Osprey Eja Professional 55 Backpack Overview

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 Backpack is a ladies’s-specific light-weight backpack that has an adjustable torso size and a ventilated, tensioned again panel.  New for 2023, it’s a cut-down model of the favored Osprey Eja 58 that’s 12 oz lighter in weight with a couple of minor design modifications.  Whereas it carries hundreds as much as 30 lbs very properly, the usage of thinner materials means will probably be much less abrasion resistant than the Eja 58.

Specs at a Look

• Weight: 1lb 14.8 oz, Dimension XS/S
• Strippable High Lid Weight: 2.6 oz
• Quantity: 52 Liters (XS/S) Be aware – the scale M/L is 55 liters
• Closure: High lid
• Adjustable Torso Size: Sure
• Ventilated: Sure
• Hydration suitable: See under
• Pockets: 6 plus the principle compartment
• Body: Inside aluminum perimeter body
• Torso: XS/S 13-17”, S/M 16-20”
• Waist: XS/S 26-45”, S/M 28-50”
• Bear Canister Compatibility: BV500 or Garcia Backpacker’s Cache match horizontally or vertically in the principle compartment. They will also be held in place underneath the floating prime lid pocket.
• Supplies: 100D Nylon x 200D UHMWPE ripstop w/ DWR therapies made with out PFAS
• Most load: 30 lbs

Who’s the Eja Professional 55 For?

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 is a superb pack for anybody searching for a multi-day ventilated backpack with a ladies’s match with a ventilated suspended mesh body. As an alternative of the rolltop closure frequent on most ultralight backpacks, it has a prime lid pocket (very useful) and lots of the exterior attachment options discovered on standard multi-day backpacks. There actually usually are not many ultralight backpack choices with a ladies’s-specific match, so if that’s what you might be searching for, this pack is value trying out.

Whilst you can swap to a extra minimalist roll-top backpack just like the ventilated Girls’s Zpacks Arc Haul Extremely 60, doing so can require a fairly large change in the way you pack and work together along with your backpack in the course of the day. Whichever means you select to go, Osprey and Zpacks are nonetheless the one pack producers to supply ultralight, ventilated, and adjustable torso-length backpacks designed for ladies. What’s up with that guys?

How is the Eja Professional 55 totally different than the Eja 58?

The Eja Professional 55 is a lighter-weight model of the unique Eja 58, and is totally different within the following methods.

1. It’s 12 oz lighter weight than the Eja 58 (might differ relying on sizing).
2. Doesn’t have a second pocket underneath the highest lid.
3. Doesn’t have separate sleeping pad straps on the entrance of the pack.
4. The entrance stretch pocket has cloth loops alongside the edges that can be utilized to hold gear.
5. The entrance stretch pocket has much less mesh and extra strong cloth for higher sturdiness.
6. The left-hand hip belt pocket is open and never zippered.
7. The adjustable torso size is secured utilizing small dowels as a substitute of bigger plastic discs.
8. There’s a silicone print on the base of the suspended mesh to forestall slippage.
9. The sternum strap solely has three positions as a substitute of a sliding rail adjustment.
10. The shoulder straps are much less padded.
11. The shoulder straps have insufficient hydration hose keepers (see under).
12. There’s no stow-on-the-go trekking pole holder.
13. Makes use of thinner (200d) cloth in high-wear areas.

Backpack Storage and Group

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 may be very totally different from most ultralight backpacks as a result of it’s configured with a floating prime lid as a substitute of a dry-bag fashion roll prime. With a single giant prime zippered pocket (with key fob), the floating lid permits you to sandwich further gear between the lid and the highest of the pack’s principal compartment so you possibly can carry further tools like bear canisters, foam pads, or tent our bodies that received’t match inside your pack. The highest pocket additionally supplies useful entry to hats, gloves, snacks, and navigation gear and is indispensable for cold-weather use.

If you happen to don’t want the highest lid on the Eja Professional 55, you possibly can take away it to avoid wasting gear weight. This reduces the burden of a small/medium Eja Professional 55 by 2.6 ounces bringing it right down to a decent 28.4 oz (1 lb 12.4 oz).

There’s a nylon flap underneath the highest lid that’s completely hooked up to the pack, what Osprey calls a FlapJacket, that covers the drawstring opening of the principle compartment. Once you take away the highest lid, the FlapJacket is used to guard the principle compartment from the rain in its stead. The rear of the FlapJacket clips into the identical rear straps and buckles utilized by the highest lid so that you’re not left with any further straps or buckles to get in the way in which. When it’s not wanted you possibly can stuff it into the principle compartment or into the inner hydration pocket. Nevertheless, the FlapJacket shouldn’t be thought-about a weather-tight cowl.  For the reason that pack will not be marketed as waterproof, you’d most likely be utilizing a pack liner, so this won’t be a problem for you.

Whereas the Eja Professional 55 additionally has good open storage within the type of aspect and entrance pockets, the principle compartment is the place the majority of this pack’s capability is. With over 3350 cubic inches of room, you possibly can put a ton of drugs and meals inside. Being a mainstream backpack producer, Osprey solely counts coated and zippered storage once they calculate backpack quantity. If you’re evaluating the amount of the Eja Professional 55 with a pack from a cottage backpack maker, bear in mind that they typically add in open and closed pocket volumes so the Eja Professional 55 will really feel fairly a bit bigger and maintain significantly extra gear.

Whereas the principle compartment curves inward to accommodate the form of the ventilated body close to its base, the principle compartment is so giant that the pack remains to be simple to pack. Nonetheless, as a result of it’s ventilated, you’ll need to place the heaviest objects as near your again and hips as attainable. Aside from a hydration pocket, cling loop, and prime compression strap, there’s nothing contained in the Eja Professional 55 principal compartment like a sleeping bag compartment to interrupt up the seemingly cavernous area. Nonetheless, it’s simple to see inside the principle compartment as a result of frivolously coloured cloth panels assist channel gentle to the pack’s inside. I’d nonetheless suggest packing the Eja Professional 55 with a pack liner for moisture/rain safety (See 5 Ultralight Pack Liners In contrast.)

There’s a sleeve contained in the pack to carry a hydration bladder.  Nevertheless, the mechanism to clip within the hydration bladder appears to be solely designed for Osprey hydration bladders and isn’t common for others.  If it’s not suitable along with your reservoir, you possibly can let it fall to the underside of the sleeve or use a small carabiner to stick with it larger.

Osprey included hipbelt pockets on the Eja Professional 55 however they’re barely totally different than these on the present Eja 58. The left-hand pocket is now open on prime and doesn’t have a zipper. I assumed I’d hate that, however it’s truly fairly helpful for stuffing trash into. The suitable-hand pocket remains to be zippered and huge sufficient to suit an iPhone X into together with some snack bars.

However the pockets are sewn onto the hipbelt in such a means that the again of the pocket has to have the ability to curve when it wraps round your hips…which is an efficient method to break a SmartPhone display screen. I’d advise in opposition to placing something equally outsized and rigid into them.

The hip belt wings on the Eja Professional 52 are shorter than you may discover on a comparable pack.  Because of this the pockets are smaller and additional again than you may count on.  Regardless, the hip belt is simply as snug for me as different packs I’ve with longer belt wings.

Along with the principle compartment, the Eja Professional 55 has two stretch-side mesh pockets that can be utilized to retailer water bottles. Every pocket is strengthened with strong cloth on the underside for higher sturdiness and has a holster-style opening reduce in entrance, which helps you to place bottles sideways so you possibly can pull them out and exchange them when on the transfer.

Although you possibly can put a 1 liter Nalgene within the pocket holster fashion when not sporting the pack, it’s robust to do when the pack is full, and practically unattainable whereas sporting the total pack.  The pockets are fairly tall however for those who put bottles in vertically, it isn’t attainable to get them into or out whereas sporting the pack.  A smaller diameter 1-liter bottle will match within the holster opening however will stick out of the pocket far sufficient to be in the way in which of your arms.  Nevertheless, a shorter, small-diameter bottle works wonderful right here.  I additionally discovered the holster opening useful for my snack bottle and will simply get it into and out of the pocket whereas sporting the pack.

I initially thought the highest of the entrance stuff stretch pocket can be too free to be safe, however as soon as the pack is totally loaded, this doesn’t appear to be an issue.  The material on the again of the stretch pocket is an enchancment over pockets with solely stretch mesh and makes the pocket extra sturdy.

Backpack Body and Suspension

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 is a ventilated suspended mesh-style backpack. Breathable mesh is suspended in entrance of the again panel making a ventilated area behind your again that’s designed to evaporate sweat earlier than it will possibly soak your shirt. The mesh is tightly stretched throughout the 360-degree aluminum body which additionally serves to anchor the hip belt and cargo lifters. The aluminum body on the Eja Professional 55 is what “makes” this pack. It’s tremendous light-weight and stiff, offering nice load switch to the hips, so you possibly can load up this pack and nonetheless get a really snug carry. The carry is definitely fairly wonderful, even with a full load.

This Eja Professional 55 additionally has an adjustable torso size with 4″ of adjustability that may be very light-weight and easy to make use of. It is a enormous profit for brand new backpackers who’ve much less expertise sizing and becoming a brand new backpack. You’ll be able to lengthen or shorten the torso size, the space between your hip bones and your C7 vertebra, by transferring the shoulder strap harness up or down for the reason that place of the hip belt is mounted. That is achieved utilizing a easy dowel and ladder system which slides up and down alongside the observe on the again of the backpack. I discovered the system simple to make use of, maybe much more so than a Velcro system (equivalent to these favored by Gregory).

Nevertheless, the padded portion of the shoulder straps is a little bit too quick.  If you happen to choose to put on a sleeveless higher physique garment, it’s possible you’ll expertise some chafing from the shoulder strap buckle the place the webbing attaches to the padded strap.  I discovered that by sporting quick sleeves I used to be in a position to keep away from this downside.  Aside from this, I discover the shoulder straps to be snug.

The shoulder straps and hipbelt are each coated with a stretchy mesh cloth that’s smooth and helps wick moisture to forestall rubbing and chafing. The shoulder straps are frivolously padded and have one elastic hydration hose keeper strap on the entrance. Nevertheless, whereas the shoulder straps are snug, you’ll be considerably challenged to connect accent pockets to them, one thing that’s more and more in style with backpackers and day hikers alike. The identical could be stated for the frivolously padded hip belt.

In contrast to the Eja 58, the sternum strap on the Eja Professional 55 can solely be positioned in three places. To regulate, it is advisable push the plastic buckles by small twine loops which can be barely sufficiently big.  It takes a few minutes of fiddling to get these by, however luckily, you solely have to do to it as soon as.

For hydration reservoir customers, I like to make use of a hydration system and was upset that the inventory technique for securing the hose to the shoulder straps is insufficient.  There’s a very tight elastic on the prime of the shoulder strap that may be very exhausting to get a hose by.  It additionally holds the hose too excessive up on the strap which causes it to flop round whereas mountaineering.  I put an elastic on the shoulder strap which is an appropriate resolution to this downside.  It will have been a easy matter for Osprey to connect a few elastic hose keepers additional down on the shoulder straps and the extra weight can be imperceptible.  Or they may have used the magnetic system they use on a few of their different packs.

Sizing

The Eja Professional 55 is available in two sizes (XS/S 13-17”), S/M (16-20”)  when it comes to torso size  The hip belt sizes are barely totally different, going an excellent 5” bigger within the greater measurement (XS/S 26-45”, S/M 28-50”).

Exterior Attachment and Compression System

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 has two compression straps on either side of the pack. The highest strap is anchored on on the prime nook of the entrance stretch pocket and runs to the body slightly below the entrance load lifter, whereas the underside strap is configured as a Z crisscrossing over the aspect water bottle pocket earlier than attaching to the again of the hip belt pocket  I’m not an enormous fan of the Z-style threading sample as a result of I feel it makes it tough to strap cumbersome gear like snowshoes or a folding pad to the aspect of a pack. I discover two horizontal-side compression straps to be optimum as a substitute.

However one factor that’s lacking from Eja Professional 55, however is offered on the Eja 58, is a pair of sleeping bag straps for attaching a folding foam pad, like a NEMO Switchback or a Thermarest Zlite pad to the underside of the pack under the entrance stretch pocket. That is very tough to do with the decrease Z-Fashion aspect compression straps as a result of they’re not lengthy sufficient to simply match over one in all these folding pads. You are able to do it, however it requires numerous elbow grease and makes it very tough to place something into the entrance stretch pocket as a result of the pad is tightly compressed in opposition to the pack. I’d suggest rigging up your personal elastic twine loops for attaching a pad to the gear loops operating alongside the entrance stretch pocket as a substitute.

However don’t let the Z-style straps (that are detachable by design) deter you from rigging up two horizontal compression straps as a substitute. One of many nice issues in regards to the Eja Professional 55 is the distribution of drugs loops across the perimeter pockets, the pack bag seams, and even the highest lid, making it simple to rig up your personal customized compression system with an additional twine lock and a few guyline or a chunk of webbing. If I used the Eja Professional 55 repeatedly, I’d most likely take away the aspect compression straps and exchange them with my very own twine and rope locks.

Likes

• Nice weight-to-capacity ratio. Slightly below 2 lbs for 55 L and hauling as much as 30 lbs.
• Carries properly and comfortably
• A Bear canister will match contained in the pack or on prime, underneath the floating prime lid
• Nice load switch and management from the light-weight perimeter body
• Good colours and styling
• Straightforward to dial within the match with an adjustable torso and sternum strap
• Ample exterior attachment factors
• Ventilated again panel helps scale back again sweat

Dislikes

• Doesn’t readily settle for accent pockets to shoulder straps or hip belt
• Can’t entry tall objects within the aspect pockets whereas sporting the pack
• Z-style aspect compression straps usually are not as simple to make use of for gear storage as easy compression straps. Additionally they make accessing aspect pocket objects tougher in case you have them pulled tight.
• No simple, present resolution for attaching a sleeping pad to the underside or again of the pack.
• Insufficient attachment on the shoulder straps for a hydration hose, though the pack is hydration bladder suitable.
• Potential chafing on arms from the shoulder strap buckles.

Comparable Ventilated (Suspended Mesh) Backpacks

There usually are not numerous choices on the market for ventilated backpacks in ladies’s sizing and match that weigh underneath 2 lbs.  I’ve a Gregory Aspect 55 which might be one of many closest opponents at a few half pound extra.  For me, the areas the place Eja Professional 55 shines are the burden and the adjustable torso size.  The Aspect has greater hip belt pockets, an attachment for the hydration hose, and straps that work higher for exterior pad attachment.  It comes right down to which options are most necessary to you.

Suggestion

The Osprey Eja Professional 55 Backpack is a ladies’s particular top-loading backpack with an adjustable size torso that makes it simple to dial within the match.  Weighing slightly below 2 lbs, it has a strengthened perimeter-style aluminum body and ventilated suspension that carries hundreds as much as 30 lbs simply.  It’s a nice selection in case you are searching for a standard, but light-weight multiday backpack.  I discover it handles hundreds with consolation, which is primarily what you need in a backpack.  Coming in simply just below 2 lbs, the Eja 55 Professional is a strong selection for anybody searching for a light-weight pack with a prime lid pocket.

My primary grievance with the Eja Professional 55 is the shortage of an excellent resolution for protecting a hydration hose underneath management.  It will have been simple for Osprey to include a greater technique as they’ve achieved on different packs.   I additionally I dislike utilizing the Z-style compression straps for a pad or different cumbersome merchandise.  You can also make it work, however then the straps could also be very tight over the aspect pocket, making it tougher to make use of.  Nevertheless, I’ve but to search out the right pack that does every thing I would like simply the way in which I prefer it, you will need to count on to make some compromises.  It was not exhausting to regulate the Eja Professional 55 to my liking or change my strategies to work with the pack.  The consolation and weight financial savings are value a little bit fiddling.

Disclosure: Osprey donated a backpack for assessment

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