Osprey Manta 24 Backpack Review
I recently used the Osprey Manta 24 on my first 14er of the year - Mount Bierstadt here in Colorado. It was an 11-mile hike since the main road to the trailhead was closed and this pack did great the entire trip. I think the 24L capacity worked extremely well and held everything plus some that I needed for the day. With the included water bladder and multiple pockets on the Manta, I had plenty of room and organization for all of my gear. I will say that the pack feels much larger than typical 24-25L packs and I am not super small. The suspension system and back panel did extremely well and helped carry the 20lbs of gear and camera equipment I had easily. The only gripe off the start would be that it was not the most comfortable suspension system I have used with the “trampoline” part of the back sometimes digging into my sides. All in all the Manta 24 is a killer day hydration pack with tons of handy features and build quality.
If you want to purchase the Manta you can here - Osprey Manta 24
If you want to check out my video review of this pack go to the link below
PRICE ——- $160.00 US
FEATURES
SPECS
LOAD RANGE 10 - 30 lbs.
VOLUME DIMENSIONS WEIGHT O/S 1465 IN3 / 24 L 22.0H X 14.2W X 11.8D IN.2.89 LBS.
FABRIC——— MAIN 210D x 630D Nylon Dobby
ACCENT 100D Nylon Mini Honey Comb
BOTTOM 500D Nylon Packcloth
Highly ventilated, 3D-tensioned open mesh AirSpeed back panel with adjustable harness
Dedicated hydration compartment with included Osprey Hydraulics® LT 2.5L Reservoir by Hydrapak
Adjustable sternum strap with magnetic closure and bite valve attachment
Dual upper and lower compression straps
Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment
Heat-embossed, scratch-free zippered slash pocket
Front panel stretch mesh pocket
Dual access side stretch mesh pockets
Dual zippered hip belt pockets
Integrated rain cover
Ice tool loop with bungee tie-off
Low-profile, side zip front pocket with internal organization
CARRY
The Osprey Manta uses Osprey’s Highly ventilated, 3D-tensioned open mesh AirSpeed back panel with adjustable harness. This system did do an awesome job keeping my back cool during the day even with a jacket on and working up a cold sweat towards the peak of Bierstadt. The suspension system can be moved up or down to the wearer’s specs which is a great feature. Typically when I hear or see this feature on bags it feels gimmicky and sacrifices durability on the pack but this was not the case on the Manta. I was lucky enough to not have to adjust the pack at all to fit my torso perfectly which is about 19'“. The yoke can be adjusted by 4” either way. The hip belt on the Manta is nothing special but plenty for a full day hike or even bike riding. It has two decent sized pockets and were perfect for my GoPro and phone on the other side throughout my hike. The straps and the top portion of the back panel are made of OSprey’s air mesh and was extremely comfortable.
ORGANIZATION
The Manta 24 has 4 compartments with each having a pretty standard carrying plan. The first is the very top pocket on the bag which is also the smallest. This pocket is great to have on a day hiking bag and is perfect for smaller items you don't want all the way on the inside of the pack and that you could need to get to quickly. In this pocket, I kept my keys, wallet, sunscreen, headphones, and a portable charger. I love seeing this pocket on almost all of my packs as it just makes organizing much easier.
On the front of the pack, there is another smaller admin pocket with only one zipper to gain access. This compartment has some smaller mesh pockets for organization and is great to have. In this pocket, I kept my other smaller items I didn’t want in the main compartment; flashlight, multi-tool, headlamp, first aid kit, etc.
On either side of the Manta there are ample stretch-mesh water bottle pockets. A must have feature I think on a hiking pack of this size. They worked extremely well and carried some side water, go-pro gear and sunscreen during the trip. The pockets have two slots to throw water or gear and is genius. The normal top opening works well but if you want to be able to store gear or water while the pack is still on your back there is a side entry slot and you can put it diagonal in the pocket. This worked extremely well and I did not feel like if I wasn’t using this feature my other gear was going to fall out or move at all.
On the very front of the pack Osprey has put another stretch-mesh pocket that works well for a stash pocket. Any of sized gear like rain jackets, sun hoodies, gloves/hat etc can be stuffed into this pocket. I also use this pocket for Breck’s collapsible dog bowl and food/water when she comes hiking with me.
On the very bottom of the pack there is a small rain cover pocket which comes included with the pack. This is great as a rain cover is a very easy way to protect your equipment when it rains.
The Manta 24 has a large main compartment that can hold a full days worth of gear easily. It is a panel zip which I tend to like more than top loaders so you can get to the bottom of the pack a little easier. Insulated jacket, micro-spikes, rain jacket, snacks, camera gear, and a few others were in this compartment during my hike of Mount Bierstadt. I had plenty of room up top to spare. There is no organization in this compartment just one large pocket.
The Manta 24 is also a hydration pack and comes standard with a 2.5L hydration bladder. This is one of the best bladders I have used and worked perfectly during all of my hikes. The pack is a top filling bladder and is very easy to fill and also clean. The bite on the hose was great and even comes with a magnetic clip to store when hiking.
+
Hydration Bladder
Tons of Organization for a hiking pack
Rain cover
Multiple mesh pockets
Vented back panel
Hip and sternum straps
Load lifter straps
Reasonably priced
-
Only two colors
Was not the most comfortable pack I’ve used