Kit review: Osprey Sportlite 25 Extended Fit
Reviewed by Emily
FEATURES
This bag has lots of features! There is large back compartment, and then two pockets on the front - the larger of these is perfect for carrying a laptop and notebook, with mesh pockets for the cables and the smaller is great for keys or your wallet or your hat and gloves. There are deep mesh water bottle pockets each side (which fit a water bottle really securely) and compressions straps to keep everything secure. There are two hip pockets, one mesh and one with a zip - the zipped one is big enough that I can fit my phone in easily, and accessible when I want to take photos. There is also a hydration pocket right at the back.
SIZE AND FIT
There are so many fit features that make this bag game changing. The obvious one is that the waist straps are longer (up to 70” hips), but also the hip pockets are positioned so that I can actually reach them rather than having to scrabble around blindly behind my back. The back length isn’t adjustable, but the pack is available in S/M and M/L - I tried the M/L one (because that was what was available at the time), but in hindsight the S/M would have been a better fit for me. The shoulder straps are also longer than those on a standard size pack, and sit really nicely on me.
PERFORMANCE
As you can see from the review, this has quickly become my everyday bag. It’s big enough that I can have a coat and a layer in the main pocket, along with my lunch. Then everything else I need during the day goes in the other two smaller pockets. I often take the scenic route home - about a 40 minute walk - and having a bag where the waist band and chest band fit nicely, holding everything securely, is a game changer. It is by far the most comfortable backpack that I have ever owned. It is a great size for walking when it’s not too cold - in the winter it is probably a bit small to carry everything you need unless you have very lightweight kit. But all in all I highly recommend this bag, it’s really versatile for both day to day and hill use and the extended fit is mindblowingly better for me than regular sized packs.
RRP £95
