Customer Reviews Osprey Rook 50

Let me fist just say how durable and well constructed this pack is. It has so much room and accessibility it's unreal. I would say that the lid is a little tight getting things in and out of it due to the frame being in the way of pulling something out, but other than that this pack is all you'll need. I would even be brave enough to say that it can be used for a through hike with comfort items.

I served in the Army with my wife for 21 years and I am amazed at how good this pack is. Its just right with one exception that we both agree on . That it needs a pocket in the center of the backpack for tickets and maps and a passport ETC. Other than that very comfortable and just the right size for travelling. Durable construction and the material its made of seems tough enough. Finally I would say that they should market this pack to the U.S. Army as a patrol pack with some modifications. Awesome pack and we will be taking these with us to Ireland and Germany to visit friends.

I was introduced to the Rook/Renn packs by a saleswoman at BRMO in Ellijay Georgia. She had just returned from an attempt on Everest and I asked what pack she took. When she said Osprey, I was familiar, but when she said Renn 50, I was not. So I began reading, seeing the Rook/Renn was a near minimalist pack that had great weight and I loved the look and idea of the Airspeed suspension. Only problem, I couldn't find one in a big box store to try on or get fitted. My wife and I were out one day and went into the outfitter at Mast General Store and low and behold they had both the Rook and Renn on the shelf. We both tried them on, got fitted properly by their staff, put some weight in them and I fell in love. Having prior military experience and having owned several older style packs, this pack was a God send. Liteweight, comfortable, well supported, and best of all, my back does not sweat nearly as bad as it used to. The Airspeed suspension works! Weight range is just about perfect at 30-35 lbs. Straps are great. Only complaint is a minor one. The hip belt pockets are a little far back for me because I'm a larger guy (40" waist), so I added a pocket to the hip belt, problem solved. (But at least it has them, so thankful it does) I also got a Daylite pack to add on to this for added volume. It secures easily to the pack and I don't notice it too awfully bad hanging on to the back of the pack. All in all, very happy with this purchase and plan to put many, many miles on my Rook 50 and the Renn 50 my wife got.

As an experienced backpacker, I bought this pack as I was looking for something to carry a full comfort backpacking loadout more comfortably, and the Rook is a bit more minimalist in terms of features than other 50L packs. Pros -Build Quality: True to Osprey, build quality is outstanding. Durable pack materials, buckles, and zippers. I see it able to withstand many years of abuse handily. -Suspension: Trampoline mesh hugs the back well, while my back has remained mostly dry in hotter temperatures. -Quick Adjustability: Love the torso adjustment system. In conjunction with the adjustable shoulder straps, hip-belt, 3-point sternum strap, and load lifters (which includes two additional buckles just underneath the brain to really bring down the shoulder straps on top of the shoulders if needed), there's room here to fit most body shapes and sizes. -Large Hip-Belt Pockets: Fits a 6-inch phone. A couple of really big Cons though. At 30 pounds of pack weight, the Rook has been plain uncomfortable. -A metal bar provides structure across the harness, but when you tighten the load lifters to bring the pack closer in, that metal bar digs right into the shoulder blades. So you can only bring the pack so far in to your back which makes the balance tricky. Some additional padding on that seam where the metal bar is may solve this problem. -Shoulder straps are way too narrow, and combined with not-so-forgiving foam (in the hip-belt as well) it really digs into you when weighed down. My UL Drop x Dan Durston pack (which this pack was meant to substitute when wanting more luxury items) somehow handles this load more comfortably, which is mind boggling to me (thinner foam but wider shoulder straps is the key to that, I think). Overall, wanted to love this pack. But even at this killer price, the Rook just didn't quite cut it for its intended use case.