Osprey Manta or Osprey Escapist?

[mmrobertson69]

Hello all.  I'm going to do a short bikepack trip this summer.  It'll be my first time and I can't wait!  Silly question:  does anyone have opinions regarding the Osprey Escapist vs. the Osprey Manta for bike packing?  They like comparable packs to me and am looking for a reason to tip the scales one way or another.
Thanks!

[hjknox]

Depends on how much you're going to carry in the pack itself. The Escapist carries relatively large loads easily, and stays comfortable. If you're not carrying as much on your back, I'd say go with a Manta or Talon. Whenever I have to carry a pack (which I try to avoid most of the time), I carry a Talon 22. It's light and comfortable, and it doesn't have as many unnecessary (to me) pockets as the Manta. So my super personal opinion would be Large load=Escapist and Small load = Manta (if you like a bunch of accessory pockets) or Talon (if you like only a couple pockets and plenty of room). The Manta comes with a hydration bladder, but the Talon has a place for one that you can buy separately.

[evdog]

I've been using the Manta for a couple years now.  It works well, no complaints.  I do like the pockets it has for all the small misc items I would otherwise lose track of.  It has been good for 3-4 day trips.  Longer than that and I would look to use a larger bag.  I have lots of friends who use the Talon and like it as well.  I don't have experience with the Escapist but as hjknox said if you need to carry a bigger load then that would be the bag to go with.  Sometimes though its better to be forced to travel lighter.   

[Yagi]

Depends on how much you're going to carry in the pack itself.

I agree with this.  I used to have a Manta that would rub a spot on my lower back raw because of the way the pack would bulge out with a full bladder of water.  The pack would stick out far enough to touch the suspension netting in the perfect spot to rub a nice 2" spot on my lower spine.  Then, on a bikepacking trip, it'd never heal.  Without a bunch o' crap in it, it worked pretty well, and I never carried that much to begin with.  Maybe it was just my posture?  Maybe it was a flaw with the bag?  It did have lots of good pockets and stash spots, though.

Anyway, I switched to a Deuter TransAlp 30 and I love it.  Check them out, too.

Good luck on the search!

[hjknox]

I used to have a Manta that would rub a spot on my lower back raw because of the way the pack would bulge out with a full bladder of water.  The pack would stick out far enough to touch the suspension netting in the perfect spot to rub a nice 2" spot on my lower spine.  Then, on a bikepacking trip, it'd never heal. 

That was the exact reason I sold my Manta. I assumed it was a posture thing, but it definitely rubbed the skin off of my back in the same spot every time I wore it.