Your backpack is your closest companion on the trail. From our perspective, that means a comfortable fit with ample room for all of your gear isn’t optional, it’s mandatory. Enter the Manta and Mira hydration packs from Osprey, winner of the Editors’ Choice Award for meeting our standards of quality, utility, value, and excellence. Redesigned for 2013 to provide greater comfort, stability and storage, this series isn’t just impressive, it’s our new adventure BFF.
On Performance and Design…
Whether you’re out for a day of taking in the scenery, or moving with speed and precision to get the most out of your adventure, these packs have got your back. Highly ventilated with durable construction, and features that other companies’ technical backcountry packs would be proud of mean your stuff is getting where it’s going without a snag.
Your pack is you every step of the way, which is why the most important features are comfort and fit. In the Manta (men’s specific fit) and Mira (women’s specific fit) series, Osprey proves that comfort and fit aren’t sales-room talking points, but rather ingrained in the brand’s DNA. Since every person, every adventure is different, both the Manta and Mira allow you choose between three different capacities, and different torso lengths, ensuring that you get the perfect fit.
Once out on the trail, our testers fell in love with the narrow profile of these packs. The streamlined design kept the load stable and balanced, while eliminating those moments when tree branches and undergrowth make a stab for your pack. And whether we trekked through dense brush, unforgiving manzanita, or dragged the packs across rocky granite, the lightweight and durable nylon along with the 600 D polyester pack bottoms were never worse for the wear.
Osprey’s BioStretch Harness and Hipbelt provided the breathability our team needed to run up and down sun-soaked trails, while keeping us incredibly comfortable for the long haul. At the same time, trekking through humid forests to reach secluded waterfalls gave us a new appreciation for the suspended mesh AirSpeed backpanel. The breathable back panel with side vents kept the load resting comfortably while also promoting ventilation.
Whether you’re leading a dayhike, or packing up for an afternoon of singletrack on your faithful steed, you need to keep things organized and at the ready. Towards those ends, the Manta and Mira offered ample room for extra layers, snacks, gear, and even a place for your bike helmet. Full length side access zippers make accessing the gear a cinch, and on days when you fill it to the gills, lock it all down with the integrated compression straps. And in the instance this massive array of features doesn’t win you over, then the small thoughtful details will.
From finger formed zipper pulls, to stow on the go trekking pole attachments; from the stretch mesh front and side pockets, to an integrated rain cover that let’s you trek deep into the wet wild, Osprey outfitted these packs with small but crucial details you’ll use and appreciate. Most impressive, the Osprey design team did it all without compromising the low-profile and highly efficient design.
The Hydraulics Reservoir…
Adventure and thirst go hand in hand which is why the Manta and Mira feature Osprey’s forward thinking Hydraulics reservoir. What you get is a massively durable reservoir that hits the holy trinity of hydration: BPA-free, PVC-free and of course, taste free. The Hydraulics 3L reservoir also features the HydroStatic™ backer plate that gives the reservoir a low profile fit and offers industry leading reservoir-to-pack integration. Of course all you really need to know is that you won’t be stuck heading towards the tree line with a cold bulge in the middle of your back.
Our two biggest ongoing gripes with hydration reservoirs have always been difficulty opening them and difficulty cleaning them. Osprey eliminates both issues with an updated mouth and cap. The cap is wider than previous versions, and only needs ¾ of a turn to open and close. However, it’s worth noting that the ¾ turn feature can be exceedingly frustrating to secure in place and get a tight seal to lock in. While our preference is still for a reversible reservoir that is dishwasher safe, the wider opening of the Hydraulics reservoir makes for more convenient filling and cleaning.
Bottom Line…
You’ve got ambitious plans for the outdoors. Count on Osprey’s Manta and Mira to serve as your go-to multisport generalist that never shies away from impromptu day hikes, light-and-fast summit bids, or urban adventures on a bike.
*Gumption Gear Review received the items featured in this review from Osprey at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The items featured were provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.