Osprey backpacks have been a longtime favourite of backpackers and thru-hikers alike. They’re well-known for his or her ergonomic design and distinctive “All Mighty Assure.” I gravitated to Osprey early on in my backpacking journey as I’d heard about its legendary consolation and ladies’s-specific match.
I used to be curious to see what modifications Osprey had made to the Eja ladies’s pack (hipbelt pockets are again!) and determined to go for the marginally lighter, lower-volume 48L model of the pack.
Osprey Eja 48 At a Look
MSRP: $240
Sizes: XS/S, M/L
Capability: 45L (XS/S), 48L (M/L)
Dimensions: 28″ x 14″ x 12″
Weight: 2.7 lbs
Load Vary: 25-30 lbs
Outer Materials: Recycled 100D excessive tenacity nylon ripstop, PFC/PFAS-free DWR
Supposed Use
The Osprey Eja 48 is a mid-size ultra-light ladies’s pack designed with thru-hikers in thoughts. It has a wide range of options appreciated by new and skilled backpackers. With Osprey’s industry-leading suspension system, it’s designed to be comfy sufficient to place within the miles. The Osprey Eja can be accessible in 58L and 38L sizes.
The Males’s equal of the Eja is the Osprey Exos.
Circumstances of Assessment
I used the Osprey Eja 48 as my pack to thru-hike the Colorado Path. It was stuffed fairly full with the whole lot I wanted, with a base weight of about 18 kilos. I wore the XS/S model of the pack.
That is my fourth Osprey pack. I received my first Osprey pack, the Ariel 65, in 2010, adopted by the Exos 58 in 2017, after which the Eja 58 in 2018.
Osprey Eja 48 Options
Ladies’s Match: In comparison with the boys’s Exos pack, the Eja options slimmer shoulder straps in a extra comfy S-curve form. The torso width is narrower than the boys’s model and widens extra on the hips. The hipbelt is curved to higher swimsuit the form of ladies’s hips.
Trampoline-Type Again Panel: One of many most important options of the Osprey Eja packs is the Airspeed suspension, a taut trampoline-style again panel that retains the pack off your again, permitting for additional air flow.
Torso adjustability: The Eja 48 now has adjustable torso peak. The simple-to-use ladder-style adjustment system supplies 4 inches of adjustability.
Detachable floating lid: The massive and roomy zippered lid is extendable and detachable. It options an under-lid zippered pocket. An built-in FlapJacket cowl is connected to the primary physique of the pack for protection when the lid is eliminated.
Pockets: The Eja packs have a entrance stretch mesh pocket, twin entry stretch mesh aspect pockets, and zippered hipbelt pockets. (There was a several-year interval the place the Eja and Exos had no hipbelt pockets, however they had been reintroduced in 2022.)
Hydration sleeve: For individuals who favor carrying their water in a bladder, the Eja 48 has an inside hydration sleeve. Whereas the clip system is designed particularly for Osprey reservoirs, it will probably nonetheless maintain most different manufacturers.
Consolation
General I discovered the Osprey Eja 48 to be decently comfy. The pack is very well designed to contour and conform to the curves of a girl’s physique. Even when my pack was at its heaviest, I didn’t have any rubbing or sore spots on my shoulders or again.
I used to be significantly joyful to have the ability to alter the torso peak as I often fall between sizes on fixed-height packs. I additionally actually love the again panel air flow — no extra sweaty backs!
My one sore spot with the pack is the hipbelt. It by no means fairly rested correctly on my hips, and the padding was a bit flimsy. I used to be additionally stunned that I wanted to cinch the hipbelt strap down nearly to its tightest, although I’m not the smallest lady on the market.
Sturdiness
Osprey made some key modifications to the Eja packs to enhance their sturdiness over earlier fashions. Essentially the most evident areas had been on the again panel and the pockets. The again panel has a stronger mesh which reduces flex and sag. The pockets have extra cloth protection alongside the bottoms and sides with rather a lot much less mesh to snag and tear.
The hipbelt pockets are additionally all cloth as a substitute of an earlier mannequin that was all mesh (and susceptible to holes from hungry chipmunks …). The model additionally improved a number of the seams and attachment factors to scale back failure and improve sturdiness.
Osprey Eja 48 Professionals
Osprey All Mighty Assure: Osprey will restore any harm or defect for any motive freed from cost, regardless of how new or outdated the pack is. In the event that they’re unable to restore the pack, they are going to exchange it. I made use of the All Mighty Assure with my Exos 58. After a few seasons, my pack had some evident put on and tear. I additionally had a rodent chew by the mesh of a hipbelt pocket. Once I despatched it in, they deemed it broken sufficient to interchange the pack, so I received a brand-new one!
Adjustability and Ergonomic Match: Osprey makes a number of the most comfy ladies’s packs available on the market. The shoulder straps sit excellent, the pack doesn’t really feel too broad on my again, and now, with the adjustable torso size, I can actually dial within the match.
Osprey Eja 48 Cons
Pockets: The pockets on the Eja 48 are fairly huge and deep however have little or no elasticity to them. This makes it robust to stuff a lot into them, particularly when the primary physique of the pack is loaded.
I struggled to place my water bottle into the aspect pockets and needed to cease and take my pack off each time I needed a drink. I ended up including a shoulder strap bottle holder from one other producer.
The massive entrance pocket wasn’t a lot better. With minimal stretch, the pocket wasn’t nice for holding greater than a jacket when the pack was full.
It’s nice to have hip belt pockets once more, however the curve and form of them limits their capability. I may match as much as three granola bars into one, however there was no approach my cellphone would match.
Hipbelt Padding: I used to be upset within the high quality of the hipbelt padding on the Eja 48L. The padding is a bit skinny and flimsy, with unnecessarily giant air flow holes.
After a number of weeks of use, I began to get bruises on my hips, making for a really uncomfortable carry. I ended up chopping up a sit pad I discovered in a hiker field so as to add padding so I may end climbing the Colorado Path with much less ache.
I additionally discovered it unusual that the hipbelt is tensioned by a strap that’s related to the aspect pocket compression straps, which join close to the highest of the pack.
Weight: Osprey advertises the Eja 48 as an ultralight pack. I discover myself disagreeing with this assertion. The Eja 48 weighs in at over 2.6 kilos for XS/S model and over 2.75 kilos for the M/L. The Eja 58 pushes actually shut to three kilos, whereas many comparable ultralight packs weigh in at a a lot lighter 2 kilos.
The primary argument for this additional weight is the added consolation of the suspension system. Attempt explaining that to my toes when each step I take has an additional half pound (or extra!) of weight over it.
General Worth
With 50 years of design expertise, Osprey makes good packs. The Eja 48 is a well-designed and sturdy pack with a lot of options that backpackers take pleasure in. The Eja is a good possibility for backpackers in search of an ergonomic ladies’s match and additional consolation supplied by the Airspeed suspension system and who don’t thoughts including a little bit of weight for that consolation and sturdiness.
Store the Osprey Eja 48
Comparable Packs
Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
MSRP: $275
Weight: 2 lbs
Granite Gear Virga 55 Ladies’s
MSRP: $200
Weight: 1.6 lbs
REI Flash 55 Pack – Ladies’s
MSRP: $199
Weight: 2.7 lbs
The Osprey Eja 48 was donated for function of evaluate
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