Osprey Packs SpaceStation 100 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)EDIT: We've since brought this monster on a couple of big (international) trips. No one charged us or said anything about it being oversized. It did get completely thrashed and we can't make a claim since it is oversized (oversized bags are excluded from the airlines' baggage damage claim policy). So, until we get caught and forced to pay, it sure is awesome as a way to travel with kids. We a) fit our big kid's booster inside, b) strap our other carseat to the outside straps and the thing doubles as an in-airport stroller! Super fantastic!
We bought this to take on trips with our kids. Its a phenomenal bag - I love Osprey gear. However, it exceeds maximum 62 inch dimensions - will cost you $100 to take on a plane.

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Designed for travelers with modest yet still significant load requirements, the Osprey SpaceStation 100 pack makes a great hauler for your next road trip. The pack--which boasts 6,100 total cubic inches of storage space--is built around a huge main compartment that carries a wide variety of items, along with a large base compartment that opens with a panel zipper. In between the two compartment sits a large bellows, making it easy to keep your gear sorted and separate. The pack also offers two divided and one full pocket on each side, giving you plenty of room for extra items, such as flashlights, small digital cameras, sunscreen, and more. And users will love the wet/dry pocket, which not only keeps special items dry during rainstorms, but also lets you separate wet swimming suits and other items from the rest of your clothes.
Don't worry about jostling your gear while wearing the SpaceStation 100, as the pack's aluminum frame will keep everything safe and sound, with StraightJacket straps and a handy compression system keeping the gear secure. Other details include a high-road chassis with extra-large wheels that roll equally well over cobblestone and concrete and six grab loops for easy carrying. The SpaceStation 100 measures 18 by 44 by 16 inches (W x H x D) and weighs only 9 pounds, 11 ounces.

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Osprey Airporter LZ Duffle Review

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(More customer reviews)I read somewhere that it's important to encase a backpack with a duffel bag when checking it as airline baggage. The duffel bag keeps the pack's various straps and buckles from catching in baggage claim conveyer belts, and helps prevent the loss of items attached to the pack (or that fall from opened pockets). With that in mind, I figured I'd go with the Osprey Airporter for my plane ride to Paris, France, en route to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. It served me well, but was it really necessary?
The Osprey swallowed my 4,300 cubic inch medium-sized Gregory Baltoro with plenty of room to spare. It has a small external pocket for an ID tag, and a bare-bones shoulder strap for grabbing the Airporter off the baggage claim treadmill or hauling it around the airport. When not in use, the Airporter stuffs into a small pouch that is part of the bag, and the whole thing flattens down a little smaller (but thicker) than a Frisbee. The Airporter did its job on my round-trip flight - no pack straps or buckles were damaged, its metal zipper stayed closed without a lock, and I didn't lose any gear. And with a green ribbon tied around the carrying strap, it was easy to spot and snag on the baggage claim treadmill.
However, there are cheaper and easier alternatives to the Osprey Airporter. For example, I noticed that one backpack on the baggage claim treadmill had been wrapped in a clear plastic bag with the airline's logo on it (Continental). I'm not sure I'd count on every airline to provide that service, but it gave me the idea that perhaps all you need is a large heavy-duty garbage bag. It's not pretty, nor does it have a shoulder strap or ID tag holder. But a garbage bag can also double as a pack cover, liner, or poncho in case of rain. And after you've left the airport you can toss the garbage bag - however, you'll have to haul the Osprey around, thus taking up precious pack space and adding weight (to relieve myself of that burden, I eventually mailed the Osprey to a post office in Santiago, where I picked it up after finishing the Camino).
At any rate, if you have a fondness for specialized travel items and don't mind the extra bulk or expense, then go for the Osprey Airporter. It protected my backpack and prevented equipment loss, so I'm grateful. But keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with cheap and easy alternatives - a lesson I learned on the Camino.

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Osprey Meridian 22 Inch/60L Pack Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had an Osprey Meridian 22" for three years now. I have taken it with me on multiple trips, domestic and international, urban and rural, for up to one week long. I consider it the best pack for light travelers like myself.
PROS:
1. Mobility - The wheels and frame allow you to move it without picking it up. The concealed harness and belt are easily taken out when you wish to carry it on your back and free up both hands.
2. Detachable day pack - The well-designed day pack is quite spacious and far exceeds my expectation in how much it holds.
3. Size - Without the day pack, a fully packed Osprey Meridian 22" is still small enough to fit in the overhead bin of any commercial airliners. This allows one to avoid baggage check-in and all related hassles (fees, loss in flight connection, delay at baggage claim, damage by rough handling, etc.).
4. Durability and lifetime warranty - Osprey stands behind their products for good. The only thing I needed replacement so far was a loop string on one of the zippers. I filled and submitted a simple part request form online, and received an email response on the same day. In a few days the replacement part was received in the mail.
CONS:
None (the relatively high price is worth it).
If you are looking for a convenient and versatile luggage that you can carry (literally) around for up to one week, this is it.

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Nothing beats the convenience of a good travel bag, and the Osprey Meridian 22 delivers on several levels. Much of the time, the Meridian 22 looks like an ordinary wheeled travel bag, with a set of extra-large polyurethane wheels with sealed bearings and a three-position ergonomic handle. However, once you arrive at your destination and leave the airport, you can unleash the stowable harness and hip belt and turn the Meridian into a handy backpack. As a result, it's easy to transport the bag pretty much anywhere--through airport concourses, over dirt roads, and atop cobblestone streets. Just as importantly, each of the transport options is built for comfortable use, as the harness and hip belt are outfitted with a mesh-vented back panel and a padded lumbar, while the high-traction wheels are designed to roll easily and smoothly over all types of terrain.
The Meridian 22 is moderately spacious, with 2,500 cubic inches of space in the main pack and an additional 1,200 cubic inches in the detachable daypack--an ideal accessory for short hikes and daytrips. Storage options include a large main compartment with straps to prevent clothing migration, a side mesh pocket, and a side fabric pocket for organization. The daypack, meanwhile, offers such options as a padded laptop sleeve that fits up to 15.4-inch screens, a full mesh pocket for further organization, side water bottle pockets, and top and back-panel entry. Additional features include a large panel zip that gives you access to the main pack without removing the daypack, a curved high-clearance base, and top and side carrying handles.
The main pack measures 14 by 22 by 9 inches (W x H x D)--the maximum legal size for airline carry-ons--while the daypack measures 10.5 by 19 by 5.6 inches. Together, the bags weigh 8 pounds 9 ounces and carry Osprey's lifetime warranty.
About Osprey Things at Osprey move full circle, starting with the people, moving to the product, and then back again to the people for the lifetime of the product. Company founders Mike Pfotenhauer and Laurie White started the company in 1974 in Santa Cruz, California, introducing such features in the next few years as breathable mesh panels, custom-fit internal frame mountaineering packs, and slide adjustable chest straps. The company moved to a former Gore-tex factory in Dolores, Colorado, in 1990, and then to Cortez, Colorado, in 1994. Nestled in the corner of the rugged San Juan mountains and on the edge of vast sandstone canyon country, the Cortez landscape provides the Osprey team with constant inspiration and a superb testing ground for the packs.
The remainder of the team, including Osprey founder and head designer Pfotenhauer, reside in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Surrounded by heat, endless bustle, and vibrant energy, Team Vietnam designs and builds Osprey packs to the company's exacting standards. Living in HCM City provides several benefits, including the ability to ensure fair labor standards for the company's manufacturing employees and establish face-to-face relationships with the factories that build the company's packs. Osprey's mission is to create innovative, high-performance gear that reflects the employees' love of adventure and devotion to the outdoors.

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