Osprey Sirrus vs. Amazon Maelstrom: Splurge or save on a hiking day pack? | CNN Underscored (2024)

This article is part of our seriesBattle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.

Whether you’re training for your next big thru-hiking trail or simply looking to grab your hiking gear and check off a few trails near your town this summer, chances are, you’ll need a solid day pack to help haul your snacks, water and extra layers around comfortably. The hard part? Choosing a day hiking backpack that suits your needs — and your budget.

Industry-leading brands like Osprey offer an excellent product guarantee, amazing shoulder padding and extra support for all that weight, but it comes at a steep cost. Meanwhile, there are dozens of well-reviewed Amazon bags that’ll run you a fraction of the cost, without some of the bonus features or the stellar product warranty.

We’ve pitted two of the top-selling backpacks on the market, the Osprey Sirrus 24 and the Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack, against each other to see how they both performed in a series of head-to-head tests.

Over the course of the last month, I’ve taken both packs out for several five-mile hikes in the Rocky Mountain foothills, run their rain covers under a sink faucet and tossed them against rock walls to assess their durability. Below, I’ll get into where each pack excelled and failed, and how much is appropriate to spend on your next day hiking backpack.

Osprey Sirrus 24 vs. Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack at a glance

Osprey Sirrus 24

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Combining form and function with fantastic pockets and some sincerely great colorways, this daypack is just the right size to haul everything you need for a day on the trail. Best of all, it boasts second-to-none suspension, meaning you’ll hardly feel that extra weight on your back.

$180 at Osprey $180 at REI $180 $121 (prior season) at Amazon

Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack

With loads of great pockets (including one for your hydration bladder), the Maelstrom is a large day-hiking backpack with loads of storage space, a hip belt and an included rain cover, so your valuables don’t get drenched in a downpour.

$40 at Amazon

Quick specs comparison

	Osprey Sirrus 24	Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack
Fabric	210-denier recycled honeycomb nylon and 420-denier nylon with PFC-free DWR coating	210-denier ripstop nylon
Volume	24L	40L
Weight	2 lbs., 12 oz.	2 lbs., 3 oz.
Colors	Purple, blue, grey, green	Black, blue, green, grey, khaki, purple, red
Pockets	7 + main compartment	8 + main compartment
Price	$180	$40

Fit, fabric and comfort

Both the Osprey Sirrus 24 and the Maelstrom 40L Hiking Backpack boast padded shoulder straps, sturdy hip belts, sternum straps and channels designed to vent heat from your back while you trek. On the surface, they both appear to offer most of the same features, just at incredibly different price points.

However, once I loaded the packs up, strapped them on and went for a hike, the differences were immediately striking. First of all, even though it’s slightly heavier than the Maelstrom at 2 pounds and 12 ounces, Osprey’s Sirrus carried weight like a dream, making it feel light as a feather as I tromped up and down Mount Sanitas. This is likely due to the brand’s proprietary AirSpeed Suspension setup, which is wrapped in breathable mesh for ventilating heat and allows for up to 4 inches of torso-length adjustability. This made it much more comfortable to carry my fleece, rain jacket, snacks and 3-liter hydration bladder.

The Maelstrom, on the other hand, offered virtually no suspension, which was surprising for a 40-liter backpack. Though its design boasted a large number of zippered pockets, water bottle pouches and loads of internal storage volume, the pack did not provide a comfortable carry when loaded up with the same items as the Osprey. In fact, I would feel much less confident carrying a heavy load in the larger, 40-liter Maelstrom than I would in the Sirrus. As such, the budget backpack would operate best with smaller loads, like a water bottle, energy bars and a couple of extra layers. The extra volume is wasted without proper suspension.

For better or worse, the packs also differed tremendously when it came to fit and fabric feel. The Sirrus was chafe-free and molded against my back with its mesh panel extremely well, while the Maelstrom featured some sincerely scratchy fabric that annoyed me when I was wearing a tank top. Another point to note: I’m generally a size 4 in women’s clothing, and the Maelstrom just barely cinched around my waist.

TL;DR: In terms of fit, fabric feel and suspension, the Osprey takes the cake this round, providing a surprisingly comfortable carry, even though it’s a smidge heavier than the 40-liter Maelstrom.

Pockets

The Maelstrom offers eight exterior pockets, in addition to its internal compartment, while the Osprey offers seven. Both packs have hip belt pockets large enough to stash an iPhone 13 Pro, and both have waterproof external pouches to stow wet gear. Hiking in the heat? These two packs are both hydration-bladder-compatible, boasting an elastic pouch inside and a slit to thread the straw through for easy on-trail access.

Some of the pocket functionality differs here, though. While the Osprey has a zippered stash pocket for wet gear or layers, the Amazon pack has an open-top buckled pouch. Both are functional, but the zipper provides a bit more security, should you go trail running, mountain biking or any sport where your gear is likely to be bumping around a lot. It’s also worth noting here that the Sirrus’ side water bottle pouches are deeper than the Maelstrom’s, making them better for stowing large bottles, trekking poles and miscellaneous gear without worrying about it falling out.

TL;DR: Though the Maelstrom has more pockets than the Sirrus, the functionality of the Sirrus’ provided pockets impressed me when I was organizing my day hiking gear. It’s a draw.

Rain protection

To test the waterproofing of both backpacks, I ran each of their rain covers under my sink faucet for a full minute, moving them around to see if the fabric wetted through. I also held each of the backpacks (with no rain cover) under the faucet for 30 seconds, to assess if they had ample DWR (durable water repellent). You know, just in case you can’t put that rain cover on right away on the mountain.

I was thoroughly surprised to see that both packs and both rain covers shed the deluge of water incredibly well. Neither rain cover soaked through, and after 30 seconds, the main Osprey Pack was bone dry, while the Maelstrom was a teeny bit damp. Pretty impressive.

Where the two packs do differ, in terms of weather protection, is that Osprey’s rain cover comes in a bright, high-visibility green, which is an important safety feature, since your ability to see hiking mates often goes way down when a storm blows in. The Maelstrom’s cover, on the other hand, comes in a drab black. I’d also like to point out that the conversation surrounding “forever chemicals” is a hot-button issue right now, and if you’re keen on spending more for a more eco-friendly pack, the Osprey Sirrus 24 is a Bluesign-certified product with zero PFCs and PFAs in its rain protection.

TL;DR: Both packs are impressively water-resistant, with and without their rain covers. However, Osprey’s high-vis lime green cover and eco-friendliness are great features for those willing to pay for them.

Bottom line

If you’re simply looking for an affordable day pack to haul a couple of water bottles and a jacket on a few short trails this summer, the Maelstrom offers loads of organizational pockets and decent weatherproofing to help get you there. Just don’t expect the world’s most comfortable carry, especially if you fully load up its 40-liter volume. Osprey’s Sirrus 24, though expensive, matches the protection of your waterproof hiking gear. It boasts better pocket design and a supremely comfortable suspension system, allowing you to haul loads of day-hiking gear with ease. It’s also the more earth-friendly choice, comes with the brand’s fabulous All-Mighty Guarantee and has a sibling model — the Stratos — for those seeking a men’s pack.