This Year's Camino Backpack - The Osprey 36L Kyte

*** UPDATED***

Thought I still believe this is an excellent pack, after loading it up and trying it out on a long hike, I decided I was too short for this pack. The top of it kept hitting my head, like those headrests in cars that bug me too. So I went back and bought the Jade pack again and used it for my VDLP. It worked out better for me.  I will leave this review up, however, because I still think this is a great pack.

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If you've been following me for long, you'll know that I always suggest a small backpack for the Camino, usually no larger than 28L-32L.  

For years I carried an Arcteryx 30L top loading pack, which I loved for its simplicity, great fit, and small size.  I cut off all the extra daisy chain loops and decorated the pack. 

I used it for about 10 years until it smelled so bad I discarded it after my trek from Malaga. 

Big mistake. 

Arcteryx stopped making that pack, and I've struggled to find a good replacement since.  

Two years ago I bought the Gregory Jade 28 pack. 

It was a nice pack, but didn't quite fit the bill for me. I was looking for a pack for this year's Via de la Plata trek. There is no pack transport on that route so I needed a pack that fit well.

I wanted a small top-loading pack with a good WIDE padded hip belt, excellent suspension, room for a water bladder in case I decided to carry one, padded comfortable shoulder straps, a sternum strap that wouldn't squish my breasts, that was small enough to carry on the plane.

So yesterday, while in Oregon pet-sitting for my son, I stopped at REI and tried on packs.

I loaded each pack I tried on with 15 pounds, the amount I planned on carrying. 

I am 5'3" and right now, I weigh about 155 lbs.  I know from experience I have a short torso and usually wear a small pack.

I began by looking at 28L packs. Sadly, everything they had in a women's 28L pack, except for the Jade, came in a "one size"  -  and that is not good when you'll be wearing a backpack for 6-7 hours a day, every day for 6 weeks.

I moved up to 30L packs. Osprey makes the Talia pack at 30L, but again, it was one size.  The Kresta 30L snowpack looked good, but there were none in stock.

The Gregory 32L Targhee pack only came in Medium and Large. The Deuter ACT Trail Pro looked good, but it was too long in the torso and "one size." 

The "one size" packs just wouldn't work for me. Shoulder straps should wrap around your shoulders. Even the adjustable ones sat way too high above my shoulders, with 1 to 3 inches of air between the strap and my body. Many had tiny little hip belt straps. I knew those would dig into me as I walked.

I continued to look and finally moved up to 34L packs.  Same issue. Either they only came in "one size" or in Medium, Large.

I had loaded and tried on about 10 packs, and was just about to give up when the sales clerk, who had been VERY helpful and VERY patient suggested I try on the Osprey Kyte 36L pack.

I said, "No, that's too big. I don't want to carry a 36L pack."

He said, "Yes, but since you need an X-Small pack, the Kyte, even though it is CALLED a 36 liter, is ACTUALLY a 34 liter pack."

Really?  How would anyone have known that?

So, I tried it on.. and Voila!
It fit like a glove.
It felt like I wasn't carrying any weight at all.

I wore it around the store for about 15 minutes, and decided it was the pack for me. Although it is in reality a 34 liter pack, the lid can be pulled down very tight. The difference between 34 and 32 liters is a small space. Think of a 2 liter Pepsi bottle and that's the amount of space we're talking about. With the ability to pull the lid down, and the various compression straps on the pack, it can be made small enough for carry-on.  

I bought it.

Here are the features I love about this pack.

1) The hydration sleeve is EXTERNAL which means not having to open the pack up to refill it. I don't usually carry a hydration bag on the Camino Frances, but other routes with fewer options for water sometimes call for it.

2) The pack is fully adjustable and I was able to lower the shoulder straps to perfectly fit my short torso. The "Airscape"  backpanel provides air flow between my body and pack, making it more comfortable to carry temperature wise, less sweating. 

3) There is an integrated and detachable rain cover. I won't use this on the Camino but might use it when walking in Oregon, where it's sometimes misty, but not wet enough to wear an ALTUS poncho.



4) There is a zippered pocket at the bottom of the pack to hold my sleeping bag (or whatever you want to put in here that may be heavy). If you do not need the extra pocket, there is a floating divider that can be removed from inside the bag to make one large space inside. I like that the sleeping bag can be removed from the bottom. In the past, with a top loading pack, I put my sleeping bag at the bottom, then put my clothes in on top. This means I don't have to unpack my entire bag to get to my sleeping bag.

There is a side zipper.  Even though I love a top loading pack, this means I COULD get into the side of the pack if I needed to without having to unload the pack.

The lid zipper is on the INSIDE of the pack, next to my neck, not on the outside where pickpockets can easily access the contents.  The lid also has an under-lid zippered mesh pocket. 

There is an expandable pocket on each side of the pack, great for water bottles or guide books/maps. 

There is a pocket on the front panel with a drain hole making it perfect for storing wet rain gear! 

On each side of the the hip belt there is a roomy pocket for holding my phone, camera, chapstick, headlamp, or whatever tiny gear I need to get to quickly. 

There is a stow-on-the-go trekking pole attachment, making it easy to carry your poles when you aren't using them. 

Additionally, there are a series of "daisy chain" loops down the front of the pack for attaching small things, like maybe a carabiner and wet socks? Or maybe to carry your shower sandals? I probably will cut them off as I did on my old pack. I find they just get in my way more than I find them useful. But that's me.

And lastly, there are a ton of compression straps to compress the pack as small as I need it to be in order to carry it onto the plane with me. 

This pack fit so well, I almost did a happy dance in the middle of REI!

As you can see from my experience, you need to TRY ON a backpack. You cannot expect to buy a one-size-fits-all pack and have it fit, without being extremely lucky. 

So please, don't just order your backpack on the internet without trying it on.

Here is a little guide as to what you should look for when trying on a pack:

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacks-adjusting-fit.html

You can find other videos online with a Google Search. There also are several review videos on this Osprey 36L Kyte pack. 

In my opinion, this is an excellent pack for the Camino.

I'm stoked and as soon as I return to the desert from my son's house, I'll pack it up and show you what I'm going to carry this year.

Happy shopping!

Love,

Annie