Osprey Packs Viper 3 Hydration Pack

I bought this for road cycling and mountain biking after getting a Camelbak Rogue that I ended up hating (see my 2 star review of it). This review will point out everything that I think Osprey got right where Camelbak did not.***Pockets: The main bladder pocket is great. It holds my Topeak Road Morph pump and the water bladder. The zipper zips up onto the right shoulder to hold the hose in place. You don't have to thread the nozzle through any holes. Great design! It doesn't have a stupid floppy top that requires the bladder to be in place to secure it like the Camelbak. The gear pocket is just about the right size as well. I can fit a spare road tube, my tools, wallet and phone in there. There is a compression/stuff area behind this where you could stash a light jacket or rain shell. I put my spare 29'er tube in there.***Bladder: The bladder is very nice- it opens at the top and I have had no trouble filling it from fridge water dispensers or office watercoolers, unlike the Camelbak. It also dries easier than the Camelbak. I run the hose inside the bladder to keep the sides separated and hang it upside down and it dries out reasonably well. The bite valve is comfortable and works well. I had no leak problems***Ergonomics: I love the magnetic latch for the bite valve. It works well and is very convenient. The small, unobtrusive hip belt is perfect. I keep it loose enough to not restrict breathing and it still does a good job of keeping the pack from bouncing up or swinging around when I'm jumping rocks or out of the saddle blasting up a hill. The mesh material on the back does a good job of preventing sweat buildup and letting air circulate around my back. The zipper pulls all have loops that make for easy usage. The only real negative I can think of is some of the straps are very long to accommodate bigger people and I ended up with a lot of flappy ends when I tighten them down. I had to get some clips to secure those to keep them from flapping in the wind.***Other Notes: I haven't used the helmet latch and don't really foresee much need to use it in the future. I love the orange color. Build quality seems excellent. The biggest negative is the price, but if this lasts forever, it is totally worth it.In conclusion, this is a fantastic hydration pack for cycling and meets all of my picky, specific requirements. Well done, Osprey!

I did an extensive amount of research online and hands on in the store looking for the perfect replacement hydropack for local mtn bike rides. I had been using an old 1L Camelback which served me well, but I needed something with more room for mini pump, multitool, and stuff pocket for excess clothing (when layered in colder weather). I did not want to carry a large pack ( I have the Camelback Mule and its awesome for hiking, and a full day's ride); wanted more hydration capacity (summers in NC are hot and humid); and wanted a better closure system than the camelback screw on lid (a real hassle to unscrew). This Osprey Viper 3 fits the bill perfectly. It's easy to remove the bladder to fill and clean, vs the camelback which I had to use a glass to get ice and water from my fridge dispenser since I couldn't get the bladder under there without making a mess. The volume of storage is perfect for tire tools, multitool, special sleeve for mini pump, stuff pocket for rain coat/wind vest/etc. The pack itself is lightweight and I didn't really notice the added weight with a full bladder (2.5L) vs. my old 1L camelback, plus the magnetic attachment for the bivalve on the sternum strap was a major selling point - I had issues with e old camelback hose clip design. The construction is solid, zippers will last the life of the pack, and the design for comfort (shoulder straps and mesh back) is the real deal. Even being brand new and stiff, with full load, I did not notice any chafing and the pack stayed in place (i do not use the waist straps and I ride technical terrain). Nothing against Camelback as their packs have served me well, rather I just really like this Osprey Viper 3 design as it has everything I need and nothing I don't. BTW I purchased this of my own accord and am not a paid reviewer. I ride trails all over NC, USA.

Very well made, though I find the Osprey bladder design to be somewhat awkward. For mountain biking I also prefer a pack that carries the weight a little lower on my back. And the pocket on the left strap is a great idea, but it's located way too far up the strap, where it ends up on top of my shoulder, making it awkward to access while riding. So while I really want to like this for the great build quality, I'll save it for day hikes and use something else for riding.

As with all Osprey packs, this is very well made and lightweight. I bought this pack for mountain biking in Florida with extreme heat and humidity. This pack is nice and light with just the right amount of storage. This pack will hold my iPhone, I keys (with the included key lanyard) a couple of Cliff bars as well as a spare tube, CO2 inflator and tire tool. All this fits without being bulky and baggy. If I had one complaint, it would be the same as all Osprey bags, which is the way you have to fill the bladder. The bladder has a slide on the top of it that holds a fold in the bladder. You have to slide the top clip off, open the bladder by pinching it with your hands and then fill it. You then have to fold the bladder over slide the clip back on and to read a small plastic clip to the top of the bladder clip to hold it all together. This is in no way a dealbreaker but it is a little bit cumbersome. However, the functionality of the bag as well as the magnetic tube holder far outweigh the inconvenience of the filling. The bag seems to hold my ice and water, keeping them cool, for at least three hours in 90° heat in Florida.

That's what I needed, an excellent backpack.

Der Rucksack ist jetzt seit mehr als einem halben Jahr im Einsatz. Die Paßform ist perfekt, man merkt ihn kaum auf dem Rücken. Durch die breiten Schulterbänder wird das Gewicht (mit gefüllter Trinkblase) sehr gut verteilt.Das Trinksystem ist ausgereift und funktioniert sehr gut. Die Befestigung des Mundstücks per Magnet am Schulterriemen ist für meine Begriffe sehr gut gelöst, man hat den Trinkpinuckel nicht immer vor der Nase hängen, kann aber selbst im MTB-Trail mal schnell hingreifen und einen Schluck nehmen.Die Trinkblase ist ausreichend dimensioniert (2,5l) hat eine große Öffnung, die das Befüllen sowie die Trockung nach der Nutzung erleichtern. Der Verschluss hält absolut dicht.Im Fach auf dem Rucksack habe ich ein Erste-Hilfe-Set, meine Regenjacke, eine kleine Luftpumpe und Flickzeug untergebracht. Handy und Schlüssel passen noch in die kleine Innentasche. Auf dem Schultergurt ist noch eine Netztasche angebracht, in der man ein Multitool verstauen kann.Die Belüftung ist sehr gut, der Rucksack trägt sich überaus angenehm. Kein Wackeln oder Scheuern. Die Verarbeitung ist, wie ich es von Osprey gewöhnt bin, tadellos!Für kleine bis mittlere Ausritte Top-Empfehlung.

Je cherchais un premier sac d'hydratation pour le VTT, pas vraiment gros étant donner que mes balades m'amènent rarement au-dessus de 2h et que je ne suis pas non plus adepte de prendre des tonnes de matériel.Je me suis orienté vers la marque Osprey car j'ai toujours été satisfait de la marque numéro 1 pour ce qui est sac de rando mais qui est très peu connue pour ses sacs d'hydratation. Les quelques retours très positifs que j'ai pus trouver sur le net m'ont rassuré dans mon choix.Le sac en lui-même est très simple, une grosse ouverture pour la poche d'eau et une plus petite pour prendre un peu de bazar. Pas de problèmes pour sortir et positionner la poche à eau, c'est très facile.Bien que petite, l'autre poche fourre tout est assez grande pour transporter une pompe, une chambre à air, un petit de nourriture, un appareil photo...Après c'est vraiment le minimum mais c'est déjà bien suffisant pour moi.J'apprécie beaucoup le système d'aimant pour le tuyau, le détail qui change bien la vie.En terme de sangles on trouve son bonheur pour tout bien adapter comme on le souhaite et pour que le tout ne remue pas. Le confort est vraiment bon et le système d'aération est un plus que l'on ressent.Livré avec une poche d'eau de 2,5 litres ce qui m'est largement suffisant. Je ne me fais pas de soucis pour la qualité. Vous aurez droit au goût plastique qui partira avec le temps.Un petit mot sur la gamme étant donner que chez Osprey ce n'est pas toujours facile de s'y retrouver. La gamme Viper est destinée aux Hommes et en équivalence Femmes on a la gamme Verve (3, 9 ou 13 selon la taille du sac désiré, le 13 n'existe pas pour Verve). Est ce qu'il existe vraiment des différences entre les deux gammes je ne sais pas vraiment, peut-être un peu de finitions sur la morphologie (j'ai vu quelques différences dans les dimensions de produit).Sinon les deux autres gammes qui se rapprochent sont la gamme Raptor destinée aux Hommes et en équivalence Femmes la gamme Raven mais là ce sont vraiment de gros sacs par rapport au Viper 3.Existe en 3 couleurs.J'avoue que je ne trouve pas de défauts à ce sac. Le prix peut-être mais c'est un peu pareil chez la concurrence dès que l'on veut un peu de qualité.Parfait et correspond bien à mes besoins.