For the past couple weeks I have been racing and training in the Osprey Rev 24, a new pack specially made for long distant runners and endurance athletes.
The first time I put it on, I did not take it off for literally 41 hours during a 4-day adventure race in Belize in which I trekked, mountain biked, and canoed for a total of 250 miles.
For more than 10 years I have been testing packs and often have trouble finding one that fits my petite size. This is a unisex model and available in two sizes, but the small fits like a glove, something that is very rare for me. I am 5’1” and 110lbs, and the waistlines of backpacks rarely fit well.
The Rev 24 ($130) is one of a line of six “Rev” packs for endurance athletes from Osprey. It has the largest volume in the series, which also includes the Solo, 1.5, 6, 12 and 18.
Related: Check out our 1,000-mile ultra-running test of the Osprey Rev 1.5 pack
The series has Osprey’s new bio-stretch “body harness” and a “body belt,” which helped the Rev 24 conform to me almost perfectly. The key word here is “almost” as I had everything cinched down all the way. One size smaller for extra small waists would be ideal. However, even though there was a little wiggle room, I had no chafing or rubbing in commonly irritated areas.
I liked the easy-to-access bladder. It comes with a 2.5 liter bladder that has its own compartment and can disconnect easily from the hose. This made refilling water quick (even with a full pack), letting me concentrate on other important tasks.
A magnet on the chest/body harness used to keep the hydration hose conveniently situated for drinking at first proved to be useful, but then it quickly stopped working. It would stay connected if I was walking, but as soon as I started to run or go down some rough trail on my bike, it would disconnect. Also, beware of wearing a compass around your neck as the magnet may interfere with the polarity of the needle.
Different zippered compartments, a small top pocket, a stretch side mesh pocket, two hip side pockets and two bigger compartments (one of them being for the bladder) made it easy for me to organize my limited valuables: sunscreen, sunglasses, a light rain jacket, extra socks, batteries, headlamp and food. It was a breeze to have everything I needed accessible on the go.
For the tech savvy, a removable drop-down media pocket on the chest harness provides a secure spot for an iPod or iPhone. The easy access and ability to touch the screen through the protection was really nice and convenient. I would not take it down whitewater or anywhere where you could potentially fully submerge the backpack, as it does not seem completely waterproof.
Overall, this pack is a new favorite for fast and light endeavors. It is comfortable, simple and has all the necessary features. With different volumes available and two different sizes, it is accessible to many different body types for all sorts of high intensity endurance adventures.
—Chelsey Magness
