One issue I was worried about before buying the 85-litre Aether Plus was whether it would compress enough to be comfortably worn at only half capacity. And I am glad to say it does.

The additional external storage options for the Aether Plus allow for increased organisation for hikers that continuously need to grab equipment from their bags on the fly. That said, this feature would not deter me from buying the Aether Plus and instead, makes no difference either way. Is The Osprey Aether Plus 85 Sustainable?In terms of load carrying, I previously mentioned that the Aether features a large and yet streamlined single main compartment. This is my preferred system and it swallows gear effortlessly. Systems like this need thought so that you have the right things where you need them and my preferred method is to use ultralight dry bags for key items. If you haven’t then maxed out on capacity there is the option for using those compression straps. Inside the main compartment is the bladder sleeve for up to a 3 litre bladder size and this integrated effortlessly into the whole system. The Aether Pro was carried by Nims Purja as he became the fastest person on Earth to climb all 14 of the world's 8 000 plus peaks in less than 7 months. The previous world record? 7 years. All this compression means that even if the Aether is virtually empty, the load will always be secure and balanced. The men’s Osprey Aether and women’s Ariel range are split into three categories– the Aether/Ariel, Aether Plus/Ariel Plus and the Aether Pro/Ariel Pro. The major difference between the three is the storage capabilities. The Osprey Aether Plus is certainly not winning any medals for the lightest design, weighing in at 2.8 kg. This is predominantly due to its highly durable nylon construction and the state-of-the-art suspension system that can hold up to 32 kg comfortably.

I’ve tried to keep the features section as brief as possible, but it is evident there is a lot of detail to discuss with the Aether 70 Pro. I’ll try and be succinct with this section too, but bear with me as I think this will take a fair bit of wordage to discuss in sufficient detail. The All-Mighty Guarantee is a lifetime warranty whereby Osprey agrees to fix many defects at any time. No matter when you bought your bag, you can mail it to Osprey and they will fix any problems free of charge. I’ve watched with fascination and admiration this year as Osprey athlete Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja has quested his way to a stunning new record on the world’s highest mountains. Just incase you missed the news, Nims has recently finished his ground breaking challenge and, by climbing the 14 8000 metre peaks in only 7 months, has completely smashed the previous 7 year record. Incredible. It isn't just the ventilated comfort and support that we love about the Aether AG 70, we also love the attention to detail and the huge number of clever, useful and unique, features. The shoulder harness continues the padded and ventilated theme and can be adjusted to suit your torso length by a simple Velcro pad. Structural LoadLifter bars at the top of the straps really help to spread the load and take the weight off your shoulders and a sternum strap (with built in whistle) helps to balance the weight evenly and increases comfort.The other fabrics used in the Aether are a 315 denier nylon Oxford as an accent fabric and a durable base constructed from 200 denier UHMWPE. The upshot of this is that Osprey have chosen some of the most durable fabrics at very light weights – certainly not the cheapest, but very high performance. Strongly built to guarantee full comfort when you're heading into the wilderness Osprey Aether 55L (1-042)

Side tension straps are linked to the hipbelt. By tightening these straps you can stabilise the load but reduce the hipbelt flexibility. Where balance is critical tightening them can help you feel more secure. However, if you are striding out over easy terrain it’s better to loosen these straps to allow full hip flexibility.