Osprey Kestrel 48 Backpack Review

Osprey Kestrel 48 Backpack Review

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Described as a jack-of-all-trades pack, the Osprey Kestrel 48 is manufactured by a company called Osprey, which has been known for making comfortable, longer lasting and functionally designed packs for over 40 years now.  It is a fully functional overnight pack featuring a separate zippered sleeping bag compartment with dividers and ergonomic and detachable external sleeping pad straps to secure extra carriage.

Unpacking is also very easy as the main compartment’s top loading or side zip access provides multiple access points to get to your gear without any problem. The Osprey Kestrel 48 packs are resilient, comfortable and technologically advanced that makes them perfect for multi-sport enthusiasts.

Osprey Kestrel 48 Backpack Colors

On the Osprey official site, the older model of Osprey Kestrel 48, which is now on closeout sale, comes in three colors, including Dragon Red, Ash Grey and Jungle Green. These colors are available in either Small/Medium or Medium/Large.

The newer model of Osprey Kestrel 48 is available in colors like Loch Blue, Picholine Green, Rogue Red and Black.

• A small/medium-sized pack has a weight of 3.44 pounds with a volume of 2807 IN³/46 L and dimensions of 27.6H X 13.4W X 12.6D IN.,
• While a medium/large-sized one has a weight of 3.59 pounds with a volume of 2929 IN³/48 L and dimensions of 29.5H X 13.4W X 12.6D IN.
• The new Osprey Kestrel 48 has a main body that is made of 210D x 630D nylon dobby. The accent is made of 420HD nylon oxford and the material used for the bottom is 500D nylon pack cloth.

Osprey Kestrel 48’s features include a wide-mouth access sleeping bag compartment with a divider that stores your bag out of the way, and an ergonomic and detachable sleeping pad straps offer better extra carriage. It also has a side zipper access to the main compartment to enable better access to the inside content of the pack and a full length vertical zippered side pocket that can help with organizing.

This amazing pack also has other cool special features such as dual zippered hip belt pockets that can provide safe storage for often-needed items and an external hydration sleeve in the back panel that makes refilling simple and prevents pack contents from spilling.

It also has a large front stretch mesh pocket for quickly storing extra gear and tucking away tool loops with bungee tie-offs that secure your tools.

Osprey Kestrel 48’s unique Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachments enable users to quickly tuck away trekking poles without having to remove their packs.

What do you use the daisy chain for?

In addition to the huge pockets, the top lid has dual front daisy chains and web attachment points for anchoring gear to the outside. The daisy chain is great for clipping on an empty water bottle or for hanging a solar charger from.

By deploying the integrated and removable rain cover, the entire pack can be protected from the harshness of nature. This pack’s upper and lower reverse StraightJacket side compression straps can be securely attached if you want to carry it out for a day of hill bagging in the backcountry.

Osprey’s 3.5mm LightWire peripheral frame transfers whatever load you put into a comfortable spacer mesh harness and hip belt, and the Atilon framesheet spreads the load over the whole back panel to the external frame. This ingenious suspension system guarantees all-day comfort, especially in hot conditions when the Airscape mesh back panel becomes very useful. The pack’s soft and edgeless padded mesh provides a soft breathable contact surface and huge load support. It also has an adjustable sternum strap that comes with a rescue whistle.

Osprey Kestrel 48’s Customer Reviews

Pro’s: 

Osprey Kestrel 48’s reviews on the manufacturer’s official site are mostly favorable with an average star rating of 4.5. Positive comments from buyers say that it is comfortable, easy to load, highly adjustable, lightweight and has a good suspension. However, one of the negative reviews mentioned that it is not a real 48-L bag because when the main section is full, the outside side zippered pocket is not useable. There was also a suggestion that the frame should have been made stronger if it going to be used for all-day hiking.

There are mostly favorable reviews on Amazon so far and the product has an average star rating of 4.7. Most reviews say the product is comfortable, very adjustable and well built. Buyers also love the multiple pockets, storage areas, hooks and straps of Osprey Kestrel 48, and one said it was thoughtfully equipped with lots of pockets and compartments to sort and store camping gear. In one of the reviews, a customer even analogically compared Osprey Kestrel 48 to a sports car because it looks better, handles better, and has more features and options than his old, rugged backpack.

Con’s

There were just minor issues stated in the reviews like there is no reflective material on the backpack and there is a little struggle to reach the zippered hip side pouches because they were a little too far back.

Osprey Kestrel 48 Final Thoughts

Overall, the Osprey Kestrel 48 is a good backpack with many useful special features that make it ideal for short hiking trips and flights. It is lightweight and has adjustable straps and cushions that make it very comfortable to wear. The pack is also well-designed with all these various pockets and storage areas.

Although there are some minor problems like the side water bottle pockets and hip side pouches being a little too far to reach, it is one durable and nice-looking backpack that is worth your money.

Osprey Kestrel 48 Detailed Specs

Osprey Kestrel 48 Backpack Price Comparisons

Osprey Kestrel 48 Backpack

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in stock

$184.95

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