On the outside of the stash pocket is another large zipped pocket, giving you oodles of extra space.
Right down at the bottom of the pack is a small zipped pocket containing the rain-cover. This cover is tethered to stop it flying away in the wind, or it can be completely removed to shed a bit of weight in good weather. The cover fits snugly over the front of the pack and is held firm with an elastic drawcord.
Summary
The Stratos 50 features the perfect amount of space for multi-day camping trips, hut-to-hut adventures or loads of room for those who need to carry plenty of spare kit into the hills for the day. The traditional lid opening gives this pack a classic styling and improved weather resistance and the feature rich design and masses of pocket storage space make this a massively versatile pack.
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Adjustable AirSpeed ventilated trampoline suspended mesh backpanel
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Adjustable torso length
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Base zip entry
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Integrated & detachable raincover
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Internal hydration sleeve
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Internal key attachment clip
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Removable sleeping pad straps
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Side compression straps
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Single ice axe loop
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Single vertical zippered side access point
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Sternum strap with emergency whistle
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Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment
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Stretch front pocket
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Top lid access
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Twin zippered hip belt pockets
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Ventilated stretch yoke and load lifters