New for 2017: Osprey Aether and Ariel AG.

I'm really interested in these backpacks because I was having difficulty deciding between the Atmos AG and the Aether. I have an older Deuter Act Lite 75+10 which is OK, but since it's a 'one-size fits all' model, it's not ideal for me. I'm 5'9" 160 pounds, and think it's intended for someone larger.

Though I'm really impressed with the Atmos AG, I was leaning towards the Aether mainly because I like the removable lid that converts into a day-pack (though I'd prefer a backpack like my Deuter rather than a lumbar pack). I also like that the Aether is better for heavier loads than the Atmos.

I have some older, somewhat heavier gear (sleeping bag, tent) that still works just fine, and I don't want to spend several hundred dollars on spiffy new equipment just to have the latest UL gear. I also tend to hike in the late Summer and early Fall when temps drop near freezing, so I often need to bring extra thermals to sleep comfortably. Most of my trips are about 3-7 days and my total payload is typically about 40-50 pounds.

While they haven't been released yet, based on cursory info the Aether and Ariel AG seem to combine the best elements of the Atmos AG and the previous Aether version. The Aeather/Ariel AG seems to combine the breathablity and mobility of the AG system with the custom fit and higher load-capacity of the previous aether version. They also have the removable lid/day pack which the Atmos doesn't.

I'll be really interested to see how effectively incorporating the anti-gravity system into the Aether/Ariel works.

https://gadgetswizard.com/osprey-introduced-aether-ag-ariel-ag-series-spring-2017.html

https://outdoorindustry.org/press-releas...stomizable-fit/

Since you seem to be OK with larger and heavier packs, you might look at the Mystery Ranch Terraplane. It looks suspiciously identical to the long-gone Dana Designs Terraplane, which was The Pack way back when. I had one, and loved it (except for the 8-pound weight) - it's advertised claim that it made a 100 pound load feel like 60 was true. (It was a couple of years before I figured out that, for the trips I took, I would never carry 60 pounds, let alone 100. )

That pack is the physical incarnation of overkill. If I were going on world expeditions and planning to live out of my backpack for years, it's one I'd consider.

But my max load will probably never exceed 55 pds, and will usually be about 45 pds, so a 100 pd capacity pack is way more than I need... or virtually everyone else for that matter.

Spending $300 on a new big heavy pack because you "don't want to spend several hundred dollars on spiffy new equipment" seems like an odd choice to me. I suspect you just like the idea of a new pack the way some of us get fixated on new tents, or new stoves, or new you-name-it.

You're right, it was absolute overkill squared. But, the culture was different back then: like the Sierra Cup clipped to your belt or hanging off your pack, it was a badge of honor, designed to cause people to look at our and speak in hushed tones: "He must be the real deal." You also impressed people by talking about how heavy your load was, not how light. We were all a little nuts back then.

By the way, Dana Gleason sold (I think) Dana Designs; evidently the non-compete expired or the patent ran out, and he's now producing the same pack under his new company banner, Mystery Ranch.