I first went backpacking in 1990, back then if you wanted to be a real backpacker you got a humongous Lowe Alpine teal and purple backpack. And pretty much people keep using them today. I love heading out in the back country and staying under stars. But I have a job and on top of that go to grad school. So I rarely if ever go out for more than one night. Yet I still carried a huge pack with a ton of gear in it.
Enter the Osprey Hornet 46, which literally changed the game for me. It is an ultra light backpack that has 46 liters of capacity and tons of small well thought out features.
The bag is made of lightweight ripstop material, with lightweight straps and tons of compression points. It has mesh shoulder straps with large cutouts in the foam for lighter weight and increased breathability.
The shoulder straps also have elastic pouches integrated for holding snacks. They fit Clif Shots perfectly.
The shoulder straps also have an adjustable sternum strap, with a built in whistle which is a nice little touch The shoulder straps have elastic straps for guiding your hydration hose, and the pack has a large opening in the back for a reservoir. I used a 3L bladder with no problems.
The top pocket of the pack is removable, and features a top zippered pocket.
And the underside of the same top flap/pocket is another zippered pocket.
The pack has one large central pocket. which has a cordlock closure and compression strap.
You can see on the front of the pack, there is a large mesh pocket with easy access for things like hats, gloves and power bars.
The pack has large stretchy pockets running the full length on the sides of the pack.The pockets also have webbing to compress the pack as a whole, and to keep you gear from moving around in the pockets.
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| Holding tent poles and hiking staff |
A neat feature on the pockets: half way down there is an access cutout, which is just so nice for grabbing that thing you jammed down in the bottom before you left.
The waist strap is a big departure from the backpacks of old. My old backpacking pack had a 6″ tall 2″ thick foam belt with a 2″ webbing buckle. The Osprey Hornet 46 has a small 1″ strap with mesh pockets on the side.
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| Mesh pockets, great for holding dog treats and a camera. |
You know what? It was as comfortable if more so than my old pack.
This pack made me rethink what I carried on a trip, it easily fit everything I needed for a one night overnight. I left some extra stuff at home because of the smaller (2760 i^3) capacity of the pack.
Every thing possible has been thought out with this pack. There is nothing at all I would change about it,
You want to question how a pack so light, with small straps could compare to the pack you have in your basement and have used for years. It is actually more comfortable than any other backpacking pack I have used. So if you need a pack for a one or two night overnight, check out the Osprey Hornet 46, you won’t be disappointed.
Osprey Says:
With 46 liters of capacity, the Hornet 46 offers carrying capability for overnight backpacking and even ultralight thru-hiking while maintaining a minimalist weight for light and fast travels.
