Review on Ultimate Adventure Companion: Osprey Packs Escapist Daypacks Medium by Maggie Woods

The Osprey Escapist 32 is my commuting and hiking pack. I've had it for over 3 years now and have ridden the bike over 6500 miles while wearing it. It's light, spacious, durable and comfortable. This is by far the best bike backpack I've ever used, but to be honest I've only tried 4 or 5 others. (leave shoes at work), a few bits and pieces, breakfast, a super packable rain jacket, keys, phone and wallet. This fills the bag less than half full. I can throw in a light jacket, my 14-inch Thinkpad X1, a 60% mechanical keyboard in a tote bag, and a 1K water bottle — and I could probably stuff a few more small things in. Since using this backpack, I've never had to (and didn't want to) go back to my large Vaude ski backpack that I used to take to work. The capacity of the backpack is often at its highest in the off-season when the trip starts in the 20's and heads home. at 60. On the way home I have to pack my cold-weather clothes, which can take up a lot of space. This backpack is also very stable on fast and difficult trails. Compression straps, cargo rides quietly. I tried another small backpack without these features, and its load squirted annoyingly. After 3 years of almost daily use, the Escapist is still in top shape. No broken buckles, zippers, seams or fabric. I don't notice any fading from the sun, but they can be. I really couldn't be happier. The Escapist has a number of many well-designed and useful features: there is no water bladder in the kit, but there is a place where you can "hang" it in a special soft slot. I pulled a 1.5 liter tank out of an oversized Camelback Trail backpack. The Escapist does not have bike tool storage like other bike backpacks. I bought their roll up tool bag and put it in the external storage compartment - works great. A well packed rain cover is included. In Colorado, most showers are short enough that I don't have to dig them out. But when necessary, it works well. The Escapist has several useful pockets: two on the waist belt, one on each side. Perfect for extra calories - Large ventilated pocket on the back that I use a lot (gloves etc.) - Pocket on the left shoulder strap that's perfect for my keys where I carry "pocket items" like a phone, wallet and lately also masks. The Escapist has a clip on the back of the backpack that you can "hang" your helmet on. This is very practical and a great design feature. Escapist has a so-called "airmesh backplate". At first I thought it was a gimmick, but on fast stretches on hot summer days I feel like it works. This is a small advantage, but since this feature has no noticeable disadvantages, it's a plus. There's really only one thing I don't like. When the main zipper is closed with buttons, the head is bent at an angle, which creates additional resistance. Unpacking is fine. It hasn't caused any crashes so far, so it's probably nothing to worry about. I would buy this pack again. And because it was so durable, I'm glad I didn't have to!