I sat on a panel discussion a few months ago, and a woman asked me what was the single biggest thing I did to lighten my pack. I simply told her that I downsized my backpack. Not only did my pack weigh less (a pound and half less), but I also had to really be mindful about what I packed. Having used a 70 liter backpack, I chose to go all the way down to a 46 liter pack. The Osprey Kyte 46 is a great lightweight pack for a weekend trip.

One of main problems with using a 70 liter pack is that I filled it up. Because, you know I had so much space. And with backpacking you already have to go with as little as you can. How do you choose what to leave behind? Also, I failed to realize that the more you put in your pack, the heavier it is. And you have to carry it all. There’s no, “I’ll just leave this behind at camp.” Camp is on your back.

Choosing the Osprey Kyte 46

So I decided a smaller backpack would help leave the unnecessary stuff behind. A 46 liter pack is a little smaller than I planned for, but it turned out to be the perfect size.

In the Osprey Kyte 46, I was able to fit all of my gear, which includes a zero degree down sleeping bag.

What does “all of my gear” include, you ask. We’ll since I don’t have much space and am not carrying everything but the kitchen sink (however they do make those for backpacking ….), I go with the essentials. This includes a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, inflatable pillow, water filter, stove and cook set, fuel, first aid kit, two dehydrated meals, sleeping clothes, Kindle, camera, and three-liter water bladder. One time I stuck an iPad in there because I thought I would get some writing done in the backcountry. Pfft, that didn’t work out.

The Osprey Kyte 46 is an extremely comfortable pack. It’s a woman’s cut, so it’s more tailored to a female’s figure. Not adjusting the straps properly is one mistake I made when I first wore it. At first I hated the shoulder straps because they cut into my arm. But after I adjusted it properly, it was super comfy.

Outside Water Bladder Pocket

One feature I really love about the Osprey Kyte 46 is that the water bladder pocket is on the outside of the pack. I will admit that the selling point for me was this feature, however it didn’t work out the way I thought. With my other pack, I had to unpack everything when I wanted to refill my water bladder. The pocket being on the outside seemed to be an answer to this problem. However with a full pack (and it’s not hard to stuff a 46 liter pack), I still have to take everything out because it is too tight to shove a full water bladder back in there. But eh, it’s still a great feature. And now I don’t have to worry about it leaking in my pack and soaking everything before I realize it.

Another great feature about the pack is that the harness adjusts to fit different torso lengths. You’ll appreciate this if you have ever been in between sizes. This feature is precision adjustment.

Pockets

The Osprey Kyte 46 also comes with a raincover pouch and raincover so you don’t have to buy it extra, and it’s neatly stored away.

There are two pockets on the hipbelt, which like every other backpack I have encountered are hard to zip and unzip. But they are a good size and fit quite a bit in them.

You can access the inside of the pack from the normal top opening or via a side zipper. I love this feature in backpacks because if you want something from the middle of the pack you don’t have to unpack everything.

I really love how you can neatly stow everything away in this pack. It seems like everything has a place.

One downside is I don’t really have any place to easily access my phone. And since I love to take pictures and use my GPS, this can be a problem. But I simply store it in the bungee on the shoulder strap meant for your trekking poles.

At a price point of about $170 on Amazon, it is worth the cost.

Not into a woman’s fit? The men’s version of this backpack is the Osprey Kestrel 48.

I love this pack and totally recommend it. This is not a sponsored post, but it does contain affiliate links. Shopping through those links helps support Right Kind of Lost and is greatly appreciated.