Will I be able to fit all of this stuff in an Osprey Variant 52 pack?

I'm on the market for a backpack. So far the Ospray Variant 52 is the one that looks best. I'd only love if it would be that bit bigger.
So I'm asking to the owners or anybody that have actually seen one.

Will I be able to use it for a two-nights-out adventure in winter? With all the camping AND climbing equipment, like skis, rope, axe, crampons, tent, stove, fuel.
Plus obviously food for three days and clothes and everything else.

Or, what else would you recommend for that? On top of that, the lighter the better.

Thanks so much!

I have a Variant 52 and have done a quite a few trips with it. I can say that it would definitely work if you have a small, simple, and light setup. For instance a MSR PocketRocket, GSI Pinnacle 1, compact 2-person tent, just enough food, etc. If you have anything above that plus your necessary equip., you will be hurting for some space, but can usually throw the rest on the outside.

It is a really comfortable pack that can do a lot, you can't go wrong with it.

-Mac

MacM wrote:you will be hurting for some space, but can usually throw the rest on the outside.

Thank you very much for your feedback.
About "throwing the rest on the outside". How easy is to do so for several bulky things? Are there straps to keep, for instance, a thermarest z-lite mattress and the helmet on the outside, alongsides with crampons?

Thanks so much again.

The pack doesn't come with straps to keep things, however the top of the lid has four points to easily attach a helmet with accessory cord or such. Also the front of the pack has a form of daisy loops where it would be easy to attach a z-lite mattress or other pad, provided you decide then to put your crampons into the pack instead of attaching them in between the ice tools.

Unfortunately the bottom of the pack does not have attachment points or loops to keep a pad in. Another thought is being able to put your z-lite in between the lid and the top of the main compartment. The lid expands a tremendous amount, so you can really pack a lot under the lid as well.

Hope this helps.

-Mac

Depends a lot on the tent and sleeping bag size when compressed. Bibler tent or big double wall, bulky synthetic or super warm down bag? Doubt it. BD Firstlight or pyramid tarp, and higher quality down bag that is above zero degrees? You're probably good.

Personally I'd get a bigger pack. I have a 65 liter Osprey pack and it gets pretty full with a rope, gear, harness, and shoes. I haven't tried putting things on the outside, but it never hurts to have more space. Plus, it is small enough that I haven't had any problems using it as carry on luggage (yet).

I have one and love it, but usually only stuff climbing gear in it, and partner will carry camping gear, or vice versa. It is a little small to carry everything, so if you can't split the load with your partners might want something a little bigger. Osprey brand is the way to go though, amazingly comfortable.

Thank you all for the fantastic feedback. Very helpful.
Here's my tent: decathlon.co.uk/t2-ultralig…

It's not too small. But yeah I can share stuff with a partner when I have one OR choose a bivy bag when I'm alone.

I would still have a problem with the sleeping bag. While I really tend to stand cold very well on daytime, when I sleep I freeze. For the winter I really need something warm if I want to wake up in the morning.

The variant looks _almost_ perfect. If only I could add those 12 extra L...

An alternative I'm looking into is this. podsacs.com/i/q/CCPBIBP/pod…. It should allow more room, but I don't know if it has the same technical features for mountaineering.

Edit: this as well. millet.fr/en/products/sprin…

Any more opinion on these latter would be IMMENSELY appreciated.

I really like Osprey backpacks, I don't think you would be going wrong with a 52L Variant for your purposes. However, I have pretty strong feelings for Cold Cold World packs. Made in New Hampshire, by hand, to your specifications - if you want features added, features removed, a different color, et cetera, Randy is a patient man and will gladly accommodate you for a nominal fee. One of the nicest things you get out of a custom made pack is that the back length can be perfectly tailored to your body. The CCW Chernobyl weights 3lb 4oz and comes in a hair under the Variant on price as well.

coldcoldworldpacks.com/cher…

Look around, I have scoured the internet and can't find an unkind word about their packs. Cilo Gear and Wild Things are also slightly smaller specialty companies that make great packs. All that being said, the Osprey warranty is pretty amazing, the guarantee they give makes buying the (significantly) less durable pack tempting.

Hey, never heard about that brand. This 'Chernobyl' looks sexy but I'm tempted by the 'Chaos' better. That looks quite definitive. I'll seriously think about it!

Shoot him an email. I had something like a fifteen email exchange while we worked with my picky ass self to make a customized Valdez. It also makes me warm and fuzzy to do the 'hand made, in america' thing.

What kind of skiing and what kind of climbing? Do you have to carry every bit in or on your pack?

52l is pretty big for only two nights.

Being European I don't get as excited as you about 'USA made' things :) but I actually *do* like that it's not being made in any low-cost-production countries indeed.

I emailed him yesterday right after you suggested me his site, but I got no reply yet. No rush. :)

As for what matter 'what kind of climb', an idea was Mont Blanc French normal route Alpine Syle, on spring. That is 3600 meters of altitude to cover, will require sleeping on glaciers, travelling over crevasses, and the like. So plenty of gear will be required. It is not a difficult climb technically speaking - it 'just' require quite a lot of gear (and an amazing shape). :)

For that goal I think 52L Or smaller would be just fine. It's amazing what you can fit in a given space, if required.

When in doubt, go smaller.

Mens Warehouse

I realize this meme may be lost on folks outside the US, but you get the idea.

Febs wrote:As for what matter 'what kind of climb', an idea was Mont Blanc French normal route Alpine Syle, on spring. That is 3600 meters of altitude to cover, will require sleeping on glaciers, travelling over crevasses, and the like. So plenty of gear will be required. It is not a difficult climb technically speaking - it 'just' require quite a lot of gear (and an amazing shape). :)

To be fair, I don't know that climb. I would probably still look at a 35L pack with an extending collar and detachable lid. Climbing with a 50L pack blows. Something like Khamski 38 comes to mind.

Looks like EMS has the Osprey Variant for sale if you sign up as a member.

ems.com/product/index.jsp?p…

Febs wrote:An alternative I'm looking into is this. podsacs.com/i/q/CCPBIBP/pod…. It should allow more room, but I don't know if it has the same technical features for mountaineering.

I got a decade of hard use out of a POD Black Ice (2001-2012). They are great kit. As well as lots of rock and winter climbing, that included some proper mountaineering stuff like attempts on 6000m peaks in Peru and Alpine north faces. The back system carries weight well and on numerous occasions I had it loaded with 60lbs+ of kit such as when back-packing into the Cairngorms in Scotland for 2-3 days to go technical winter climbing.

Compared to that sort of winter climbing trip, you need much less gear for classic alpine stuff. When I did Mont Blanc by the 3Ms route in 2010 I'd easily have got away with a much smaller pack; something like a Osprey Mutant 38 would have been spot on.

FWIW I replaced my Black Ice with a POD Alpine 50.

hey
i would say look at the cilo gear work sacks
i have the 60 litre that i use year round if i am going to carry lots of gear to a base camp
expands to 80 litres and compresses to 30
carries well and climbs well
the pack is well worth checking out and figuring out
i used to hike into camp with a huge pack and carry a day pack in it because there is nothing worse than climbing with an empty huge pack but now the cilo gear pack has replaced that
as an example i did rainier with that pack and it is a similar route to the one on mt blanc you are talking about and the pack rocked

cilogear.com/60lws.html

i personally prefer this bag to one of my partners cold cold world pack it is nicer and way more versatile

The Ex-Engineer wrote:When I did Mont Blanc by the 3Ms route in 2010 I'd easily have got away with a much smaller pack; something like a Osprey Mutant 38 would have been spot on. FWIW I replaced my Black Ice with a POD Alpine 50.

Really you would be able to fit everything - including tent, bag, mattress, food, rope, crampons, everything - in a 38L sack?
It looks impossible to me, but perhaps I have to relearn how to pack properly.