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Gear Review: Osprey Eja 58

Gear Review: Osprey Eja 58

When it comes to outdoor adventures, it's all about choosing the right gear. An ill-fitting backpack can slow you down and put you at risk of injury. With so many packs on the market, it can be difficult to choose the right one.

That’s why we’re stoked to tell you about the Osprey Eja 58, which we put through its paces one misty weekend out in Blue Mountains. With the temperature sitting at a chilly 2° before dawn — and with the tendency for the mountains to be damp and rainy in the winter — we wanted to make sure we had plenty of room for all the gear we'd need to stay warm and dry.

Introducing the Osprey Eja 58

This backpack is ultralight and designed especially for women's bodies. The way the Eja 58 carries weight means it moves with your body rather than forcing your body to move with it. You can carry all the gear you need for multi-day adventures, and still move fast comfortably in this pack.

Features

This is a top loading pack, with two dual access side pockets, a front mesh pocket for wet gear, an internal sleeve for a hydration pack, and a removable top lid for when you're travelling light. The Eja 58 also features some external attachment points so you can fasten items to your pack, such as a sleeping mat and walking poles.

But the pack’s crowning glory is what Osprey describes as 'Airspeed™ Suspension'. What that means is that the aluminium frame and tensioned mesh is designed to keep the pack off of your back, for ventilation and comfort. This together with the cushioned shoulder straps and adjustable hip belt make the Eja 58 carry more comfortably than we thought possible for a pack of its size.

The Eja 58 itself weighs just over 1kg, and is designed to carry a load of 7-18kg.

Pros

  • Suspension carries load really well
  • Comfortable hip belt and shoulder straps
  • Removable lid with zip mesh pocket (and key clip)
  • Side pockets you can access without removing the pack
  • Lightweight, but with a roomy main compartment

Cons

  • No hip belt pockets
  • No rain cover

Neither of the cons are deal-breakers for us. A rain cover can be bought separately, and there's plenty of room for it in the front mesh pocket. And we used the side pockets to stow gear we wanted to have easy access to while hiking (such as phone, gloves, water bottle, snacks, glasses, etc). The dual access on the side pockets meant we could get to these items without having to take the pack off, and the mesh and compression straps kept the smaller items from falling out.

The Eja 58 comes in Equinox Blue and Moonglade Grey, and in three sizes: extra small, small, and medium so you can get the right pack for your torso length/height. The Osprey Eja 58 is great for women who want a comfortable, ultralight, no-fuss backpack for weekend adventures and multi-day hikes. There is room enough for all your gear in the pack's main compartment, and the fit means you can hike for hours without discomfort. At $269.95, this pack is an investment worth making.

We're looking forward to having the Osprey Eja 58 carry the load for many adventures to come!

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