New for this season, Osprey launches their ReSource line of eco-friendly day packs. The Osprey Helix is the ideal daypack for the environmentally conscious urban warrior, built with 78% recycled materials including buckles made of 100% reground buckle scrap. Complete with a hydration sleeve/laptop pocket and ice axe loops, you can carry the Helix across campus during the week and to across the mountain on the weekend.

• 78% recycled materials composition
• Spacer mesh lined backpanel and shoulder straps
• Removable waiststrap
• Internal hydration/laptop sleeve with padded bottom
• Porthole for hydration and MP3 cord
• Large front zipper slash pocket
• Helical bungee cord for quickly stashing raingear
• Mesh side bottle pockets
• Ice axe loop
• Stretch woven cell phone or MP3 pouch on shoulder strap
• Volume: 1000cu in/ 17L
• Weight: 1lb 6oz/ 620g
• Comes in the following colors (Please specify at checkout, otherwise Forest Green will be delivered)
  
• Forest Green
• Redwood

All Osprey packs, save the transit bags, are available in multiple sizes to fit a range of torso lengths. To find your torso length, have a friend measure your back along the spine from the level of your iliac crest (the top of your hipbones) to your C7 (the knobby bone at the base of your neck).

Step 2 - Hipbelt Sizing

To determine your hipbelt size measure around your hips, not your waist. A properly fitted hipbelt rides centered over the hipbones and needs to be very snug; after all it will be carrying the bulk of the pack's weight. The padded portion should wrap well around your hips, leaving a gap of 3 to 6 inches between the tips of the pads when securely tightened.

ErgoPull

Nearly all Osprey hipbelts use an exclusive ErgoPull design. It creates mechanical advantage to provide extra leverage in cinching down the hipbelt. The ErgoPull design also draws tension along the top and bottom of the belt, not through the center, so it distributes pressure more evenly over the padding and relieves direct pressure on the hipbones.

Step 3 - Harness

Osprey Crescent & Luna, Aether & Ariel and Waypoint packs offer interchangeable shoulder harnesses. Harness sizing usually corresponds to pack size, but your best bet is to try one on. A properly fit harness should terminate 2 to 3" beneath the armpit. Webbing should not touch the body. By breaking the hook and loop connection and sliding the harness up and down the backpanel the torso length can be adjusted up to 3". (see illustration).

Step 4 - Overall Fit

Once you have the correct size pack, harness and hipbelt, and the torso length set properly, it's time to put some weight in the pack (20 to 30 pounds of well distributed weight will do) and dial in the fit. First, snug down the hipbelt and harness. Connect the sternum strap (A) - position it about 2 inches below your collarbones and snug it down lightly. Finally, tighten the load lifter straps to draw the load solidly against your back. The lift straps (B) should come off your shoulders at a 45 to 60 degree angle in Osprey's ReCurve and Ethereal Suspension packs. In other models these straps serve more as compression straps and ride flatter; they may even angle downwards.

In a good fit, there should be no pressure points and no gaps between your body and the pack. With Osprey's ReCurve packs, final tweaking may involve custom fitting the aluminum stays to your back.

2 Reviews - Osprey Packs: Helix Daypack

Anonymous - 2009-09-10

Perfect for school or hitting the trail.
I bought this daypack to replace a pack I had been using for years. The helix is lightweight and simple. When I go to the rock-climbing gym straight from class I have enough space for a chalk bag, climbing shoes, and a harness along with my school supplies and a water bottle. It's a tight squeeze, but much easier than lugging around a huge, heavy daypack. Oh, and it being composed of 78% recycled materials by weight is also very cool.

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Hillary - 2009-04-24

Love this bag already
I only received my backpack recently but I'm already in love with it. It's lightweight and very breathable, not making your back too hot. Everyone asks me about the symbol on the outside and I love telling people that it's made from 78% recycled material. Not a whole lot of organization but plenty enough. So glad I bought this pack!