Tested By Tiso
Osprey Rook & Renn 65

When you mention backpacks you automatically think Osprey. The brand is famous for producing top quality packs for everything from long distance treks to short hill days. So when the lovely folks at Tiso asked if Karen and I would like to try out the brand new Osprey Rook and Renn 65 packs on our upcoming Skye Trail adventure, we jumped at the chance.

The Skye Trail was to be our first major long distance walk and would be the perfect opportunity to put these new packs to the test. Seven days walking and wild camping through some of the Isle of Skye's finest and wildest landscapes would be a great proving ground for the new gear.

Testing

Allan // The Rook 65 backpack was perfect for my needs on the Skye Trail. As we were wild camping for the duration of the seven day trip we needed a good size pack to accommodate all our gear and food. The design of the pack is simple and totally functional with every feature being useful. The main compartment has an internal divider to allow your sleeping bag to be stored and accessed from the base of the pack. The main body of the pack is very roomy but can also be tightened using the side compression straps when carrying lesser loads. One great feature for me was the weight (1.6kg) which for a large pack is fairly light and after 80 miles you appreciate every gram saved.

The pack has an adjustable back system to ensure the perfect fit for your torso length, and when added to the thickly padded hip belt made for very comfortable load carrying. My pack weight for the trip was around 15kg and I was able to carry this without difficulty over the 80 miles. Although the packs are relatively lightweight, they are still made from very robust material, the 600D Polyester can soak up any knocks or scrapes without fear of it tearing unlike some lighter materials. I have to say this is now my "go to" pack for future multi day trips...of which we have many planned.

Karen // The Renn 65 was the first large backpack I have used and I found it to be great. Comfortable to carry a large load over a long distance, stable on your back when negotiating difficult terrain and the perfect size to carry all my gear on the week long Skye Trail. Although the pack has a simple design, the features are great and I made full use of them. The lid compartment is huge and this was so useful for storing those items which you want to access quickly during the days walking, without having to open the main pack up and start removing items. The zipped pockets on the hip belt proved good for storing snacks which could be easily accessed during the day and two large mesh side pockets perfect for water bottles. I will add there is an internal pouch for a hydration bladder but I tend to prefer using water bottles. As it was still a little chilly we opted to bring foam roll mats to add extra insulation to our inflatable sleep mats; these bulky items were easily carried using the external straps at the base of the pack.

As for fit, I was able to adjust the pack easily to fit me using the back system and shoulder strap adjustment and this allowed me to comfortably carry the pack over the seven days. I should say there is an integrated rain cover should the weather turn bad, "unfortunately" I was unable to test this as we had seven days of glorious weather but hey ho , I'm sure next time out it will be tested to the max!

Verdict

The Rook and Renn packs are male and female versions of the same pack. We were both delighted with their performance over the seven days on the trail, they have more than proved their worth. Comfort, weight, functionality and build quality were all first class; we couldn't find fault with these packs. So if you have a multi-day trip in mind, we highly recommend the Osprey Rook and Renn packs as great additions to your back packing kit.

Thanks to Allan & Karen for putting these packs to the test! Head to Instagram to see more of Allan and Karen's adventures.