Customer Reviews Osprey Skarab 32

I've been using hydration packs for over 20 years, and the Skarab 32 outshines my previous two: Camelbak MULE and HAWG. The hipbelt is awesome for three reasons. 1 - I can store snacks, earbuds, mosquito repellent, and sun screen in easy reach to access while moving. 2 - the padding makes it more comfortable on my waist than a mere strap. 3 - As a male with a 31 to 32 inch waist, the small/medium version of this pack cinches just tight enough that all the weight of the pack sits fully on my hips throughout my hikes (instead of sliding down, like others) The exterior pocket w/ the top half open and two cinches is PERFECT for Shoe and Sandal Storate - when hiking to/from the beach it is so much easier getting shoes in/out of here than it is with a zippered pocket or an expandable mesh pocket. Its openness makes it extremely easy to clean the sand out of it ; and the weep hole makes it easy to wash out the sand if needed (and would stop it from staying full of water in a downpour). On mountain hikes, this is a good place to quickly stash/unstash a layer that I might doff/don as the weather/my body temperatures fluctuates. The opentop water bladder pocket makes it easier to get a bladder in/out of than a zippered pocke. To my surprise the openness hasn't seemed to negatively affect the insulation/water temperature/insulation in any noticeable way. I can fit my Platypus Big-Zip 3L bladder, which was a must for me. The two small-to-medium pockets at the top of the pack are the perfect depth and size to put a lot of things that I want relatively quick access to inside (wallet, keys, cell phone, glasses, extra snacks, bandanas, etc.) and to find them easily (because these pockets are NOT overly large, but are still large enough) The dual water pockets on the side are welcome and used by me to stow my dogs water bottles for quick access. The carry strap feels good in one's hand, and yet is narrow enough that a carabiner easily pops on/off of it

I bought this pack to replace my larger 58L Osprey pack, as I'm trying to minimize my pack size and weight and go ultralight. This pack is just perfect! Super comfortable (the shoulder straps and back are well padded and the hip belt is a nice addition), great size with a surprisingly amount of space inside the main compartment, doesn't have unnecessary pockets, straps and other bells and whistles. I really appreciate the minimalistic design that still has everything I need. I find the 2 side compression straps very useful and I love the gear loops at the bottom. The side mesh pockets are also great. I use the pack for extended hikes as well as day hikes, and with my other ultralight/minimalist gear I can fit everything I need in the Skarab. The pack comes with a 2.5L reservoir which is also cool if you use water reservoirs. As others reviewers mentioned, the pack is not waterproof, so I had to buy an Osprey raincover - but that's the only con I can really think of. All-in-all the Skarab 32 is a great pack for lightweight/ultralight backpackers and I highly recommend it!

I have used many packs for 5`10 mile day hikes. This pack I bought just recently and it is my favorite. I have TNF, Deuter and osprey packs currently. This is my favorite of all of them!! It is well constructed, lightweight, awesome back panel. The pockets and features for this price are amazing. I love the way pack rides on my back for 5-10 mile hikes. I simply have no cons except maybe that a rain cover could be included. But for price of this I can buy one. It has everything you need to cover lots of miles on a all daylong hike.The materials feel substantial and should be a long lasting pack. I especially love the reverse strap tightening which is way better than my reuters. It makes cinching quick and effortless. Thanks for that. I also like the low profile and two compression straps. I can fill it up or have it less full but strapped tightly with these options. This pack rocks.Thanks Osprey!

I used this pack for an extended period (a year) of survival, camping out in the jungle on South Africa's Wild Coast - a very rural, undeveloped area. Almost perfect for my needs - I had to carry all my gear around every day & the size is just right to fit 12-15kg in. Much more practical than both a taller, solid-frame backpack or a smaller daypack - this is kind of a hybrid daypack/backpack. Very durable - no scratches from pushing through vegetation. Very comfortable - less neck-pains when carrying a load for extended periods than I experienced with any of the other packs I've tried over the years. Looks good too, for the times when I had to make an appearance in civilization. My only negative comments are: 1. It's not fully waterproof, so in heavy rain it's essential to have a poncho to cover everything - I couldn't just wear a raincoat and walk around with the pack. This is a general problem with almost all the packs on the market and I have to wonder why, in the 21st Century with all its technology, this should be, as it automatically makes the leather packs of 100 years ago superior in wet conditions. 2. The diagonal cinch straps tend to push items up (and out), so the side pockets aren't very trustworthy. I'd have preferred horizontal cinch straps. 3. This pack came with a 2.5l hydration bag, one of the reasons I bought it. It's a good size, enough for at least 1 day. However, the magnetic clips for the mouth hose don't work very well, and it was always coming loose and flapping around, which was annoying. The magnets also made it impossible to clip a small compass onto the sternum strap. I would have preferred a simple plastic clip. 4. I would have liked some extra straps at the bottom of the bag to carry a tent. But apart from that, very happy with it.