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Home / Gear / Backpacks

Osprey Aether/Ariel 60/55 vs 70/65 vs 85/75 [or PRO?]

Last updated: June 8, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

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How large is Aether AG 70. 

What you'll learn from this post: Whether you should get an Aether 60, 70, 85 or PRO 70; or an Ariel AG 55, 65, 75 or PRO 65 (women's counterparts). 

As you know, besides Arc'teryx Jackets, I review and admire Osprey Backpacks (full list at the bottom) the most here in this site, so I'm usually asked a lot of questions. 

Osprey backpacks, especially Aether/Ariel AG Line, are far from cheap, so I'd encourage you to read this short (3-4 min) post entirely.

But if you desperately want a short answer:

I'd recommend the Aether AG 70 (or Ariel AG 65) over the 55/60/75/85 to most of you. It's also quite pretty, and this Adirondack Green is really liked by many - including me. PRO would be an overkill unless either used for thru-hikes or alpine expeditions.

We'll get to the optimal volume you should pick, but in order to be able to compare them, I think you really need to understand their stance first in Osprey's entire product line, which hints their design intentions.

  • #A sidenote here: REI's backpack capacity chart is GOLD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you read any further. 

This will boost your chances of choosing the right volume for your own needs and desires.

But, if you don't want to hear this part out (although I think you should), navigate to "What is the perfect volume" heading from here:

Quick Navigation
Do you really need an Aether/Ariel?
So what is the perfect volume?
What about PRO?

Do you really need an Aether/Ariel?

As you can also (maybe) see in this chart I've put together:

  • Related Data Set: Osprey's All Backpacking Backpacks
  • Bold are my top picks for each group (based on trip length).
  • If you tend to pack more or less than the average person, then shift the trip length values accordingly.
  • If you're planning to get either one of them, I'd also highly recommend you to check out Osprey's own PackFinder tool as well.

To see the full table and my top picks, visit my post Best Osprey Hiking Backpacks. 

Rotate your phone sideways for a better table display.

 

Comfort

Features & Organization

Weight (M Size)


Trip Length: 7+ nights [>90 L]

Xenith 105 (Men's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

10/10

10/10

5.78 lbs

Cell

Trip Length: 5-7 nights [75 - 90 L]

Xenith 88 (Men's)

Xena 85 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

10/10

10/10

5.61 lbs

Aether AG 85 (Men's)

Ariel AG 75 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

8/10

9/10

5.37 lbs

Cell

Trip Length: 2-5 nights [55 - 75 L]

Sweet spot. Versatile picks.

Atmos AG 65 (Men's)

Aura AG 65 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

10/10

8/10

4.56 lbs

Xenith 75 (Men's)

Xena 70 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

9/10

10/10

5.56 lbs

Volt 75 (Men's)

Viva 65 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

8/10

6/10

4.3 lbs

Aether PRO 70 (Men's)

Ariel PRO 65 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

10/10

4/10

3.94 lbs

Aether AG 70 (Men's)

Ariel AG 65 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

9/10

9/10

5.21 lbs

Aether AG 60 (Men's)

Ariel AG 55 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

9/10

9/10

5.15 lbs

Volt 60 (Men's)

[PDF Manual]

8/10

6/10

4.3 lbs

Rook 65 (Men's)

Renn 65 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

6/10

5/10

3.52 lbs

Levity 60 (Men's)

Lumina 60 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

8/10

4/10

1.95 lbs

Exos 58 (Men's)

Eja 58 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

7/10

4/10

2.58 lbs

Cell

Trip Length: 1-3 nights [45 - 55 L]

Atmos AG 50 (Men's)

Aura AG 50 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

9/10

7/10

4.21 lbs

Kestrel 48 (Men's)

Kyte 46 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

[Read my review]

8/10

8/10

3.59 lbs

Stratos 50 (Men's)

Sirrus 50 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

8/10

8/10

3.68 lbs

Levity 45 (Men's)

Lumina 45 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

8/10

4/10

1.85 lbs

Exos 48 (Men's)

Eja 48 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

7/10

4/10

2.57 lbs

Rook 50 (Men's)

Renn 50 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

6/10

6/10

3.49 lbs

Viva 50 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

8/10

6/10

4.02 lbs

Cell

Trip Length: 0-1 nights [<45 L]

Kestrel 38 (Men's)

Kyte 36 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

[Read my review]

8/10

8/10

3.40 lbs

Stratos 36 (Men's)

Sirrus 36 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

8/10

8/10

3.30 lbs

Talon 44 (Men's)

Tempest 40 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

8/10

6/10

2.44 lbs

Talon 33 (Men's)

Tempest 30 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

9/10

5/10

2.02 lbs

Exos 38 (Men's)

Eja 38 (Women's)

[PDF Manual]

[Read my review]

8/10

4/10

2.48 lbs

If you're interested in getting a travel backpack, check out my Osprey's top travel backpacks post. 

Aether/Ariel AG Line isn't designed to perform very well in every backpacking activity (although it still does much better than average), but to excel in one thing: Extended trips and/or hauling heavy loads.

...which is why Osprey advertises them as mountaineering backpacks as well, in addition to as backpacking backpacks. They make an incredible job in both.

  • On the other hand, if you ARE looking for one that performs very well in every activity...

Then you should check out my Atmos/Aura 50/65 AG Review, not Aether/Ariel AG.

So, generally speaking, there are some specific conditions where an Aether/Ariel pack would pay off the most. These include but are not limited to:

Did I mention how perfect Aether/Ariel is for backpacking with pets? Obviously kidding, lol. I meant carrying the equipment of your pet.

  1. Thru-hikes,
  2. Alpine expeditions,
  3. Backpacking in winter, 
  4. 4-5+ day backpacking trips,
  5. Backpacking with kids/pets.

Typically, the first two items are better dealt with Aether/Ariel PRO 70/65, whereas the remaining three are handled by Aether AG 60/70/85 and Ariel AG 55/65/75.

So what makes Aether/Ariel AG Line a perfect match for these activities? 

  • Bulkier suspension that makes heavy hauling noticeably more comfortable,
  • Convertible top lid daypack (IMPORTANT: Available in US & Canada ONLY, but you can order this one),
  • A central access (through a side panel zip for 55/60 and a front J-zip for 65/70/75/85) to main compartment (Not available in PRO configurations).

As you can see in almost all my other posts, I'm a HUGE fan of Atmos/Aura AG 65 and I recommend it to anyone who's looking for the best backpacking backpack for basically everything.

  • How to distinguish a previous model of Aether/Ariel from the most recent one?

Click on image to enlarge. Pay attention to red squares (duh).

In other words, this one is the most recent model. Not this one.

If you find a good deal for the old Aether/Ariel, and you like the design, you can get it over the recent one. Updates are minor going from the old to recent model and likely won't make a noticeable difference in practice.

However, these 3 features Aether/Ariel AG Line offers (which, by the way, Atmos/Aura AG Line doesn't) are crucial for extended trips and/or hauling heavy loads, as you can also see in my Osprey Atmos vs Aether and Osprey Aura vs Ariel comparisons.

They'll save tons of time and frustration.


Now if you've read up to this point, you should know whether an Aether/Ariel AG would be a good option for your own needs and desires. 

Ariel AG 65.

And if you think you do, now it's time for you to make a decision for the volume.

So what is the perfect volume?

Some say the more space you have, the more you'll pack, but I don't think this is necessarily true for most of us.

Remember, not needing the extra volume but having it is always better than wishing some extra volume but not having it.

This is why I always recommend going for 10-15 L more than what you think you'll need. You never know what comes up.

As a rule of thumb, this corresponds to:

  • Aether AG 70 or Ariel AG 65 for up to 5 days of backpacking trips,
  • Aether AG 85 or Ariel AG 75 for more than 5 days of backpacking trips. It's HUGE.

Osprey Aether AG 70 Men's Backpacking Backpack
Osprey Aether AG 70 Men's Backpacking Backpack
(356)
Buy on Amazon
Osprey Ariel AG 65 Women's Backpacking Backpack (2020 Model)
Osprey Ariel AG 65 Women's Backpacking Backpack...
(94)
Buy on Amazon

See? Aether AG 85 is HUGE!

Yes, I didn't list Aether AG 60 and Ariel AG 55 here because I think they're somehow misplaced in Osprey's entire backpacking backpack line.

Aether AG 60 and Ariel AG 55 are still fantastic packs and the reason I don't recommend them stems from the superiority of the alternative option, Atmos/Aura Line; NOT from the inferiority of Aether AG 60 and Ariel AG 55.

Because, when you think about it, if you think you'd be able to get away with relatively small volume, then you probably wouldn't benefit aforementioned 3 unique features of Aether/Ariel AG that much anyway.

In that case, you'd probably be better getting an Osprey Atmos/Aura AG 65.

The only scenario I can think of where it'd make sense getting an Aether AG 60 or Ariel AG 55 over the Atmos/Aura AG 65 would probably be carrying lots of heavy items {more than, say, 50 lbs (23 kg) at total} and/or desperately needing a convertible daypack & central access to the main compartment.

In that heavy hauling case, relatively weak suspension of Atmos/Aura AG 65 might not cut it. So you might see a noticeable extra benefit with Aether AG 60 or Ariel AG 55.

Osprey Aether AG 60 Men's Backpacking Backpack (2020 Model)
Osprey Aether AG 60 Men's Backpacking Backpack...
(151)
Buy on Amazon
Osprey Aether AG 70 Men's Backpacking Backpack
Osprey Aether AG 70 Men's Backpacking Backpack
(356)
Buy on Amazon
Osprey Aether AG 85 Men's Backpacking Backpack
Osprey Aether AG 85 Men's Backpacking Backpack
(131)
Buy on Amazon

Osprey Ariel AG 55 Women's Backpacking Backpack
Osprey Ariel AG 55 Women's Backpacking Backpack
(58)
Buy on Amazon
Osprey Ariel AG 65 Women's Backpacking Backpack (2020 Model)
Osprey Ariel AG 65 Women's Backpacking Backpack...
(94)
Buy on Amazon
Osprey Ariel AG 75 Women's Backpacking Backpack
Osprey Ariel AG 75 Women's Backpacking Backpack
(36)
Buy on Amazon

What about PRO?

Like I said, you must have a solid reason to get a PRO.

Which is either thru-hikes, alpine expeditions, or falling love with its design. Otherwise it's most likely an overkill.

No products found.

Guide: Backpacks

Start here:

  • Best Osprey Hiking Backpacks: My Top Picks
  • Best Osprey Travel Backpacks: My Top Picks

Complete list:

Backpacking Backpacks

  • Osprey Atmos AG 50
  • Osprey Atmos AG 65
  • Osprey Aura AG 50
  • Osprey Aura AG 65
  • Osprey Aether AG 60
  • Osprey Aether AG 70
  • Osprey Aether AG 85
  • Osprey Aether PRO 70
  • Osprey Ariel AG 55
  • Osprey Ariel AG 65
  • Osprey Ariel AG 75
  • Osprey Ariel PRO 65
  • Osprey Xenith 75, 88 & 105
  • Gregory Baltoro 65, 75, 85, 95 PRO
  • Osprey Kestrel 38
  • Osprey Kestrel 48
  • Osprey Kyte 36
  • Osprey Kyte 46
  • Kelty Redwing 50
  • Teton Sports Scout 3400

Light Backpacking Backpacks

  • Osprey Talon 22
  • Osprey Talon 33
  • Osprey Talon 44
  • Osprey Exos 48
  • Osprey Exos 58
  • Osprey Stratos 24
  • Osprey Stratos 34
  • Osprey Stratos 36
  • Osprey Stratos 50

Travel Backpacks

  • Osprey Farpoint 40
  • Osprey Farpoint 55
  • Osprey Farpoint 70
  • Osprey Porter 46
  • Osprey Sojourn 45
  • eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible
  • Best Carry-on Backpacks

Hydration Backpacks

  • Osprey Raptor 10
  • Osprey Raptor 14

Filed Under: Backpacks Tagged With: backpacks, osprey, osprey backpacking backpacks

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Hey, what's up? Canberk here. I try to approach outdoor gear from a scientific point of view. Here's more about me.

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