Ranger Review: Osprey Aether 70L Backpack at Sunshine Campground
Campground Review: I loved my stay at Sunshine Campground. Only reason it gets 4 stars is the proximity to the main road and road noise, which is minimal at night. A couple of the 18 sites have awesome views. There's firewood for sale for $6, and two primitive bathrooms. Good for RV or tent camping, and loved the access to wilderness near Telluride.
Gear Review: As a Dyrt Ranger, I also get products to test and review in the field.
I recently got to test Osprey’s Aether 70L Backpack while I was at Sunshine Campground.
First off, a 70L pack is big--bigger than your average day pack. I’ve had my eyes on 65L+ packs for a while so I was psyched to get my hands on this one. And it lived up to my expectations. I’m going to be using the pack on a 5-day trek in Mexico in October, so I tried to replicate a multi-day, full load during my field test.
I packed in bulky camping gear and a couple big rocks (to exaggerate the feeling of the weight). I estimate the final weight around 60lbs. Structurally, the pack handled the weight well. I took it on day hikes (each ~10 miles, 3-5k net elevation gain) using Sunshine Campground as my HQ. It sat comfortably and didn’t leave any hotspots.
Only downside? The large size limits it to multi-night or training hikes.
As ranger worthy or not, this is definitely a ranger worthy pack. Check out the pack here: http://www.ospreypacks.com/us/en/product/aether-70-AETHER70.html