Geoff Unger Reviews Osprey’s Rev 12 Backpack
American Mountain Guide/IFMGA Guide Geoff Unger tested Osprey’s Rev 12 Backpack while preparing to teach and while teaching an Alpine Guide Exam in Leavenworth and the Cascades, Washington. He found the pack to be functional, yet more appropriate as a trail running backpack or a hiking pack.
AMGA: What makes this piece good for climbing/ice climbing?
Geoff Unger: It’s lightweight and fits well, and so is useful for short objectives. It could also be used as a lead or guides pack for multi-pitch climbing routes.
AMGA: In what ways was it durable?
GU: Unfortunately this pack is not very durable for alpine or rock climbing. Though light and easy to carry, the material will not stand up to even the easiest use in rock terrain. Almost any contact with the rock put a hole in the pack. With more use the pack would not be functional.
AMGA: In what ways was it functional?
GU: The Rev 12 carried very well with light loads. One day I did an 8-pitch rock climb with a 2-hour approach and wore the pack the whole time. It carried what I needed, and I barely felt it on my back. I was impressed with the way the pack sat above the waist belt of my harness, and I didn’t notice it during my leads.
AMGA: In what ways does the piece compare to other, similar pieces that you have used?
GU: I’ve used many different lead packs for guiding rock and light, ‘in a day’ alpine objectives. To me the Rev 12 is designed for light day hiking and as a trail running backpack. Though it can be used in the alpine and rock environments, this is not its strength. Despite being out of its element the pack performed well enough, though the durability is an issue for guides and climbers. This product would need to be beefed up to hold up to the rigors of climbing and alpine climbing.
I like the huge waistband. I find a nice waistband to be a mandatory requirement at this point. I can’t stand a pack that moves around when I do, or the shoulder fatigue that comes with a heavy, fully loaded pack with no(or insufficient) load transfer to the hip.
Love this pack. Came onto this site to see about buying a second one for travel! Its very light, but spacious enough for day hikes. Very flexible – the bladder area is great for my laptop when I travel for easy access! There are plenty of pockets so you can have easy access to towels, tissues, snacks etc without stopping. I love the concept of the phone pocket but it doesn’t work well in practise – its too small and not really waterproof enough for tropical downpours. Fine for drizzle. But that pocket is good for sunglasses instead!
The volume is 12 liters for the m/l size. and what the volume in the size s/m?