Let’s face it; a great backpacking pack is one of the most important pieces of gear in your wilderness quiver, right up there with a solid tent and sleeping bag. I’ve certainly spent hours of my free time drooling over various pockets and features on top-rated rucksacks before finally taking the plunge and purchasing one that I think will work best for my next adventure.
Osprey has a huge variety of lightweight, feature-rich backpacks in its lineup, but testing them head-to-head to see their respective pros and cons is a tricky feat to accomplish. As an expert backpacker who’s trekked all over the world, completed the John Muir Trail and summited high altitude peaks, like Illiniza Norte, I’m constantly on the lookout for that oh-so-elusive perfect pack.
So, I called up my friends at Osprey with a proposition. I wanted to go on two nearly identical backpacking trips in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains with the same gear kit packed into two very different 65-liter packs. Below, I’ll get into the best features of both the Aura AG 65 and the Renn™ 65L and talk about who each backpack is best for.
Aura AG 65
Weight: 4 pounds, 7 ounces (XS/S), 4 pounds, 10 ounces (M/L)
Exterior Pockets: 8
Favorite features: Removable brain compartment, trekking pole stow, exterior pouch
The Aura AG 65 is one seriously full-featured backpack. Made with PFAS-free, bluesign-approved 210-denier and 500-denier recycled nylon, it’s an eco-friendly workhorse that’s designed to get you and a veritable mountain of gear up the trail and into camp in comfort and style.
First of all, let’s talk about its 65 liters of packable space, which is more than enough to stash a bear can, kitchen kit, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, large hydration bladder inflatable pillow and loads of warm layers for bedtime. A spacious top brain compartment with two zippered pockets is the perfect place to stash quick-grab essentials, like a map, headlamp, snacks and first aid kit, while two large hip belt pockets easily fit four protein bars each. Numerous zippers into the main compartment meant that grabbing my sleeping bag or accessories on the fly was easy. I’m a big fan of strapping my ten bag to the outside of my pack, and the Aura AG provided ample straps to secure it properly.
But let’s talk about the otherworldly comfort of the Aura AG 65. This pack was designed from the ground up to carry a large load without chafing or hurting your hips and back. The brand has used its proprietary AntiGravity suspension system in this model, complete with 3D-suspended mesh so that it hardly feels like you’re carrying any weight at all when you slip it over your shoulders and buckle at the waist. Plus, all that mesh makes for excellent ventilation on those scorching summer days.
It's a smidge heavier than some of the company’s other overnight backpacks, due to all of its extra bits and bobs, but I’d still consider this a lightweight 65-liter pack. It weighs in at 4 pounds, 7 ounces and boasts an adjustable torso, so that it can comfortably fit a wide variety of body types. If you’re going to be schlepping in a bunch of gear for a group trip or want to comfortably carry a heavy load on a week-long camping excursion, this full-featured pack would be a phenomenal choice.
TDLR: When you’re going on a longer backpacking trip or know you’ll be packing in a heavy load, the Aura AG 65 is one of the most comfortable backpacks on the market. It’s chock-full of important features, like ice axe loops and an internal hydration sleeve, and it boasts a huge variety of pockets and cinch straps to dial in your ideal fit.
Renn™ 65L
Weight: 3 pounds, 9.6 ounces
Exterior Pockets: 5
Favorite features: Integrated rain fly, adjustable torso, hydration sleeve
A similarly full-featured but more affordable option is Osprey’s Renn™ 65L, which offers a similar ultra-comfortable mesh carry and packing volume as its Aura AG sibling. I loved this pack for its lightweight profile (the Renn™ 65L is just under 4 pounds), integrated rain cover and spacious mesh water bottle pockets, which were ideal for a large Nalgene or to break up the weight of a backpacking tent.
The Renn’s main compartment offered plenty of space to store my 15-degree sleeping bag, a bear can, kitchen kit, sleeping pad and oodles of layers, just in case the weather took a turn. Up top, the brain wasn’t removable and only had one zippered pouch, but I was able to fit an assortment of important accessories, like my headlamp, medications, warm hat, glasses case and snacks. The Renn’s hipbelt pockets felt every bit as roomy as the Aura AG, which was a nice surprise in a pack that only costs $190.
Some of the main differences I noticed between the Aura AG and the Renn backpacks were small extras, like ice axe loops, an exterior pouch for wet gear and Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachments. The Aura AG is also made with more earth-friendly materials and comes in two different sizes (XS/S and M/L), which is ideal for those who like to dial-in the perfect fit before they hit the trail. Meanwhile, the Renn still comes with great extras, like an included rain cover, an internal hydration sleeve and a zippered sleeping bag compartment.
As previously mentioned, the Aura is a full-featured, go-anywhere pack for hauling a lot of gear and food in comfort, while the Renn might be better for weekend trips, beginner backpackers, or people who’d prefer a streamlined backpack without an outer pouch and ice axe loops.
TLDR: The Renn™ 65L is a more affordable overnight backpack that lacks some of the awesome bells and whistles of the Aura AG 65, but will still get you and your gear to camp comfortably, thanks to its excellent pockets, adjustable torso and mesh back panel.
Photo Credit: Emily Pennington
