Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 Review – The Ultimate hiking backpack

I thought it’s important to state at the outset that the Osprey Aether 70 Ag is the male version of the pack while the Ariel 65 contains identical features and materials, but it’s made for female fitting.

 Hence, I thought it would be convenient to give an in-depth review of both the Aether 70 Ag and Aerial 65 backpack. Depending on your gender and needs, you can consider these different aspects accordingly.

To enhance your hiking experience, having suitable gear definitely helps. If you get a suitable hiking backpack, it makes carrying all your stuff around a breeze. This makes your outdoor experience a memorable one.

For this review, I will go on to talk about the characteristics separately for both the Osprey Aether 70 Ag and the Ariel 65. However, since both of them have the same features, I will talk about them together.

Quick Overview

Taking a look at Osprey

Osprey is a company founded in 1974. It was then, every single product had to pass through the hands of Mike Pfotenhauer undergoing scrutiny before it was sold.

Osprey’s lifetime guarantee actually comes from its rich history. Since 2009, to celebrate the company’s 35^th anniversary, Osprey had launched its All Mighty Guarantee, which gives a lifetime commitment to all of their customers. The company will repair any defects or damage on the product free of charge.

Fun Fact: Osprey is a type of sea hawk that eats fish. They can tolerate a wide variety of habitats and they often nest in a location near a body of water. The logo of Osprey is basically a representation of that sea hawk.

Background of Osprey Aether 70 Ag/ Ariel 65

The Osprey Aether 70 Ag/ Ariel 65 is built to be really rugged. They are made with hikers in mind, especially people that are looking out for a multi-day backpacking trip. To understand whether it’s really suitable for you and whether it fits your needs, here’s a comprehensive review of both backpacks.

Osprey Aether 70 Ag Characteristics

Sizes

There are a total of 4 sizes for the Osprey Aether. It’s either Small (67 Liters), Medium size (70 Liters), Large size (73 Liters) or extra-large (76 Liters). I have chosen the Osprey Aether 70 because it’s THE MOST POPULAR choice out there. Most people find 70 Liters to be ideal for their backpacking trip.[1]

If you are interested to check out other sizes, I have included a link for you to consider them:

– Osprey Packs Aether AG 60

– Osprey Packs Aether AG 70 (The Current one we are reviewing)

– Osprey Packs Aether AG 85

Gear Capacity – The Osprey Aether 70 Ag has a capacity of 4,272 cubic inches, which is considerably huge!

Weight – The backpack weighs 5 lbs. 3.4 oz.

Materials used – The backpack is made with Nylon, while the frame material is a 3.5mm LightWire peripheral frame.

Product Dimension – The Osprey Aether 70 dimensions are 33 inches x 16 inches x 13 inches.

Gender – As stressed earlier, the Osprey Aether 70 Ag is more suitable for men.

Color – The backpack comes in 3 colors: Adirondack Green, Neptune Blue and Outback Orange.

Number of Exterior Pockets – There are 7 exterior pockets.

Osprey Ariel 65 Characteristics

Sizes – Similar to the Osprey Aether 70, the Osprey Ariel 65 (the female version) similarly has different sizes as well. You can choose between XS (59 liters), S (62 liters), M (65 liters) and L (68 liters).[2]   

The M-sized Osprey Ariel backpack is the most popular options amongst the community. Hence, the focus of the review will be based on that size.  

If you like to check out other sizes, you can check out the links below:

– Osprey Packs Women’s Ariel AG 55 Backpack (Small)

– Osprey Packs Women’s Ariel AG 65 Backpack (Medium) (Currently reviewed)

– Osprey Packs Ariel AG 75

Gear Capacity – The Osprey Ariel 65 has a capacity of 3,967 cubic inches, a considerably large backpack for women.

Weight – The backpack weighs 4 lbs. 15 oz.

Fits Torso Length – The Osprey Ariel 65 can fit a waist that is 30 – 34 inches.

Materials – The backpack is made from Ripstop nylon which is also known as nylon oxford.

Number of Exterior Pockets – There are 6 exterior pockets excluding the main compartment.

Colors – As for the colors, the Osprey Ariel comes in different colors as compared to the Osprey Aether.

It comes in (1) Boothbay Grey; (2) Picante Red and (3) Tidal Blue.

Osprey Aether 70 Ag/ Ariel 65 Features

Easy access to main compartment – The backpack comes with a side panel zip access to the main compartment. The long zippers on the outside of the backpack allows you to easily access the contents of your backpack.

Removable top-lid – The bag comes with a removable top-lid which helps it convert to a DayLid daypack.

Side Compression straps – There are dual upper side compression straps to help keep your things in place. Also, the compression straps help to keep the weight closer to the pack frame which helps ensure that there is a balanced weight transfer.

Hipbelt Pocket – The backpack comes with 2 zippered hipbelt pockets which allows you to access your items easily. With both the custom fit harness and hipbelt, the bag would not stress your body too much even when it’s loaded.

Anti-Gravity Suspension and Backpanel – Both the Osprey Aether 70 Ag/ Ariel 65 comes with LightWire tensioned and full peripheral frame which assists in transferring the weight for the load, which makes carrying the backpack comfortable.

Sleeping bag compartment – The backpack comes with a separated zippered sleeping bag compartment that has a removable divider too.

Allowing custom fit – The IsoForm 5 harness and CM hipbelt allows you to do custom fitting. This is important if you are carrying heavy loads for a long period of time.

Do note that both of these components are interchangeable which provides a custom fit.

Internal Compression Straps – The backpack comes with internal compression straps that helps you to make sure that you are able to utilize as much space as possible in the backpack.

Zippered Hipbelt Pockets – Both backpacks come with 2 zippered hipbelt pockets that allows you to keep small items. With these pockets, you can easily access your essentials when you need them.

Ice Axe Holders – With the Ice Axe Holders, it will be really beneficial for your adventures. With the Aether series, you will have the ability to go through all sorts of terrain while comfortably carrying your gears. With the bungee tie off, it helps to ensure that your Ice axe stays in place. Definitely a feature you should consider if you are hiking on snowy mountains.

FlapJacket – The backpack comes with an integrated FlapJacket cover for lidless use. What does lidless use mean?

Basically, you can remove the Osprey Daylid that is contained at the top of the backpack.

Osprey Daylid – The removeable daylid is easy to take on and off. If you choose to deploy the daylid, it will be really comfortable to use. It is built with an airmesh harness, it has multiple sternum strap positions and there’s even a small zippered front panel stash pocket which allows you to keep your things.

Furthermore, the Osprey Daylid comes with an external hydration reservoir sleeve. There’s even a tuckaway ice tool loop too.

Water Resistant – Being made for hiking in the outdoors, the backpack is made to be water resistant. You don’t need to worry about the contents of your backpack getting wet.

Warning

Badly located external storage – The removeable compartment is located in the narrow space between the hipbelt and main compartment.

Obviously, Osprey made a mistake on locating the compartment there. Instead, it may have been better to make conventional side pockets for the bag.

Poorly Padded shoulder straps – The backpack may be better off with a thicker cushion for the shoulder strap and hip strap. If you carry it for long hours, you may even feel the plastic support plate digging into your hips.

My Thoughts

Made for Hiking – If you are going for a backpacking trip or even alpine expeditions, the Aether/ Ariel backpacks are made for this. Osprey has set the bar high for its competitors to beat. The bag comes with Anti-Gravity Technology, a customizable fit and innovative features to help ease your hiking trip.

Excellent innovative features – Both the Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 comes with innovative features such as the convertible top lid which helps to make it a more capable backpack for long-haul load carrying. If you are going for a 3-days or 7-days trip, the Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 will definitely top the list.

Suitable for big-size individuals – Even if you are a male who is nearly 6 feet tall, the backpack will still be deemed to have held everything nicely. You can even carry a bear stove with it too, which is pretty huge.

You can check out and see what is a bear canister in the video below:

Great Versatility – Be it the need to carry a 40 pounds of solid gear and daily necessities, or the need to only have a daypack, the Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 can satisfy your needs.

It’s an excellent daypack because the bag can easily store small gears in easy-to-reach places even when you are carrying on your backpack. Need to quickly grab your flashlight or first aid kit? You can grab it easily by storing it in the right places of either the Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65.

With the zipper pouches, you can easily grab a boot knife to use or some snack to eat even when you are trudging on the trail.

Able to carry all your necessities – With the Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 you will be able to carry all the necessary gears and some extras.

Also, the bag comes with great compartmentalization too. You can even hold your Hydration Reservoir between the pack and the shoulder strap.

The backpack is solid enough to carry all the things you need. There’s no need to worry about the backpack falling apart.  

Even if it’s a 50 pounds load, you will be surprised by how comfortable the backpack will feel even with such a heavy weight.

Concluding Thoughts

The Osprey Aether 70 Ag /Ariel 65 is definitely one of the top-tier backpacks to choose from if one needs a heavy hauler.