Osprey Exos Pro 55L Men's Backpacking Backpack, Dale Grey/Agam Blue, S/M

I've owned a lot of backpacks over the years from Kelty, Gregory, Osprey, etc... and for me, the Exos Pro 55 is almost perfect. At approx. 2 lbs 1 oz, it's a real ultralight pack. With it's sturdy frame, it holds weight really well, even up to 30 lbs though I usually carry less. The mesh back panel keeps me cool. When removing the lid (2.6 oz), it's light enough to use as a summit pack for bagging peaks. The side pockets for water bottles and hipbelt pockets are large enough and secure enough for what I need. This 55L pack holds enough for a multi-day backpack. I've used this pack on multiple trips in the Sierras and have really enjoyed it.

feels great when loaded

Ultralight, high quality, and spacious enough for all my needs.I can store my full set of backpacking gear including bear can with ease.

I really wanted to like this pack and I do really like a lot of the things about it but it has quite a bit wrong with it too, for me anyway. I returned mine because I could not get the shoulder harness to fit comfortably.Pros:-It's very light but still feels quite durable.-I really like the new style cord lock and cord they used for the drawstring closure. It operates much more smoothly than their original system.-The hip belt is extremely comfortable and distributes the load evenly. It has a really good Y shape that fit my hips very well.-It has excellent ventilation. There is almost nowhere without ventilation where the pack makes contact with your body.Cons:-They added some kind of thin honeycomb material into the tops of the shoulder straps that kind of looks like the rock plate in a trail runner to add structure to the strap, and it makes the straps very stiff and I could not get the harness to fit me comfortably no matter what I tried or adjusted.-There is no drainage holes in the exterior pockets and the material is quite water resistant, so the pockets can fill with water in prolonged rain.-The side compression straps on the bottom tie into the shove-it pocket on the back of the pack and make it pretty much useless to easily access your gear unless you want to undo the compression straps every time.-The side compression straps run over top of the mesh side pockets, limiting what you can keep in them if you want to use the compression straps.-There's no easy trekking pole storage. You can add it with a piece of 3/32" shock cord and a cord lock that'll add a trivial 3g of weight, but we shouldn't have to on a $290 pack.-There's no mesh pocket under the brain. I understand that they were trying to save weight but they made the brain removable anyway, and I really like that mesh pocket on my other Ospreys. (May not matter to you)-Only one color option. This is another one that may not matter to you, but I prefer something a bit more earth toned if I can get it, but this isn't a bad looking pack by any means in my opinion. I would have just liked to see a couple more color options at such a premium price, even if it's just the accent color.I really think Osprey is on the right track with this pack and the only reason I returned mine is because no matter what I did, I could not get the shoulder harness to fit me comfortably. It was just way too stiff to properly conform to my shoulders, and left a gap between my shoulders and the back of the pack no matter what I tried. I think it would be a great pack if the shoulder straps were more flexible and form fitting like the straps on my Stratos and Kestrel packs. I think it can also be a great pack if you're one of the people that it happens to fit correctly, but I wouldn't recommend buying this pack unless you're able to try it on first.

I also own the Osprey Rook 65L, and I like both backpacks, so let me compare this Exos Pro 55 to that.The Exos Pro is $290. The Rook is $190, and you can periodically find deals cheaper than that.The Exos Pro weighs 38.0 ounces. The Rook weighs 55.5 ounces, so you are saving over a pound of weight.The Exos Pro has a weight limit of 30 pounds. The Rook has a weight limit of 40 pounds. I don't know if that includes the backpack itself or not. I also don't know if that limit is for comfort, or that the backpack might tear up at that weight. Regardless, 30 pounds is doable, even with winter gear. 40 pounds is a lot, so I wouldn't want to carry 40 pounds, regardless.Both the Exos Pro and the Rook are comfortable to carry. Very similar setup, with both having a vented back.The Exos Pro's capacity varies based on the size you get. It's advertised at 55 liters, but the M/L actually holds 58 liters. The Rook 65L holds 65 liters, but I can't really tell any significant size difference. I can barely get all my stuff in both backpacks, which includes the very large Backpacker's Cache bear canister, which can go in horizontally.The Exos Pro doesn't have any external straps to hold a tent, just these loops that are for, I dunno, ice axes? The Rook does have straps that can hold a four-person tent. This is really the only negative I can find with the Exos Pro, besides the price.The Exos Pro has a back pocket, which is where I stash my tent. Only a two-person tent will fit there. The Rook doesn't have a back pocket, which is irritating, just loops.The Exos Pro has two ways to seal the backpack up, using the brain of the backpack, or you can remove the brain and just use a non-removable flap. If you use the brain, the flap is just in the way. This is so people can remove the brain if they want to save three ounces. I would just design future versions without the flap. The brain isn't removable with the Rook, so it doesn't have the extra flap.The Exos Pro only comes in one color, so it can be more easily confused with another backpack of the same model. The Rook used to come in green, purple, and black, and now it's offered in tan, blue, and gray.The Exos Pro shares a name with Osprey's Exos backpack, so it could be confusing. There is only one Rook.So bottom line, you are saving a pound of weight and gaining a back pocket and losing tent straps at the extra cost of $100. That's a good trade if you are counting ounces. Otherwise, get the Rook.

Served me great for my thru-hike of the Colorado Trail this year! Lots of room and carries really well.5’ 10” maleBase weight 12.5 lbs.