Loading...
Perfectly suited for gear-intensive technical climbs and ski mountaineering trips, the Osprey Exposure 50 backpack comfortably carries loads of 55 to 60 pounds. For a relatively small pack this is a rather amazing feat, accomplished by a lightweight yet exceedingly strong suspension system composed of a tapered HDPE framesheet with a 7001 aluminum alloy tubing perimeter with an 6005 aluminum alloy head cup extension. And to further reduce the weight, Osprey made a series of circular cutouts in the framesheet. Over the top of the framesheet a thermoformed backpanel offers luxurious contact with the climber's back and a heat moldable hipbelt disperses the weight throughout the hips, taking the edge off lengthy load hauls to the base of climbs. Although the Osprey Exposure 50 backpack has a simple top loading design, the innovative features, in addition to the suspension system, are well thought out and all have a practical use. For example, on either side of the main pack bag, just below the floating top pocket, rope tie-ins secure a coiled rope so it rides without shifting back and forth. Other examples include an internal hydration bladder pocket, and a straightjacket compression system that allows shredding alpinist the ability to carry a snowboard on the Osprey Exposure 50 backpack. Of the four packs in the Osprey Exposure series, only the Exposure 50 offers a crampon patch and its also cleverly equipped to carry skis, a snow shovel, wands, pickets, and ice tools. The custom moldable hipbelt even has gear loops for convenient access to climbing hardware.
Step 1 - Pack SizingAll Osprey packs, save the transit bags, are available in multiple sizes to fit a range of torso lengths. To find your torso length, have a friend measure your back along the spine from the level of your iliac crest (the top of your hipbones) to your C7 (the knobby bone at the base of your neck).
Step 2 - Hipbelt SizingTo determine your hipbelt size measure around your hips, not your waist. A properly fitted hipbelt rides centered over the hipbones and needs to be very snug; after all it will be carrying the bulk of the pack's weight. The padded portion should wrap well around your hips, leaving a gap of 3 to 6 inches between the tips of the pads when securely tightened.
| Torso Length | Pack Size | Hip Measurement | Hipbelt Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| > 22" | XLarge | > 36" | XLarge |
| 20-22.5" | Large | 33-37" | L or WL |
| 18-20.5" | Medium | 30-34" | M or WM |
| 16-18.5" | Small | 27-31" | S or WS |
| 14-16.5" | XSmall | < 28" | WXS |
| Torso Length | Pack Size | Hip Measurement | Hipbelt Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| > 20" | Large | > 36" | XLarge |
| 18-20.5" | Medium | 33-37" | L or WL |
| 18.5"- | Small | 30-34" | M or WM |
| - | - | 27-31" | S or WS |
| - | - | < 28" | WXS |
| Torso Length | Pack Size | Hip Measurement | Hipbelt Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | > 36" | XLarge |
| > 20" | Large | 33-37" | L or WL |
| 18-20.5" | Medium | 30-34" | Medium |
| < 18.5" | Small | 31" | Small |
| Torso Length | Hip Measurement | Pack Size |
|---|---|---|
| > 20" | > 33" | Large |
| 18-20.5" | 30-34" | Medium |
| < 18.5" | < 31" | Small |
| Torso Length | Hip Measurement | Pack Size |
|---|---|---|
| > 18" | - | M/L |
| < 18.5" | - | S/M |
| Torso Length | Hip Measurement | Pack Size |
|---|---|---|
| > 20" | > 33" | Large |
| 18-20.5" | 30-34" | Medium |
| < 18.5" | < 31" | Small |
ErgoPullNearly all Osprey hipbelts use an exclusive ErgoPull design. It creates mechanical advantage to provide extra leverage in cinching down the hipbelt. The ErgoPull design also draws tension along the top and bottom of the belt, not through the center, so it distributes pressure more evenly over the padding and relieves direct pressure on the hipbones.
Step 3 - Harness
Osprey Crescent & Luna, Aether & Ariel and Waypoint packs offer interchangeable shoulder harnesses. Harness sizing usually corresponds to pack size, but your best bet is to try one on. A properly fit harness should terminate 2 to 3" beneath the armpit. Webbing should not touch the body. By breaking the hook and loop connection and sliding the harness up and down the backpanel the torso length can be adjusted up to 3". (see illustration).
| Men's | SM | MD | Large | XLarge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's | WXS | WSM | WM | WL |
Once you have the correct size pack, harness and hipbelt, and the torso length set properly, it's time to put some weight in the pack (20 to 30 pounds of well distributed weight will do) and dial in the fit. First, snug down the hipbelt and harness. Connect the sternum strap (A) - position it about 2 inches below your collarbones and snug it down lightly. Finally, tighten the load lifter straps to draw the load solidly against your back. The lift straps (B) should come off your shoulders at a 45 to 60 degree angle in Osprey's ReCurve and Ethereal Suspension packs. In other models these straps serve more as compression straps and ride flatter; they may even angle downwards.
In a good fit, there should be no pressure points and no gaps between your body and the pack. With Osprey's ReCurve packs, final tweaking may involve custom fitting the aluminum stays to your back.
Offered in colors: Solaris Yellow. Available sizes, while supplies last, include size small, size medium and size large: s, m, l.