For walkers with larger bodies (including the 25% of women who are a size 18 or above), the arrival of the outdoor industry's first dedicated plus size pack collection will be met with a sigh of relief, says Steph Wetherell. Simon is a part-time travel blogger and vlogger, and always on the hunt for adventures and new experiences!

Archeon 25 | Hiking Pack | Osprey Europe Archeon 25 | Hiking Pack | Osprey Europe

Whilst the official Osprey release suggests that the pack boasts “ a unique, highly accessible front zip opening allows you to pack, unpack and quickly access your gear. All the bits and bobs clearly add to the weight, and as I'm of the less-is-more mindset I find some things a bit fiddly and unnecessary.This burly main compartment is paired with suspension that is stiff and burly, like a backpacking pack, but lacking a comfortable hip belt to match. Whilst I paid for the pack, I am obliged to post an honest review – thus – the views and opinions I present here are explicitly my own.

Osprey Archeon 45 Review: Environmentally Friendly, Working Osprey Archeon 45 Review: Environmentally Friendly, Working

While it's very stylish and feels like an extremely premium product, the Osprey Archeon 25 does not provide the function or comfort of other daypacks we've tested. The result isn't just a rugged, supportive and weighty pack, but one made very much with sustainability in mind. In fact if you saw one of the packs in a 1980’s Lake District hiking photo, you wouldn’t blink an eye. You get two traditional webbing loops for the axe heads (which is ideal - nothing more elaborate required), but where are you supposed to secure the axe shaft at the top? Each Archeon backpack is made from fully recycled materials, making it one of the most sustainable packs on the market.

Unfortunately, there's not really anything that can be easily removed from the pack to cut down on its weight.

Osprey Archeon 25 hátizsák | 4Camping.hu Osprey Archeon 25 hátizsák | 4Camping.hu

The fastenable hip and sternum straps are very well made, fully adjustable and great for helping spread the weight load across your body. For me, a 30 litre pack size is better for winter hiking, as it provides a bit more room for bulkier items that you are likely to carry around with you, such as waterproof trousers, spare thermals, a spare jacket, gloves and so on. The recycled fabrics and environmentally safe chemicals were bonuses on a pack that proved versatile by way of simple design. The Archeon 25 Women’s pack embodies the principles of essentialism and environmentalism for hiking.

The white lines seen on either side are guides designed to help adjust the height evenly on both sides. Unfortunately, those comfort-oriented features don't extend to the hip belt, which is extremely small, and mostly just webbing strap as opposed to the padding found on most other stiff packs. However I am not a fan of its massive front opening, and I think a simpler design with no zipped entry would have been more in keeping with the overall feel and function of the Archeon 45. The front side of the Osprey Archeon 25 also integrates a large open stash pocket, measuring 30cm tall and 21cm wide.

Osprey Archeon 25 Mud Red - Trekitt

The Archeon is a 25L backpack with a clever and very useful expandable storage capacity taking it to around 35L. It's almost 1kg heavier than some fully featured mountain packs of similar capacity that we've looked at in recent reviews, and a lot heavier still than minimalist climbing or ultralight backpacking models. So you can fish out your nut key or rack of RPs from the very bottom without having to dump all the other gear onto the floor? To the best of our knowledge, all of the features and details are the same with the exception of sizing and fitting.Our expertise in designing backpacks that fit every shape, size and gender dates back to 1974, when Osprey was founded on designing custom packs for mountaineers headed to the Sierra. In addition the back length is adjustable via a very simple and robust Velcro pad, giving you around 8cm of play. Recycled nylon is now a viable option for making goods since recycled nylon is as good as virgin nylon and can be made to look like natural fabrics such as canvas.