Osprey Aether AG 70 Backpack Review – The Best Thru Hike Rucksack?

The Osprey Aether AG 70 Backpack is bigger than the Atmos 65 and smaller than the Aether 80, the Osprey Aether 70 is perfect for multi-day hiking trips that call for a pack that can perform, keep you comfortable, and keep your gear organized on all your backpacking trips.

Osprey Atmos AG 70 Backpack TL:DR Review

Osprey Aether AG 70 Rucksack Overview

The Osprey Aether AG 70 for men and the Ariel AG for women is the brand’s top-tier, most technical backpack series that comes available in a range of sizes. 60 liter, 70 liter, and 85 liter for men and 55 liter, 65 liter, and 75 liter for women.

The Aether 70 was designed to provide optimal comfort and keep you dry during hot weather, making it ideal for just about any backcountry adventure. The pack strives to maximize comfort where and when you need it most and distributes your load evenly.

This big bag is ideal for backpackers and hikers that need a reliable option for longer backpacking trips. Coming in at over 5 pounds, this isn’t a lightweight backpack by a long shot but makes for an excellent choice for hikers seeking comfort and the ability to carry heavy loads.

So, while it’ll be a winner for a lot of people, it’s not necessarily the best option for women, and it definitely isn’t going to get you anywhere in the ultralight game.

With that, let’s get stuck in to see this hiking backpack’s carrying comfort, ventilation, fit, ability to carry heavy loads, and see how it stacks up against the competition

Getting Started

Even though the Osprey Aether AG 70 backpack has been on the market since 2017, it’s still one of the best in the business. Rugged, innovative, and stylish, the backpack ensures comfort and stability on just about any trail you can imagine.

Osprey’s signature Anti Gravity suspension handles heavier loads with ease while keeping the wearer as comfortable as possible. The Osprey Aether AG 70 also comes with a detachable daypack, which adds to the bag’s versatile design.

The bag consists of innovative and useful features that’ll make outdoor life more comfortable, especially if you love multi-day trekking trips. It is also built around a strong yet flexible internal frame that distributes weight away from your shoulders and onto your hips, exactly where it needs to rest.

The hallmark Osprey Anti-Gravity (AG) system was designed to ensure the frame not only spreads the weight of your pack all over your back but also provides great ventilation between your back and your pack to avoid sweat buildup.

Now that we’ve scratched the surface, let’s dive deeper into the most impressive capabilities of the Aether 70!

But that’s just scratching the surface. Let’s dive right into the Osprey Aether AG 70 review and explore the specs and its main features!

Fit and Adjustability

It can be hard to find a bag that fits and feel just right on your back, but we have always been impressed by the way Osprey backpacks fit. Like all other noteworthy Osprey bags, the Osprey Aether AG comes available in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large.

The Aether 70’s IsoForm5 harness and CM hip belt provide fantastic fit and comfort, especially for heavy loads and long miles. These components are both interchangeable to provide a true custom fit.

The harness on the Osprey Aether AG can be adjusted up or down, which makes it easier to find your ideal fit according to your body size. By making a few small tweaks, you can reach optimal comfort levels.

You might need to experiment a little to find the most comfortable position, so it’s definitely worth doing some research on how to make the bag work for you and not against you.

Osprey is all about custom-fit backpacks, and they’ve been designing backpacks that fit every shape and size since 1974! The brand’s pack-fitting technique ensures you’ll always invest in a properly fitting pack that maximizes efficiency, comfort, and safety. You can learn more about the fitting technique here.

Comfort

It is surprising to feel how well the Osprey Aether AG handles a 50-pound load with ease. The high-quality foam in the hip belt, sternum strap, and shoulder straps offer the perfect combination of comfort and support. If you like to keep your pack weight down, you probably don’t need this much comfort, but you’ll still appreciate it.

In addition to the foam padding, the Osprey Aether AG is built around a strong metal frame and suspended mesh back panel that feels amazing once the pack is correctly adjusted.

Thanks to the peripheral metal frame and center cross support, you have a solid structure that won’t sag under a load. The suspended mesh back panel also conforms to your back. Along with numerous compression straps along the pack’s sides and front, this truly is one of the most comfortable hiking backpacks out there.

Durability

The Osprey Aether AG features durable nylon along the sides and top of the pack, so it has no issues with being treated a little rough. The super tough 500-denier nylon packcloth on the bottom is also built to last.

It’s worth mentioning that the mesh pocket along the front, which is well protected by 210-denier nylon and compression straps, might not be able to handle too much roughness.

All the accents on this pack are shaped from 210-denier high-tenacity Nylon Shadow Box. With multiple compression straps on the sides and front, the Aether 70 was definitely built to last. Plus, with Ospreys’ lifetime guarantee, this is probably the last backpack you’ll ever have to buy for hiking!

Packability and How to pack the Osprey Aether 70

The Osprey Aether AG offers you the kind of organization you’d expect from a feature-rich backpack. it has plenty of room! At the front of the pack, the bag’s top lid has a medium and large zippered pocket, and the main compartment sports a large mesh pocket near the front panel. This comfortable pack is perfect for day hikes and multi-day adventures.

The J-shaped zipper makes it easy to access the main compartment, and with two hipbelt pockets, you have more than enough space to store bigger smartphones and other bulkier items like point-and-shoot cameras. If you carry trekking poles or an ice axe, this pack offers plenty of attachment options.

Storing water in the Aether AG 70 is just as effortless. The bag has two, dual access, water bottle pockets, making it easy to grab your water bottles without taking your pack off. The stretchy material can also hold a water bladder or Nalgene even when the bag is full.

Osprey’s organization game is strong, and the Osprey Aether AG 70 is a perfect example of that. Here are a few essential pointers to help you best organize your bag for a hike:

Outer stretch-woven pocket

This one is great for storing bathing suits, wet gear, clothes, flip flops, and towels.

Hip belt

The hip belt has a high-capacity zippered pocket on both sides, so it makes sense to use this space for small items like your wallet, keys, phone, or snacks you need quick access to.

Top Lid Pocket

The Osprey Aether AG 70 pack has a large pocket on its top lid, which closes with a zipper and gives you easy access to the main area, making it a great storage area for books or other similar gear. Use the main compartment underneath for all your bigger pieces of gear.

Detachable Daypack

this pack is integrated into the top lid. We think it is a fantastic extra on the pack, and as a bonus, the removable top also serves as protection for the contents in the main compartment of your pack. if you’re on a long excursion, this is perfect for your quick day hikes.

A plethora of attachment points

The outer area of the pack is loaded with attachment points that are ideal for hanging extra gear like trekking poles and ice axes.

Straps

The Aether AG has a myriad of straps for tightening or reducing the bag’s profile to your liking. This will also help the bag stay in the center of your body for comfort and support. The side compression straps can also double up as lash points for hanging additional gear.

On the Trail

The Osprey Aether AG 70pack is a technical backpack designed with outdoor adventures in mind, so we decided to give it a run for its money so we can do a proper review. As is, it weighs in at 5 pounds but can haul a lot for its size. Naturally, it’s a super comfortable bag, but that’s exactly what can be expected from just about any Osprey bag.

The superior Anti-Gravity system patented by Osprey, the pack’s shoulder straps, sternum strap, everything comes together to help you effortlessly carry a pretty heavy load without worrying if it’ll be overbearing.

Even though this Osprey bag doesn’t offer the carry-on capabilities that smaller backpacks do, and it doesn’t look urban, it does its job pretty darn well.

For what seems to be a reasonably simple pack, we have a LOT of positive things to say about its well-thought-out set of features and how well it performs in the real world.

The Osprey Aether AG 70 includes all the essential features that the majority of backcountry travelers want and need. But it also sports a few extras, most of which are removable, meaning that you can pick and choose what you want from the bag.

You can leave the lid behind to save weight. It comes with a built-in flap that serves as the primary top cover and provides access to the main compartment if you left the main lid behind. The zippered top lid pocket means the contents of your pack won’t fall out either. The sleeping bag compartment is also pretty handy as long as your sleeping bag isn’t oversized!

The two spacious, fully removable pockets that sit loosely on the waist belt cannot be ignored. These pockets might seem too much at first, but they fit just about any small or medium item you need to keep handy. If you don’t like these pockets, just remove one (or both) of them. The pack also sports a very handy internal hydration reservoir sleeve.

When you use your Osprey pack as a day or summit bag, the side compression straps cinch the backpack down adequately. Although the Aether 70 doesn’t offer too many strapping options, it does include straight-jacket compression, which is an absolute must.

The Stow-on-the-Go pole attachment is something that’s cool to have but not really a feature you’ll regularly use. We reckon this feature is overthought and overbuilt and something that can shave some weight off the pack’s 5 pounds. This isn’t a significant drawback because you can always just tuck your poles in under your shoulder strap or attach them to one of the pack’s attachment loops. You can also use the loops to store your rain cover. why? Because the pack doesn’t come with a built-in rain cover, which is a bit of a bummer.

We appreciate the advanced harness, which almost gives you the confidence to jump up and down with a 50Lbs load on your back. Even though the day’s hiking might tire you, the backpack will still be as comfortable as the moment you strapped it on.

Other Stuff

Female Fit

We’ve already touched on this subject, but the Osprey Aether 70 is a male-fit backpack. If you’re digging the features, however, and you’re a female, you can invest in the woman’s version of this pack, called the Ariel. The Osprey Ariel AG 65 has all the same features, but it has been designed with a female frame in mind.

Ventilation

The Osprey Aether 70 has the same suspension system as the hugely popular Atmos AG, which means it also has the same open mesh back panel that sits a couple of inches away from the pack itself. This keeps air moving and the wearer as comfortable as possible.

It’s worth mentioning that some of the great ventilation capabilities of the Atmos have been traded for more comfort in the Aether. Still, it’s a compromise that’s perfectly fine to most people. As such, you might end up with some sweat buildup in 85-degree-Fahrenheit conditions, and it’ll probably be most notable along the hip belt.

Integrated Daypack

One of our favorite features on the Aether 70 is the integrated top lid Daypack. It is stored in the top lid, and it is quite possibly one of the best built-in designs we’ve ever seen. The Daypack is easy to access, too: just unclip the buckles holding the top lid in place, unzip the top pocket, and pull everything out.

With light padding on the shoulder straps, the Daypack is surprisingly comfortable, has space for your water bottle in the side pockets, and is big enough for side excursions. Unlike most other removable daypacks, the Osprey includes a small exterior zippered pocket, a hang loop, and a separate sleeve for a hydration bladder. We’d probably buy the Daypack on its own if Osprey started selling it as is because that’s how handy it is!

Extra Touches

There are a lot of little design tweaks that contribute towards the Aether 70’s usability and comfort. The top of the frame provides a small “scoop” for some extra headspace and eliminates the feeling of your head being pushed forward.

The one-handed operation of the drawstring closure is another excellent feature. The main zipper pulls have a rubberized spreader that forms a ring, which is very convenient when you’re wearing gloves.

There are also the loops at the ends of the shoulder straps adjustment, which can be hooked with just one finger when you need to shift the weight a little.

AG Technology

Osprey’s Anti Gravity Suspension System isn’t exactly space technology, but it’s pretty close! The AG feature found in a range of Osprey’s backpacks is what gives the Aether 70 its moniker. It’s also not just one thing, but rather a range of bobs and bits that work together to provide ultimate comfort.

The Anti-Gravity technology consists of the back panel (suspended and runs from the lumbar to the upper torso), the harness system, and the hipbelt. These three features form what we like to call the holy trinity as far as suspension is concerned. And it all works together to ensure the weight of your pack is evenly distributed and not resting directly on your back and shoulders.

ISOForm Hip Belt

The Osprey Aether 70 has a hipbelt designed for comfort. More specifically, it is called ISOForm. This is Osprey’s own technology that molds to your body to ensure the most comfortable fit possible. This feature forms part of the AG system, so it’s crucial for how your bag performs with heavy loads.

Osprey Pack Sizer App

Osprey’s innovative pack sizer app uses the camera on your smartphone or tablet to measure your torso length. That outcome helps you choose the right pack size. It’s as easy as completing three simple steps to find your ideal fit!

Summary

The Osprey Aether AG 70 liter is a multi-day backpack that gets the balance between functionality, innovation, and style just right. With an abundance of impressive technical features, this bag is extremely comfortable and offers more than enough support to hikers, backpackers, and pretty much everyone else.

Taking its comfort, durability, and loads of space into consideration, the Aether will serve you best during extended hikes, mountaineering trips, and any other backpacking adventure and can handle heavy loads with ease.

The pack’s detachable Daypack is an unexpected but exceptionally functional extra. Even though this backpack is pricey, it can be a lifetime investment thanks to Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee. It fares much better than most of its contenders, still coming in on top after years, sports a hydration sleeve, and makes for a great choice regardless of whether you’re just day backpacking or going on a multi-day excursion.

The Aether 70’s endless list of features and its spacious compartments and roomy sleeping bag compartment make it worth every cent of the investment. There’s no doubt that the performance and quality of this bag are above average.

The Osprey Aether 70 might NOT be ideal for you if…

• You’re female. Women might not find the Aether 70 the most comfortable since it was designed to be a manly pack. Luckily, it also comes available in a female version, the Ariel. If you’re considering another brand, the Gregory Deva 60 might be a good place to start.
• If you travel light. Sure, the Aether 70 is exceptionally comfortable considering its size, but it’s still a big pack. That means that something like the Teton Sports Scout 3400 might be better suited for your needs if you like to travel light.
• You need more ventilation. The Aether 70 is super comfortable and does a very good job at keeping you dry, but if you need something that offers superior ventilation, the Osprey Atmos AG 65 is better suited to your needs.
• Your budget is tight. The Osprey Aether AG 70 is very durable and comfortable, but it definitely is NOT a budget backpack. The Aether series is one of Osprey’s pricier ranges.

The Osprey Aether 70 IS for you if…

• You like to go trekking. This bag really has a ton of features, making it the ideal fit for trekking. From tea trekking to alpine hiking, this versatile backpack has more than enough room for everything you’ll need.
• You need comfort. Osprey’s guaranteed comfort hasn’t been overlooked for the Aether 70. In fact, this pack is all about comfort. With its well-designed suspension system, mesh back, and famous Anti-Gravity system, you’ll never feel uncomfortable with this backpack.
• You don’t travel light. If you don’t travel with just a few outfits and always want to carry extra gear just in case, this bag has a lot of room for a lot of weight.
• You like to stay organized. The Aether AG 70 has an abundance of pockets and compartments, making it easy to pack your bag and keep things organized. We’re talking dividers, elastic mesh pouches, even hip belt pockets, and a lot more!