Backpacks

Osprey Aether AG70 Backpack | Review

If you're after a multi-day adventure pack, look no further than the Osprey Aether AG70

The Osprey logo is synonymous with first-rate adventure backpacks, and with good reason. The Aether AG 70 is a prime example of why. A multi-day pack which perfectly blends style with innovative technical features this will leave itching to load up and get backpacking as soon as possible.

The Osprey Aether AG famously once featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 2002. And while the cover of Time Magazine doesn’t always feature the best people (Donald Trump we’re looking at you) it does tend to lend things and people a certain iconic aura. This latest version takes what took the original pack to the top of its field, and improves on it a number of key areas.

“A multi-day pack which perfectly blends style with innovative technical features.”

Designed for multi-day backpacking and for carrying significant loads comfortably, this bag has a plethora of features that we reckon you’ll seriously dig. The backsystem, which we’ll treat as ‘Exhibit A’ here, combines the award-winning AG AntiGravity backsystem with the customisable moulded fit of Osprey’s revolutionary IsoForm hipbelt.

The sprung mesh lumbar area meanwhile, combines with the stiff load bars that are integrated into the harness. What this nifty bit of design does is transfer weight through the largest muscle groups in your legs, enhancing the backpacking experience and making it a hell of a lot more comfortable. When our test team loaded this up and scrambled around the Peak District, they were impressed with how well the weight was distributed and how easy it was to climb up steep hills even with heavy loads.

The Osprey Aether AG70 has been designed for multi-day backpacking. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The Osprey Aether AG famously featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 2002. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The Aether AG from Osprey provides excellent comfort, refreshing ventilation, and reassuring stability day after day. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The AG AntiGravity backsystem combines with the customisable moulded fit of Osprey's IsoForm hipbelt. Photo: Chris Johnson.

When you’re on a proper adventure, it’s important to stay organised. With this in mind, we’re happy to report that the Aether AG offers superb levels of accessibility and usability. There’s multiple access points here, including the well-considered J-Zip front panel access into the main body of the pack. The sleeping bag compartment, with wide zip entry and internal divider, gets a big thumbs up from us. As does the removable lid with numerous pockets, and the deployable FlapJacket top cover.

Other characteristics worthy of a mention include the Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment, the InsideOut compression straps, and just the sheer roominess of the bag. You couldn’t say there’s space to swing a cat in there, but you could definitely fit several full-sized moggies in there quite comfortably (if you so wished).

Whether you’re going away for a weekend, a week, or even longer; the Aether AG from Osprey provides excellent comfort, refreshing ventilation, and reassuring stability day after day. It really is an excellent pack, that more than lives up to its heritage.