There’s little room for improvement on this Osprey Tempest 33 Extended Fit pack. Find out why.
Extended or plus size fit rucksacks are a relatively recent – but very welcome – addition to the rucksack market, designed specifically to fit plus size and larger bodies. Osprey have recently added the Osprey Tempest 33 to their extended fit range (alongside a 22 litre pack and some larger 65 litre packs), and it perfectly fits the spec for a year-round daypack for me, especially for longer days when I’m carrying more layers and food, or a super light overnight pack.
Steph Wetherell highly recommends
Osprey have previously offered free hip belt extensions, but the comfort difference offered by a completely redesigned hip belt is significant.- longer hip belt, shoulder straps and sternum strap
- repositioned hip pockets
- none
| Quick Specs | |
|---|---|
| Price: $200 / £155 (available from Osprey) Weight: 1.29kg (33 litre) Materials: Main, 100% recycled 100D nylon, bottom 100% recycled 420D nylon Features: Extended hip belt, extended shoulder straps, repositioned pockets Sizes: 22 litre, 33 litre Women/Mens version: Yes – Talon www.osprey.com |
The extended fit design is focused on a few areas, most notably the hip belt which has been redesigned to extend the padded section and reposition the pockets. The belt will fit up to a 70 inch hip, but you’d likely struggle to tighten it sufficiently if you’re smaller than a size 18. Osprey have previously offered free hip belt extensions, but the comfort difference offered by a completely redesigned hip belt is significant. The rucksack actually hugs my hips instead of perching on the back of them, the strap doesn’t dig into my belly and the rucksack moves around so much less.
In addition the shoulder straps have padding further down, so no more chaffing for me on my upper arms, and the sternum strap has been extended to accommodate larger chests.
The rucksack is also packed with all the other features you’d hope for with rucksack and many more. The injection-moulded Airscape back panel is a great balance of rigidity and flexibility, and I found it really comfortable to wear on long hikes, even when fully loaded. The back panel has a foam ridges covered in mesh and this definitely helped with ventilation, though I still inevitably got a sweaty back on the hottest days.
The back length is easy to adjust via straps and a sliding yoke, and they’ve fitted a surprising range on a single pack – this does however mean that there is only one back size available so those who are very tall or short should check the measurements to make sure it’ll fit.
The main trekking pole attachment on the rear of the pack is really easy to use and the pack also features the Osprey stow-on-the-go side attachment point. This system features two plastic covered elasticated loops, which allow you to stow the poles under your left arm and meant I didn’t have to take my pack off to reattach the poles to the rear every time I didn’t want to use them.
The main body of the pack is a single compartment with internal bladder pouch, but the lid has a generous sized zippered pocket on the top and a really useful mesh pocket on the underside which is perfect for keys and other valuables. Two decent sized hip belt pockets, two mesh side pockets and one front mesh pocket complete the set and are perfect for water bottles, extra layers and more.
While the extended fit changes might seem like minor things, the comfort difference for those of us in larger bodies is immeasurable and I honestly don’t think I ever want to wear a non-extended fit pack again.
Testing condtions
Steph used this rucksack through the spring and summer in South Wales and Scotland. She is plus size (a size 20) and she also tested it on a number of other plus size people during this time to assess how it fitted different bodies.
