TREKKING
Product 2020
Woman, Man
The OSPREY ARCHEON 45 backpack is intended for multi-day hikes.
Is it really the adventurer pack we expected?
REVIEW OF THE PACK “BEFORE GOING OUT” AND OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS
At first glance, we see that we are dealing with a solid and a very well made pack.
The Archeon 45 is made from 100% recycled fabrics and has a long-lasting DWR coating (water repellent treatment).
Its design gives it a very beautiful look, OSPREY didn’t skimp on the fabric, seams and reinforcements, tough metal fasteners, wide and comfortable shoulder and waist straps.
But at what cost? The pack in its empty state is very heavy: 2770g.
We tested the Khaki colored pack, it is also available in blue for hikers who don’t want a “military” look. But this color is very trendy everywhere and also blends into nature.
THE DIFFERENT STORAGES
The Archeon 45 offers a large main pocket accessible via 2 vertical zips, so you can fully open the pack (See photo) and in both directions.
Zip handling and the closure cord are very fluid.
Once the main pocket is fully open, you have access to the inside of the flap with two mesh pockets for papers or small items (see photo).
The pack’s top flap is well suited for quickly accessing small kit with an exterior zip, and a mesh pocket inside.
The waist strap has two side pockets, ideal for food supplies, keys or small kit.
There are two side pockets for storing water bottles for example.
The whole pack is fairly sober in design but the storage is pretty well thought out. If the main pocket had been separated into two compartments this would’ve been a plus.
THE ACCESSORIES
There do not seem to be any pole attachments. Bizarre for a hiking pack.
However, two ice ax holders are available. One may wonder why there is no small elastic strap to wedge the ice axe handle like on other models. It will therefore be necessary to be satisfied with the lateral tightening straps to hold the ice ax, but the bag does not seem designed for this typical mountaineering use.
The Archeo 45 also has an inner compartment for a water bladder, with access provided for removing the pipette.
When the pack is full and the side pockets are used for bottles, it seems impossible to fix a tent or mattress on the side, the straps are not long enough. You’d need to put the bottles elsewhere or put the tent or mattress inside the main pocket.
There is a rain cover in a zipped pocket at the base of the pack. The rain cover wraps the bag perfectly.
CARRYING COMFORT
The ARCHEON 45 has an adjustable back in very pleasant ribbed foam and a wide waist strap, which at first glance is quite “stiff”.
The straps are wide and comfortable and as soon as you put the Archeon 45 on you can feel that it will do the job well.
BAG REVIEW “AFTER SOME EXCURSIONS”
A few excursions with the pack loaded with about 10kg of kit, using all the pockets, allowed us to verify the carrying excellence of this pack.
The pack sits perfectly on your back, kidneys, the two straps and waist belt are exceptionally comfortable. You completely forget about how heavy the pack is.
We were also able to test the access to the pack’s different compartments.
We don’t have anything negative to report on this subject. Everything is very spacious and accessible, all we would appreciate is a main pocket with two compartments.
Pole attachments are missing. You have to use the side pockets, normally provided for the bottles and it’s not ideal (See photo).
We noticed some design flaws in the Osprey Archeon 45.
– the top pocket is not completely flat on the bag, and when it rains, the space thus created lets water into the main storage (see photo).
– if the bag is not full, the straps’ metal fasteners don’t hold (See Photo).
– We missed not having a load retainer at the straps level (accessory very much appreciated by hikers especially for carrying fairly heavy loads over long periods).
We haven’t tested the pack’s waterproofness, or the robustness of the canvas over a long period of time, but judging by the quality of t-its manufacturing we don’t believe there’s anything to worry about.
The Osprey Archeon 45 certainly fits the backpacker’s needs, its carrying comfort is exceptional, it is tough and sturdy in the long term, but it does however have a few little shortcomings that may prevent hikers from choosing it, particularly its weight, price, and the lack of certain accessories.
A robust backpack with exceptional carrying comfort. But an expensive product with some accessories missing.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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