Osprey Seral – MTB Pack Review
The trend for lumbar packs is still going strong in the mountain bike world, and Osprey has turned their attention fully to this trend with the addition of the new Seral and Savu packs. Whether your preference is for the classic over-the-shoulder pack or a lumbar pack, there are a few things that we can’t go without, especially for longer rides. Water storage, and enough of it, and storage options for tools and first aid items.
We’ve done it ourselves, gone for a ride with hardly anything, but chances are something always seems to go wrong on those rides, sod’s law eh. So these days we always pack the bare essentials to get us out of a fix and also help others on the trail.
Well, if you’re looking for something in between a pack and the minimalist single bottle approach, then the Seral could be the ideal pack for you with a 1.5-litre bladder and a ton of storage on offer.
Osprey Seral Features
Hydration
The Seral includes a 1.5-litre Hydrapak bladder system with a sliding open top closure. This allows easy access for filling and emptying, cleaning, and even dropping in chunks of ice on those super-hot days. The large removable bite valve uses a soft rubber mouthpiece for extra drinking comfort and has an open and closed position to stop any leaking whilst riding.
[easy-image-collage id=9368]Storage
There’s a lot of storage space in the Seral lumbar pack. Its large main compartment offers enough room for a spare tube, co2, mini pump, tire lever, and multi-tool, plus plenty more. There are two internal pockets, one elasticated and one zippered weatherproof pocket ideal for electronic items, and a hook to secure your keys. In addition to all of this, there are zippered hip pockets on each side of the belt for snacks, SPF, or whatever takes your fancy. There’s a lot of storage space in this pack.
[easy-image-collage id=9357]Carrying Features
Lumbar packs can move around a fair bit, especially when loaded up. Osprey has countered this by adding in compression straps,something we usually see on their hiking packs. This adds extra stability on technical terrain and stops the pack from creeping upwards.
For extra comfort, the Osprey Seral comes with a decent amount of padding and ventilation. The main back panel features thick foam padding with mesh holes for breathability and Ospreys Airscape channel in the centre, for improved ventilation. All of this is pulled together nicely with the ErgoPull waist strap closure system, keeping the entire pack stable and secure on your hips.
[easy-image-collage id=9366]On The Trails
Out on the trails, the Osprey Seral felt secure and comfortable. Considering it was carrying 1.5 litres of water, (that’s already 1.5 kilos) plus I had a spare tube, iPhone, car keys, mini pump, CO2, a mini tool, first aid items, and some other mechanical odds and sods, it felt secure, even on the rougher stuff.
The AirScape back panel and lumbar wrap combined with the air mesh hip belt helped reduce sweaty back syndrome and the ErgoPull waist strap closure maintained a snug and stable fit throughout the testing. However, we would like to see Osprey add one tiny little addition, and that’s to include elasticated hoops on the waist straps because they tend to hang down and just look ugly. With a couple of elasticated hoops, these could be rolled back and kept out of the way.
Above: The Seral is a great option for something in-between a bottle only or an over-the-shoulder pack.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
The bladder hose did give us pause for concern due to its long length, but we were proven wrong as it didn’t drop down onto the frame or come loose of the magnetic fastener whilst riding. However, it is tricky to place back whilst riding. The magnetic fastener on the hose tends to slip down causing some issues with re-attachment, this is only whilst riding, however. This fastener could do with being a little tighter on the hose and that would solve the problem.
We also tested the Seral with a lot less gear inside to see how it fared when half full. On this
Above: The bike-specific, angled hip-belt and compression straps provide stability and comfort, keeping the pack close to your body.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Above: The Osprey Seral is a great solution if you want to go a little bigger with a lumbar pack.
Photo: ©Richard McGibbon
Conclusions
If you’re looking for a pack that offers a bit more room to carry gear and extra water, then the Seral definitely allows you to do just that. If you combine it with another bottle on the frame, you’re getting close to 3 litres of hydration onboard.
Combine the roomy storage options with the overall comfort levels, and this is a lumbar pack that you can take on epic days or even cinch everything up for shorter rides. The Osprey Seral is suited for riders who like to carry more gear and water, and also for the rider who tends to ride long hours on the trails.
The st
Where to Buy / Price
- Osprey Seral 1.5l: $99.95 AUD
- Can be purchased at MTB Direct and other good online retailers or ask at your local bike shop.
Specifications
- Included Osprey Hydraulics® 1.5L lumbar reservoir by Hydrapak.
- Magnetic hip-belt bite valve attachment
Bike-specific, angled hip-belt and compression straps provide stability and comfort by keeping the pack close to your body.- AirScape back panel with contouring lumbar wrap.
- Airmesh wrap hip-belt with zippered fabric pockets provide stability and breathability.
- ErgoPull waist strap closure system allows for proper snug and stable fit.
- Extra thick ridged foam padding.
- Easily accessible zippered main compartment with internal tool organisation.
- Dual zippered hip-belt pockets.
- Blinker light attachment.
1.5 litre bladder included.- FABRIC:
- Main: 900x600D Polyester
- Accent: 210D Nylon Duramax
- Bottom: 420HD Nylon Oxford
- Weight: 0.37kg
- Dimensions: 20H X 33W X 15D cm
