Osprey Manta 25 Daypack

At 25 liters (1525 cu. in.) there’s just enough room for everything I needed for a long, dayhike in the Channel Islands: a spare camera lens, shell, small stove and fuel, and lunch.

Credit Osprey’s Airspeed suspension for the excellent weight transfer. The arched Lightwire Alloy frame handled up to 25 pounds with aplomb, and the mesh panel provided plenty of ventilation, even when I cinched the pack tightly for uphill sprints.

The hydration compartment is easy access & perfectly shaped to hold the included, wide-mouth, 3-liter HydraForm^TM Reservoir. It integrates into the backpanel for excellent stability and pressure from your back causes a fast hose flow rate.

I loved the soft-lined top pocket–a perfect place to drop sunglasses, cell phone, camera lenses, or anything else that needs a bit of babying. And the stretchy shove-it pocket was a great stash for my notebook and pen and extra layer.

The integrated rainfly comes in handy when the skies open up. It’s quick to deploy and will keep your whole kit totally dry.

For such a small pack, the hipbelt pockets were unusually large, so I could stash my GPS and copious amounts of chocolate-covered gummy bears. And I loved the sternum strap magnet, which meant that my hose was always within easy reach.

The Specs
$139
2 lbs. 4 oz. (M/L, on BP scales)
Available in two unisex sizes: S/M, M/L
ospreypacks.com

Photos and text by Will Rochfort.