I’ve been using the Manta on day hikes and more recently while paddling my kayak. I am so impressed with the fit and function of this pack. I have been consciously trying to drink more water, and the Manta has been a great help while active. The ease of use is the biggest factor. I can easily fill it before heading out. I have used it numerous times, and have not noticed any ‘plastic’ or off taste. The reservoir is made by Nalgene, and is BPA and PVC free. The the AquaGuard anti-microbial formula is designed to prevent bacteria and mold from developing. This appears to be working because the reservoir has not developed any mold, and the water still tastes fine. Keeping the water clean and tasting good is the easiest way to keep me drinking it.
Osprey Packs have integrated a comfy harness and waist belt into the Raptor 6. The harness is flexible due to its mesh and foam design. The flexibility allows the harness to adjust to your body movements. The mesh and nylon hip belt has 2 pockets and cinches in the Raptor 6 above your hips.
The pack has 3 zippered external pockets. One is for the hydration bladder and where the back panel is located. A small zippered non-scratchable pocket is designed for essentials such as sunglasses and a GPS. The main zippered pocket is the largest and has 3 internal pockets to organize tools and snacks. The Raptor 6 does have one stretch woven non-zippered front pocket. It works well for stashing a rain coat and can easily be accessed when a downpour emerges.
If you asked the endurance racing crowd or if you surveyed the bikepacking group, the folks that spend hours and days crossing remote sections of the countryside, as to what backpack/hydration pack was a favorite among them, the Osprey Talon 22 would be at the top of the list. It is lauded for its comfort, design, and construction. In the world of hiking, multi-sport and mountaineering, Osprey is well known. It turns out that Osprey has been making packs for some time now and in 2009, celebrated 35 years in the business.
Now, in addition to more types of packs than you can imagine, they have added a new line of hydration packs under the Hydraulic banner. Called the Raptor series, they are pointed directly at mountain bikers although they could apply to a multi-sport application.
The team at Osprey has a new pack series; the Hydraulics Raptor series. They come in four different sizes and are marketed for mountain biking, adventure racing, fast hiking, and trail running. I have been waiting to get my hands on one of these packs.
The hydration pack market is (forgive me) flooded. Sew an extra sleeve inside, buy an unbranded IV drip for a bladder, and you’ve got yourself a product line. Now along comes Osprey, a small company very much not into copying others, with an offering of seven “hydraulics” packs, and the obvious questions to ask are, are they different and are they better? Well, I gave the smallest pack, the Raptor 6, one of National Geographic Adventure’s gear of the year awards a couple months ago, so in my eyes the answers are yes and yes. Details to follow.
The Raptor 6, however, is a bit too small for my purposes–perfect for hour loops, training rides, a trail run, but lacking the capacity for three hour, four hour, all-day adventures. That’s where the Raptor 10 comes in. It’s still compact and trim enough to be an everyday sprint pack, but has the room for a few thousand calories, some extra layers, and an industrial-sized patch kit.
All seven of Osprey’s hydration packs are built around the idea that sucking hard to get your water sucks, so they’re designed with a simple system called HydraLock, which pressurizes the reservoir and increases water flow. HydraLock stabilizes and squeezes the bladder, which also cuts down on sloshing–not a huge issue for cycling but something that quickly becomes annoying on a trail run. The flow it creates isn’t exactly at the level of a fire hose, but it is improvement over traditional systems. Bite the valve and it’s like opening the faucet a trickle, give it a pull and it streams.
Okay, brownie points for a executing a good idea. Lack of water pressure isn’t the biggest issue in hydration packs, though. That would be poor design and inattention to how these suckers actually feel on your back. And that’s where the Raptor 10 really shines–this little pack carries great, whether you’re bombing down a rock garden on a rigid single speed or motoring like Legolas along a loamy old-growth trail.
The key, I think, actually comes from HydraLock. For this pressurizing system to work, it needs structure–a plastic spine on the reservoir, a semi-rigid frame that doesn’t collapse under its own weight, a back panel that’s more substantive than simple padding–and that provides the Raptor with corporeal stability that translates to carrying comfort. It’s found the perfect blend of conforming to your body yet having enough backbone to carry a full three-liter reservoir without tugging on the shoulder straps at every pedal stroke.
Other features worth noting include a helmet carrying system that secures your lid without letting it flop around like an empty turtle shell on a runaway poacher’s pack, stretchy pockets on the waist belt for energy packs, and a strong magnet on the sternum strap to hold the bite valve at the ready.
The Osprey Raptor 10 costs $89. It comes in gray, dark green, and gold, weighs 27 ounces, has a 10-liter capacity, and measures 18 x 8.25 x 7.50 inches.
For more on Osprey Packs, including warranty, factory locations, and where to buy, see The Adventure Life’s company profile page.
To prepare for and finish the Speight’s Coast to Coast, a 151-mile adventure race down under, my relay partner (and wife) Mary and I faced two broad challenges and scores of little ones when it came to gear.
For one thing we were complete novices at two of the sports (road racing on bikes, whitewater kayaking), and we were about to get a re-education on the third (running). So we needed to borrow, purchase, and gain a basic competence with a lot of gear we didn’t already own.
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Buy a hydration pack just big enough (25 liters) to fit the mandatory first-aid gear and extra clothing layers for the 21-mile mountain run. Go even smaller by ditching the hydration bladder and drinking from streams as locals do. (As a rule, you do not want to drink from streams near livestock, campgrounds or industry.) For the race, my wife, Mary, opted for the Mountain Hardwear Fluid 26 ($100). For longer training runs, she swears by the Osprey Raptor 14 (right; $99). I found that there’s no hydration pack that fits my torso that well. If I cinched the shoulders, the hip belt ended up squeezing my diaphragm. If I loosened the shoulders and cinched the hip, the pack banged against my shoulder blades. And so I came around to something I swore I’d never be: a waist-pack guy. For runs over 8 to 10 miles or longer, I carry water, snacks, mobile phone, ID in an Osprey Talon 4 (below; $54), a sturdy belt that easily carries up to 240 cubic inches(room for a shell, even nano-puff jacket), and two quart/liter water bottles. Just don’t call it a fanny pack; the preferred terms are hip or lumbar pack.
Get on the water: Log time in a sea kayak or, ideally, a “long boat,” such as the Sisson Evolution, the kind you’ll want to rent/race in New Zealand. Get used to cycling in a pack: Drop by your local bike shop and ask, “So, when’s ‘the ride’?
With mountain biking, light hikes, and adventurers in mind, Osprey has made a pack we have nothing to complain about.
This is a great size for short or day hikes, it’s perfect for climbers, bikers or just about any activity where you want a light weight hydro pack with enough room for some extra food and gear. It’s construction shows that Osprey has true adventurers in mind and wants to create a product that will not only hold up to the abuse so many trails often dish out, but that they want you to be completely happy with the product you just bought.
From the stitching to the layout, everything here is top notch. The hydro set up is great with a magnet place on the sternum strap for easy access, and the bag itself (3 liters) is much better then most of the hydro packs you’ll find in stores. With a hard back and an over sized screw down lid, the bag is almost as tough as the pack. It’s still pretty easy to clean out as well, so no worries there. Lower side compression straps keep the weight from rest only on your shoulders, which provides for more comfort and enjoyment on extended trips. The Osprey wings on the Lower side compression straps are highly reflective as well, providing a nice safety touch.
Good: An front pocket gives you easy access to items you may want to get quickly, large (but not too large) pull rings on all zippers make it easy to get in your pack even with gloves on, plenty of room for a days rations and some back up gear, and a really cool strap for your helmet, 3 color-way choices, good style, great quality. Front pocket is stretchy but strong, mouth piece swivels, bike tool organization, great stitching, strong construction, comfortable to wear, reflective accents for safety.
The Osprey Raptor 6 is a hydration pack with wings – or at least it feels that way. This sleek pack swallows 2L of water and a surprising amount of gear without harshing your ride. In fact it might just be the most comfortable hydration pack we’ve ever tested.
Osprey has made a name for itself over the years for producing high quality packs for multi-day hiking and camping trips and that experience shows in the Raptor 6, one of the first bike-specific packs from the company. Osprey spent 3 years and rolled through 100 prototypes before releasing the 2010 Raptor series. The hydration pack is covered in a reflective, rip-stop material with mesh venting in the back to keep you cool on hot rides. Stretchy material on the waist straps provides additional comfort while the same material is used on the outside front pocket for expandable storage. The strapping system is intuitive and makes it quick and easy to get a customized fit.
The team at Osprey has a new pack series; the Hydraulics Raptor series. They come in four different sizes and are marketed for mountain biking, adventure racing, fast hiking, and trail running. I have been waiting to get my hands on one of these packs.
So, now I have a Raptor 10 pack. I will be using it mostly for mountain biking and for day-hiking while working as a trail guide. I have the size S/M which has a storage capacity of 600 cu. in. /10 liters, and it houses a 3 liter hydration reservoir.
There are seven key storage areas to this pack. I m going to describe these going from the back to the front of the pack.
March 5, 2010
Designed specifically for mountain bikers and adventure racers, Osprey’s new Raptor 18 backpack is an 18-liter (1,100-cubic-inch) mule.
The pack, which was first available last month, fits enough clean clothes and tools for an all-day ride. And it has ample room for clothes, shoes and a lunch if you want to use it as your daily commuter pack.
Perhaps the best thing about the pack is that, unlike many others, it expands outward away from your back instead of across it.
Not only does that keep your load centered, it allows you to see behind you when you’re looking for fellow riders or cars.
I rode with the pack for hundreds of miles last fall and took it snowshoeing a couple times this winter. Each time, I was impressed.
I own a number of packs for a variety of pursuits and they all have hydration support. What this usually means is a compartment for a bladder and on the higher end packs, elastic bands for tube routing. That’s really the extent of the “advanced” features when it comes to hydration packs – until now. Osprey, a name synonymous with high-end technical packs, has recently introduced their Hydraulics line and their engineers have come up with some really unique features that make so much sense, it makes you wonder why nobody thought of them earlier. The Raptor is geared towards mountain bikers and comes in four sizes, all the way down to a minimalistic 6 liters. It touts a dedicated tool pocket, blinker light attachment, reflective graphics among its features. The Manta is their answer to a modern daypack and the one I am most excited about. Three sizes (20, 25, 30L) means anything from a full day outing to a light overnight. It boasts a built in raincover and trekking pole attachment among its lengthy feature list.
What really sets this series apart are the best-in-class innovations. First is the bladder, which was developed by Nalgene. The stiff back allows you to easily slide it into a pack even when loaded. It provides support that molds along your back and you can refill it even when the pack is full. It also is designed to prevent barreling while creating positive water pressure. Another feature I really like is the magnetic attachment for the bite-valve. Great innovations by Osprey, check it out.
CORTEZ – This week’s Colorado Company to Watch believes it has come up with the perfect hydration backpack.
Osprey Packs says their new Hydraulics line of backpacks, which hit the market this week, do not slosh around or push into your back.
The company’s location in the four corners region of Colorado, means its employees have plenty of opportunities to test out their products during day hikes near Telluride or bike treks in Moab, Utah.
During all this “research,” the company’s staff realized there was a need for a better hydration pack and they set out to design one that resolved all their complaints.
The company worked with water bottle maker Nalgene to build a new kind of reservoir, with the focus of making it fit users better and more comfortably. The water pouch is made from special material that matches the contour of your back. The company’s patented Hydralock system compresses as it empties, which minimizes water sloshing, making the pack more stable.
