Osprey Kestrel 38 Review

Osprey Kestrel 38 provides you comfort, versatility, functionality and adds more to your style. It is light and durable which makes it the perfect partner on your biking and hiking trips. It is suitable both for a day trip and multiple day hikes. Let’s take a look at its salient features.

• It has capacity of 38 liters.
• It has foam hip belt with two zippered pockets.
• It contains a hydration pocket for a hydration bladder.
• It has removable straps for sleeping mat.
• There are adjustable straps on the upper as well as lower side for compression.
• It has top outer pocket with a clipper.
• It has adjustable torso harness.
• It has inner mesh pockets.
• Its weight is 1.44 kg.
• It has tool loops for ice climbing tools.

What It’s Good For

You can carry up to 16 kg in the rucksack which means it is of medium size. This makes it quite suitable for your weekend tours. This pack has an internal aluminum frame along with Osprey’s AirScape flexible and a breathable back panel that has foam ridges for ventilation. There also is a mesh over it.  Padding on the harness and the hip belt are good as well as lightweight. The waist strap sits comfortably on the hips and it is very easy to tighten. Moreover it stays tight. The hip belt also contains two zippered pockets. These pockets are big enough to contain compass, notebooks, sunscreen, knife, light, lip balm and other small items. The pockets are a bit small to store your cell phone that’s why some hikers may consider them just extra weight.

Adjusting The Osprey Kestrel 38

The harness can be adjusted for any torso length. You can access the main compartment from the top. The lid closes with a large zippered pocket. There is an internal zippered mesh pocket beneath it. On the front side of the pack there is a large stretch pocket. Both sides also have 2 pockets of the same material. You can store water bottles or anything else in them. The pack is not waterproof. But on the front just below the big pocket there is another pocket for rain cover.

Osprey Kestrel 38 is built anatomically. It perfectly fits on your back. All external pockets are mesh and elastic. There is enough ventilation to dry your wet beanie or gloves while you are on a tour. You don’t have to wait for the end of the day to dry them. So that’s a big advantage. You can store maps, snacks cereals in the elastic mesh.

The straps are very useful. You can strap up your jacket, sleeping mat or wild mushrooms that you find on your way. If you are a good photographer and like to keep a compact cam with you, you can store it at one of the side loops. There are straps for your ice tool and enough lashes to take up your sleeping mat on the top or bottom.

Osprey Kestrel 38 Build Quality

The fabric is of high quality and it will not tear so it can be categorized as durable. The external mesh pockets can get entangled with a bush so you better try avoiding those on your tour. However so far no one complained of a tear. Some hikers miss a laptop compartment. But this is not a big problem. It is a fact that laptops are things of the past. You can carry tablets of all sizes, cams, solar devices, GPS machines and other items in the pack. You can also store thermos flask that can go all the way to the bottom. It ensures a good weight distribution.

Pros

• Functional
• Comfortable
• Versatile
• Durable
• Lightweight
• Space for hydration bladder

Cons

• Less than optimum access to water bottles