I field-tested the Impala on a 5-day Colorado trip. Pro: High quality materials/construction; top pocket/hip belt converts to lumbar pack; front pocket (beaver tail) handy for small items. Con: Price of versatility--compromise of design integrity; hip belt's velcro connection to pack too flimsy for 3900ci capacity. Complicated, overlapping strap arrangement; hard to replace 'one-of-a-kind' buckles; poor water repellancy. Limited adjustability; unable to get good torso fit from L or M size. With load over 35#, suspension is mushy (wants to ride on your butt, not on hips), yet capacity is capable of holding 45# or more. A pack with an identity crisis? A case of thoughtful design concepts that translate poorly from drawing board to the field. IMHO, the similarly sized Greg. Reality outperforms it for fit, adjustability, and load-carrying comfort. I'm inclined toward yet smaller capacity, but with more robust suspension than the Impala, ala an ArcTeryx Bora 40.

Customer Service

none needed

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Contour III & IV, Gregory Reality-X, Dana Shortbed

I searched quite a bit before buying the Impala but It was the most technical backpack for the price. Fit really well after some dialing in. I used this pack everyday for a year and a half of hitch-hiking Europe. Also spent this last summer in NZ. The pack held up great and I put it through some intense hikes. I was able to spend 4 days in a semi Alpine environment with enough room for everything. OF course I ended up using all of straps and attachments I could find. Overall I have been very impressed by Osprey and I am looking at getting one of their bigger packs for a 6 month trip trough Nepal and India. One other thing, I do like Dana D's shoulder straps better.

Customer Service

I sent my pack in to get a strap fixed an a buckle replaced. No hassle really fast and really nice people.

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This is the only name brand pack I've ever had

Osprey's line of packs are very well thought out. I conducted extensive research on all high end manufacturers before finally settling on the Impala. This pack simply has more features than any others in its category, and most importantly, it carries the weight extreemly well and fit me like a glove. The best feature is the incredibly functional Vector system, which compresses and stabilizes the load like no other pack out there. It's also very handy to be able to have a seperate pocket on the outside of the pack to seperate items and to have the ability to shove a jacket or really anything else you want between the pack and the Vector for easy access. The construction is awesome; quite tough without being overkill in the body where little abraison takes place. I have had this pack for a little over a year and used it on 50+ 1-2 day trips. It's a little big for a day trip, but I don't mind at all, because it is so comfortable to carry. Winter trips get pretty tight for space, but again, the Osprey has lots of useful attachment points that are lacking on other manufacturers packs in this range, so you can get by. If you are looking for one pack to do it all, from day hiking to backpacking to spending a few days out in the winter, this pack is extreemly hard to beat.

Similar Products Used:

Lowe Alpine contour (4500)

Osprey packs are the most comfortable packs for me. The Impala is great for short backpacking trips. The bottom has some straps that can be used to attach extra stuff. The Vector system is ingenious. The Vector Day can increase capacity by another 800ci or so and makes a pretty good summit or snowboarding pack. The Vector Chair will make your backpacking companions jealous at the end of the day. This is the perfect pack for a light, comfortable trip.

Customer Service

never had a problem with Osprey packs

Similar Products Used:

Osprey Zephyr, Dana Bombpack, Mountainsmith Bugaboo

Its a great pack. I love the vector system, switching between a day pack option and a snowboard attachment is sweet. The volume of the pack is ideal for long weekends. The fit is excellent as well, and the quality of manufacture is superbe.

This is an ideal go-light pack for weeklong summer hiking, spring and fall weekend hiking. As the volume of a medium size is 3700 ci the pack forces you to consider carrying only what's needed, and then carries it very comfortably.
I'm built on a small frame, and finding a fit can be tricky, this pack doesn't have a lot of tweaks but it also fit right out of the box, I'm very happy with it.

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Gregory

I really like this pack. I use it for the majority of my trips. It is a nice cross between a day and overnight pack. It is a simple pack without too many useless features. I really like the vector system. You can use the vector ice for winter/spring climbing trips and the vector 2 for everything else. It has a good suspension for the weight, although I would not carry more than 40 pounds with this pack. It is really well built and I expect to use it for years to come.

Similar Products Used:

Gregory, Kelty, Lowe Alpine

I used the Osprey Impala on a month-long hike along the AT. Durability, expandability, and sleek design are some of the Impala's strong points. However, I found the Impala to be inappropriate for AT applications due to its limited adjustablity, uncomfortable shoulder harness, and load-carrying capability. The Impala just doesn't know if it's a day pack or a multi-day pack--it's volume says it's a multi-day pack, but it's suspension system says its a day-pack. The Impala has a single aluminum stay and some type of nylon rod that contours the pack. The pack confused me because even though I was maxing out the load capablility at 30-35lbs, I still had extra volume in the pack. It just seems to me that Osprey couldn't decide what type of applications this pack is ment for. If Osprey decreased the volume and made the suspension system more rigid and adjustable, then this pack could be excellent for AT hikers who want to go on the light side. Make sure you get a good fit at the store. I did find, however, the waist belt to be pretty comfortable. The lack of water-bottle holders irked me, and I didn't like putting my bottles in the back pocket because it threw off my balance.

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Gregory Palisade

This is a great pack. I use it mostly for backcountry skiing and some short, 2-3 day hikes. It is right inbetween sizes, so a little big for a day pack and a little small for longer hikes, but skiing backcountry, it fits boots, helmet, and other stuff nicely. The vector system is awesome and the fit is unmatched. I am going to buy a bigger pack, possibly the Xenith, this summer for longer trips. Definitely a great all-around pack. As for price, all packs this nice are expensive, so compared to others in the same class, I would say a pretty good deal.

Similar Products Used:

Dana Design Bomb Pack, Gregory