Ariel 55 Osprey Packs Women's Backpack

Just the right volume for weekend trips and a customized fit, but without unnecessary extras.

• Special Note: IsoForm hipbelt and shoulder straps are available in multiple sizes; please call customer service at 800-369-3949 and talk to a pack expert to request the best size for you
• Key fabrics: 210-denier double ripstop, 210-denier Oxford, 420-denier Oxford, 500-denier Kodra, 840-denier stretch power mesh
• AirScape suspension consisting of peripheral 7075 AL rods, internal HDPE framesheet with single aluminum stay and a covering of ventilated nubbed foam and mesh grip
• Women's IsoForm shoulder harness with dual density foam and Spacer Mesh surface
• Women's IsoForm custom moldable hipbelt
• Two-way Stretch Woven nylon with Lycra® front pocket and side pockets
• Removable sleeping pad straps
• Side compression straps - perfect for carrying trekking poles
• Internal compression strap (red for easy visibility) to secure load
• Dual ice axe loops
• Detachable zippered top pocket
• Internal backpanel hydration pocket with twin exit ports
• Osprey Excessory compatible
• Capacity: 3,200 cu. in. (52 l) in small, 3,400 cu. in. (55 l) in medium
• Weight: 3 lbs. 11 oz. (1.67 kgs.) in small, 3 lbs. 14 oz. (1.76 kgs.) in medium

Women looking for a versatile pack for weekend trips, canyoneering, or extended trips with a go-light emphasis will certainly appreciate the Osprey Ariel 55 backpack. A trimmer version of its big sister, the Ariel 65, this backpack offers the same great harness / suspension system but in a smaller version. If you're budget conscious about your pack purchase, you don't have to settle for a generic fit. The editors at Backpacker magazine would agree, as they tagged the Ariel 65 (the 55's big sister) a Best Buy in their 2006 Gear Guide. The Osprey Ariel 55 women's backpack features the IsoForm custom moldable hipbelt that uses heat to achieve a precise fit. These hipbelts come in four women's specific sizes. Furthermore, the Isoform shoulder harness is available in four sizes, also contoured to fit women best. The pack to body surface of both the hipbelt and shoulder harness are entirely seamless, reducing the chance of pressure points developing. Next, the AirScape suspension, a carefully assembled sandwich consisting of an internal framesheet with single aluminum stay, ventilated rubber foam backpanel, and peripheral 7075 AL rods evenly transfers the weight to the hipbelt and shoulder harness for a terrific carry. The Osprey Ariel 55 backpack offers a number of useful features. A highlight is the two-way stretch woven front pocket, great for stowing almost any piece of Camping Equipment imaginable.

Purchase USD$45 or more and get free shipping. The Osprey Packs Ariel 55 Backpack for Women is available through Altrec.com.

Customer Reviews for the Ariel 55 Osprey Packs Women's Backpack

Nikii Murtaugh - November 27, 2009

Update to my 9/21/08 review
Osprey backs up their products. Some of the stitching came loose off the binding on the front pocket and I got a small hole in the middle of one of the side pockets. First, I contacted a local seamstress who was unable to repair the pack. Then I contacted Osprey, who gave me an RA. I boxed my pack up and sent the it. My pack came back all repaired, including the hole in the pocket. Osprey fits me so well, that I also bought a Talon 22 day pack, which is the perfect companion for day hikes, snowshoeing, and travel with a rollerboard suitcase.

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Naomi - April 11, 2009

very comfortable
It served me well, two years in the Peace Corps, 8 day dessert hike and 5 day canyon hike. It holds up well sliding against rocks, light and sturdy. Forces you to pack efficiently. Even combats airport wear and tear with my 4.5 month backpacking African journey.

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Nikii Murtaugh - September 21, 2008

Outstanding Fit
I love my Osprey Ariel 55! I just completed a section hike on the PCT with it and was just as impressed as I was when I bought it on the CT in 2006. It's just the right size for me. The only thing I've done to it was buy a smaller hip belt, because I lost weight and the one of the pack was too big. It protected my body and back quite well, as I had the misfortune to fall twice, and roll down the hills.

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Jeanette Gann, Juneau, Alaska - July 6, 2008

Great pack!
I bought my Ariel pack about a year ago and have been very happy with it. I was reluctant to let go of my 15 year old external frame Kelty that I loved, but after my first trip with the Ariel was amazed at how comfortable this pack rode. Scrambling around on rocks and uneven areas is no problem, the pack remains close (but not uncomfortably so) and did not throw me off balance at all. The hip belt is very comfortable, it expands easily and I was impressed with how much the 55 could hold. The fit is perfect, and it's very sturdy. I highly recommend it!

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Becky S. Tucson, AZ - December 27, 2007

I Adore This Backpack!
I got this pack as a gift before embarking on a 75 day backpacking trip around Europe. It expanded easily when I crammed it full of souvenirs, the zippers and stitches held strong against all of my abuse and I'm sure it will serve me well on many future trips :) The best part of this pack is the Airscape Suspension for the back. It keeps the pack from being entirely against your skin and getting all sweaty. I actually wore my pack with a terrible back sunburn (never fall asleep on the beach!) without much irritation.

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Sizing Chart

All Osprey packs, save the transit bags, are available in multiple sizes to fit a range of torso lengths. To find your torso length, have a friend measure your back along the spine from the level of your iliac crest (the top of your hipbones) to your C7 (the knobby bone at the base of your neck).

To determine your hipbelt size measure around your hips, not your waist. A properly fitted hipbelt rides centered over the hipbones and needs to be very snug; after all it will be carrying the bulk of the pack's weight. The padded portion should wrap well around your hips, leaving a gap of 3 to 6 inches between the tips of the pads when securely tightened.

Nearly all Osprey hipbelts use an exclusive ErgoPull design. It creates mechanical advantage to provide extra leverage in cinching down the hipbelt. The ErgoPull design also draws tension along the top and bottom of the belt, not through the center, so it distributes pressure more evenly over the padding and relieves direct pressure on the hipbones.

Step 3 - Harness

Osprey Crescent & Luna, Aether & Ariel and Waypoint packs offer interchangeable shoulder harnesses. Harness sizing usually corresponds to pack size, but your best bet is to try one on. A properly fit harness should terminate 2 to 3" beneath the armpit. Webbing should not touch the body. By breaking the hook and loop connection and sliding the harness up and down the backpanel the torso length can be adjusted up to 3". (see illustration).

Once you have the correct size pack, harness and hipbelt, and the torso length set properly, it's time to put some weight in the pack (20 to 30 pounds of well distributed weight will do) and dial in the fit. First, snug down the hipbelt and harness. Connect the sternum strap (A) - position it about 2 inches below your collarbones and snug it down lightly. Finally, tighten the load lifter straps to draw the load solidly against your back. The lift straps (B) should come off your shoulders at a 45 to 60 degree angle in Osprey's ReCurve and Ethereal Suspension packs. In other models these straps serve more as compression straps and ride flatter; they may even angle downwards.

In a good fit, there should be no pressure points and no gaps between your body and the pack. With Osprey's ReCurve packs, final tweaking may involve custom fitting the aluminum stays to your back.