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The main pocket includes sleeves for tools and parts while also easily swallowing jackets, warmers and other pieces of clothing(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
An additional panel on the rear of the reservoir keeps its from ballooning out when full of fluid(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The HydraForm bladder includes an external frame to help it hold its shape(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The Airscape ventilate back panel is very effective and also semi-rigid to prevent barreling, even when the pack is heavily loaded(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The brilliant LidLock helmet holder is simple and effective when in use and totally unobtrusive otherwise(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The small side-zip pocket is perfectly sized for bars and gels and also includes a handy key clip(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
Osprey's new Raptor 10 hydration pack is light, comfortable, and exceptionally well designed(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
The clever magnetic clip keeps the bite valve always within easy reach but its placement on the sternum strap leads to persistent loosening(Image credit: Marty Caivano)
Osprey pour 35+ years of outdoor pack experience into their versatile Raptor 10 – a superb pack first and foremost, which just happens to have an excellent reservoir, too.
Not surprising given the company heritage, comfort and fit are among the Raptor 10's best attributes, with a well-ventilated semi-rigid padded back panel that distributes weight evenly across your torso and never feels too hot or stifling.
The mesh main straps are similarly padded and ventilated, and combine with the stretchy sternum strap, broad hip belt and dual compression straps for an ultra-stable and body-hugging fit that moves well with you even on technical terrain.
Total capacity on our Raptor 10 tester is a versatile 10L (600 cu in), distributed among an array of intelligently sized compartments. The main section easily swallows a rain jacket, arm and knee warmers, a hat, and various tubes, tools and pumps (the latter in separate sleeves), while a conveniently located quick-access side-zipped pocket is ideally sized for energy bars and gels.
There's also a zippered soft-lined pocket up top for more sensitive items like glasses, cameras and phones, plus an open elastic exterior pocket for quickly stashing layers or wrappers. Add in other clever bits like the open pockets on the hip belt, the incredibly clever – and simply brilliant – low profile LidLock helmet holder, key clip and blinker attachment, and you've got plenty of gear for a multi-hour jaunt in the woods.
The included 3L HydraForm reservoir – developed with Nalgene – is an impressive bit of gear in its own right as well, with an unusually semi-rigid construction that notably reduces barreling when full. The exterior frame offers a convenient handhold for easier filling, there's a big screw-down cap for more thorough cleaning, an in-line valve shut-off prevents leaks when the pack is stuffed into a gear bag, and a trick magnetic clip keeps the bite valve perfectly placed on the sternum strap for quick access.
Despite the capacity, the Raptor 10 is light, too, at just 964g with an empty reservoir. Niggles are impressively few, especially for a first-year product. The bite valve works well but it's still not quite as good as the benchmark CamelBak standard in terms of flow or ease of cleaning.
And while we love the idea of the magnetic clip on the sternum strap, its placement means it tends to loosen when you pull the valve off for a swig. Osprey outdoor marketing manager Sam Mix says the strap material has been changed in recent production to prevent this, so it may not be an issue by the time you read this.
Osprey offer the Raptor 10 in two sizes to optimize the fit depending on your torso length, with the S/M option measuring 43cm (17in) end-to-end and the M/L adding another 5cm (2in). Get the fit right, and Osprey's new Raptor 10 is without doubt one of the best mid-sized hydration packs on the market.
