Customer Reviews Osprey Stratos 36

I just wrapped up a long walk from Barcelona, Spain to the start point of the Camino de Santiago in France. There's enough to worry about on such a trek and prior experience has taught me that if you're thinking about your pack, you have the wrong pack. Not once did I ever second guess, fret and wonder about the Stratos 36. It rode like a dream. As with my other Ospreys, it's built well and held up without a single issue. But the on-trail vote seemed to favor Ospreys, too: my guess is at least half of all hikers shouldered an Osprey. That's probably all you need to know.

I use this pack for day hikes. I needed extra room due to carrying some extra items when our granddaughter is with us. It took some getting use to compared to my talon but I like the room and suspension.

Took it for a 5 day alpine trek in the Italian apls. It did a fantastic job. Very comfortable, and managed the full load. It has a great patent for the walking poles. The only con i could think about is that the outer component is not elastic and does not expand. Would highly recommend it

Almost the perfect bag. The only thing i would add would be a size zipper access. Past that this is the perfect bag. I absolutely love it. I have used it for overnight hikes, it is my everyday hiking bag as well. It fits my drone, water, beers, and survival equipment or day trips. As a emergency bag I can fit my 57lb dog in it and ruck him out. It is wildly comfortable and breathable. Absolutely incredible.

Great pack for hiking into the Smoky Mountains. Use it to carry fly fishing gear.

The Stratos 36 is favorite pack in this size range to date, and I'd give it a 4.75/5. Excellent for day hikes to an overnight. The combination of the tall, narrow, close-to-body shape with the frame, suspension & hip belt all work extremely well together to make for a comfortable carry even with heavy loads that doesn't sway or feel unstable. Does a phenomenal job of putting the weight on your hips and not on your shoulders or back. Very important. Having the side zip access is a HUGE plus for being a top loader! Zippers all operate well, the stow-on-the-go pole storage is unbeatable, and the magnetic hydration bite valve attachment on the chest strap is a really nice touch. For a 36L, I feel it doesn't fit quite as much gear as much as some other 36L packs I believe due to the Airspeed back panel and shape of the pack, but it's well worth the comfort and breathability the Airspeed contributes. It's a little heavy compared to some other options, but again the comfort is well worth the slightly heavier pack and the extra comfort the Stratos offers I feel offsets it not being an ultralight pack anyway. The only improvements I would like to see are (1) a little more flexibilty throughout the pack. This is of course asking to have the cake and eat it too, and may be a lot to ask for given the comfort-driven design, but it is a bit stiff when doing lots of twisting, turning, scrambling, etc, and (2) the textured fabric on the shoulder straps can be a little scratchy on my neck when turning/twisting a bunch, so a softer material on the upper-inside of the shoulder straps where is can rub would be appreciated. Those two things (plus maybe a little more pocket/organization?) would make the Stratos 36 a true 5/5! Even as is, I'd highly recommend it.

An absolutely amazing pack. I spent a lot of time deciding between the 34 and the 36 design version of this pack. After careful consideration I chose this pack, and I haven't looked back since. I pack a first-aid kit, hammock, straps, small items pack, rain jacket, cooking set, food, and a camera in this bag on my day hikes. It proves highly durable and stays close to your body. It has been on many scrambles and uphill hikes and has proven the best day pack I have owned.

I first bought the Manta 34. I was looking for a pack I could mainly carry for extended day hikes, carry on to a plane and for occasional extended hikes over a few nights. Manta fit the bill, I thought. I found the hip belt pockets which I use constantly to be difficult to zip back up. Strike 1. Second, i did a 3 night hike to an inn so had to bring along a good bit of stuff. While everything fit, it was too much weight for this pack. Strike 2. Third, I'm not a big bladder user so didnt care for taking space for a separate bladder compartment. I decided to try the Stratos 36. No doubt it can handle more weight. It is taller and skinnier which fits my 6'4" frame better. It is a top loader which is not my preference, but has a side zip for easy access into the main compartment. Thats critical. The stow on the go poles option works great. And I thought I would miss the stretchy back pocket but find I like the security of the zipper for stuff, especially when traveling on a plane. There were some things on the Manta 34 I liked better. I liked the organizational pockets, the easier access to side stretchy water bottle pocket, not a top loader and 34L without a top lid. But just not heavy duty enough and I couldn't deal with the hip belt pockets. The Stratos just feels more heavy duty when you put it on. It is now my go to after a week of hiking in Ystone and Glacier including carrying it on my biking to Logan Pass at Glacier. Highly tecommend.

I bought this pack 6 years ago. I've carried it in the PNW on hundreds of trips in rain, snow, rocks, heat- you name it. It fits all my gear for day trips including rope, helmet, crampons, ice axe, and 10 E's. It compresses down for light loads too. It's become like an old friend that has never let me down. Not a single tear, snag, zipper fail, or broken strap. It's filthy and faded now so I'm back for a new one. Very satisfied customer.

I spent all last winter looking for a pack to replace my old North Face. I must have looked at 30 packs before deciding on the Stratos 36(also purchased a Stratos 50 for longer trip). Since May 1st I've hiked 59 peaks and roughly 400 miles of trails in the White Mountains of NH. Usually carrying 20 - 25 pounds with ease. I love this pack so much, I bought a second one to store away, just in case someday Osprey were to discontinue it. Even though it's bigger then I'll need, this will be the pack I use in a couple years to hike The Camino in Spain. If I were to make one change, it would be to add a inch wide nylon ladder to the shoulder straps or maybe a couple D rings to attach small items.

I bought this for the Camino Frances and used it for 500 miles from St Jean Pied de Port to Muxia. This was quite possibly the perfect pack for this adventure. It would have been too big if I had not been carrying camera equipment, but it was ideal for my needs. I have used Osprey packs for years (I carried an Exos for 3000km in New Zealand) and am always satisfied. The Stratos 36 was perfect for a hike from hostel to hostel every night. The suspension kept the pack away from my back and rode quite nicely every day for two months. Additionally, the sleeping bag compartment being completely isolated from the main compartment made it the perfect place to keep my rain gear. Knowing that wet rain gear would be isolated from the rest of my pack was very comforting. Additionally, the top pouch was ideal for keeping the things I needed multiple times a day (like my pilgrim passport). The things that fell a little short are trivial at best, but worth mentioning. First the "removable" sleeping pad straps were only removable when I cut them off. It would have been nice to preserve them in case I needed them later, but I suppose straps are cheap. Second, I missed the front stash pocket. Maybe I've just grown accustomed to having that stuff pocket, but I really missed having that in Spain. The front zipper pocket was OK, I kept my camp shoes in it, but the stuff pocket would have been nicer. Overall, this pack was perfect for my time on the Camino. I absolutely would use it again and probably will if I go back to walk another route to Santiago!

I put this pack through its paces. I needed a pack that would carry enough supplies for a 3 week backpacking trip in Europe, but was small enough to maneuver. I stayed pretty minimalist obviously, but this pack did the job perfectly. Using it again this month in Europe, and next month in Australia. I wouldnt want any other pack.

Between my wife and I we have 14 Osprey items...From the Atmos 65 down to the Talon 6. Each product that we purchased and used constantly was worth the $$$ spent. Depending on the distance and days on the trail determines which item we use...Our new go to product is the Stratos 36 and the Cirrus 36 for my wife. Load it up, strap it on and cinch it on your hips and you are ready to go. The comfort level is great. After 10 hours on the move you do not even realize you have a pack on your back. Good work Osprey!

I bought the Stratos 36 to replace a well-worn and retired 1st generation Exos 34. Like my old Exos this pack is a tad oversized for most of my gallivants. However, the extra room is perfect when I'm carrying camera gear (extra lenses, tripod, etc.) or I'm hiking to a remote location for a day of fly fishing. The suspension handles the occasional 25-pound load just fine. Note: I just returned from a guided day-hiking tour of Glacier National Park. We had three guides and 25 clients. Osprey packs abounded in the group. One of the guides, the only woman, was carrying a Sirrus 36. Over half of the clients were carrying various Osprey day packs.

I was looking for a pack that I could use for long day hikes or an over night campout. This pack holds everything I need for either. Have not used overnight but so far so good on training hikes. Looking forward to using this pack for many years. I also own the Talon 22. Love that one as well. I have used it for several years on many hikes without a complaint. Just needed something a little larger for extended trips.

My 20 years-old 42 litres Lafuma finally died completely and it needed a replacement as I now had a large gap in my pack stable: I have a 14 L Osprey Raptor for mountain biking and light summer hikes, then an Arc Teryx Bora 60 and 80L. I did not want to buy other dedicated packs (i.e. a light one for summer, and an alpine type pack for winter), so I wanted one that could do it all, and I had a lot of requirements: enough attachments to carry xc skis, snowshoes, and Microspikes, between 35 and 42 L to carry enough warm layers and food for day winter outings, have a ventilated mesh back for summer hikes, be very lightweight, be compatible with hydration bladders, sturdy and comfortable hip belts with large pockets for snacks and cell phone, sturdy pack material, side or bottom access (my old one was only top load and I kept having to search for everything). have a rain cover or be water resistant, have some way of attaching trekking poles... I was headed to a weekend in the Adirondaks and put all my gear in my Bora60 as I did not have a day pack. I stopped on the way to the mountains and picked the Statos and I am so glad I did: it ticked all the boxes and with all the same gear in it, it really felt like the weight dropped by 30-50% (to be fair the bora 60 is a heavier pack)! The trekking pole stow and go is really handy and works well. There are a bunch of small details that are great about this pack - key clip holders inside the top part are easy to use, there are holes in the side pockets to have the compression straps run inside or outside of the pocket. IMPROVEMENTS: It would be nice if the pack came with a magnet to attach the hose from an Osprey hydration bladder. I have only used the pack for 3 days and I can see that everything white will be an ugly and dirty brownish color in a few years; grey would have been more practical. I would have liked the bottom compression straps to clip instead of being inserts.

I've never been more excited. It is like this new bag was custom built for my happiness. Can't wait to see just how perfect it really is.

When I was looking for a pack, I knew I wanted a multi-purpose bag that would work for unpredictable day hikes, travel, and longer, lightweight overnighters. This pack fits each of these categories so well: the body cinches down on day hikes and doesn't flop around, fits easily in a (larger) overhead bin on a plane, and have used during warm overnight backpacking trips. It's not the lightest pack around, but what you get in return in hearty fabric. This pack is tough. Had to bushwhack through a section of trail and barely a scratch was left on the pack, save for a snag on the water bottle holders. The integrated raincover is great (and removable!) and fits over this pack and over any gear you might have stowed externally. I've carried around 30lbs comfortably, and the suspension keeps everything nice and centered over my hips. This is a great pack. However, there are two things that would take this pack to a perfect 5-star to me. 1) Larger water bottle pockets and 2) a stretch mesh external pocket. I can barely fit a standard nalgene in the side pockets, the elastic up top is cinched almost flush with the pack and does not expand much at all. I use these primarily now for tent poles and maybe a slim water bottle. This would be such an easy fix. And another easy fix would be to remove the silly front zipper. This compartment does not get much use from me, besides holding a map. The zipper is chunky, the fabric seems chunkier here as well, and the center position makes putting anything else inside a chore. Unlike many of their other popular packs (the Exos and Atmos come to mind) that have this FANTASTIC strechy mesh that doubles as a perfect stash pocket surrounding the front, this pack lacks it. With this fix, a puffy, hat and gloves, and rain jacket are immediately removed from the main compartment to the outside, making this a serviceable long-distance pack.

Have used this pack on several day hikes ranging from 2 miles to 14 miles in length. I have been hiking in the Pacific Northwest for 40 years and this is, hands down, the best day pack I have ever owned. Easy to adjust, comfortable and cool to carry. I have no complaints or suggested improvements.