Osprey Raptor 10 Review

Osprey Raptor 10 on the top of Grays Peak

Whether your mountain biking, hiking, or trail running, the Osprey Raptor 10 is a great option for a 3 liter hydration pack.  We tested this pack out for a couple months on all of our activities and it has become one of our favorite hydration packs.  Coming in at 520 cubic inches, this pack is big enough to carry the necessities, but if you are one of those people that like to bring your gear closet in your backpack, this is not the pack for you.  Lucky for you and Osprey, you can upgrade to the Raptor 18 which is around 1000 cubic inches.

In the Raptor 10, we were able to stash a light rain jacket, a base layer for sudden colder temps, and a light meal.  The pack also has some small pockets on the waste belt to stash a camera, cell phone (big enough for a smart phone), or an energy bar.

Osprey teamed up with Nalgene to make a resevoir specific for Osprey.  This was one of our favorite features of the pack.  We found it super easy to load the bladder filled with water into an already full pack. The basic concept is that there is a plastic plate on the back of the bladder giving it some structure.  This makes it super easy to slip in and out of the pack.  As seen on some other packs, there is a magnet attached to the bite valve that connects to the sternum strap and keeps the valve from flapping around during activity.  This is a really nice feature while running.

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The main compartment of the pack is descent size and can accommodate larger objects. The reservoir compartment is a separate pocket closest to the back which helps you carry the greatest weight close to your body. This pack comes with load lifter straps on the top of the pack where you can adjust them to adjust how much weight gets put on your shoulders. This can come in handy on longer adventures, but it’s usually not necessary for short adventures.  The straps of the pack are minimal to keep weight down, but we didn’t think the sacrafice for padding affected the comfort level.

For the mountain bikers out there, the pack comes with a bungee clip to lock the helmet on to the outside of the pack.  Overall, we found the pack to be a great all around hydration pack and are happy to give the Osprey Raptor 10 our seal of approval.