Backpack Review: Osprey Lumina 45 Women's Pack

Choosing the right backpack for travel is essential. Think about it! This pack will be on your back walking through cities, thrown around in airports, and your home for however long you are on the road! I have used my Osprey pack for three years. Here’s my review of the Osprey Lumina 45 women’s pack!

Osprey Lumina 45 Durability

I have NOT been gentle with my pack. I travel carry-on only, so this pack has been thrown around airports, in overhead luggage bins, and around hostels for years. I have stuffed my pack with so many things that I was sure it would burst open. But, it hasn’t!

I have found that the Osprey Lumina 45 pack is incredibly durable. After so many years of hard use, the only wear it shows is some dirt that I have not washed off. There are no tearing, fraying, or any other signs of weakened areas on the bag as far as I can see.

The Comfort of the Pack

Because this is specifically a women’s pack, I’ve found it fits my more slender frame perfectly. If you are a relatively petite-sized person, woman or not, this pack fits excellent! You can easily adjust the shoulder straps, chest strap, waist strap, and even the curvature of the pack while wearing it for the best fit. I would suggest trying the pack on in a backpacker’s shop or at home before committing though! (Osprey does free returns to allow you to try out their packs!) The pack is also super light, so I don’t feel much strain on my shoulders or back, even when it’s completely stuffed. The Osprey Lumina 45 also comes in a size for wider frames, but this review is specifically for the women’s pack.

Stacia and a friend, both with large backpacks at the airport

Myself (right) with a VERY full Osprey Lumina 45 leaving for a month in Ecuador

While traveling in the summer, I also really appreciate the ventilated back. The Osprey Lumina 45 pack has a mesh back piece that holds the actual pack off of your back to keep you cool and comfortable. I love it!

My one issue with the pack’s comfort is the material on the shoulder straps. I have sensitive skin, so this material rubs at my shoulders some and can get uncomfortable against my bare skin. This is not an issue if I’m wearing any sort of sleeved shirt, and I’ve simply wrapped a softer piece of fabric around the shoulders in the past. Make sure this won’t affect you by trying on the pack before you travel with it!

Pockets, Loops, and Other Features

The main pocket of the pack is very spacious and easily fits three of my packing cubes, as well as a pair of shoes or two, with space to spare. For remote workers like me, there’s also a laptop sleeve! The top lid of the pack fits way more than you’d expect and secures firmly to the top of the pack with internal buckles.

For hikers and campers, there are also plenty of cords to hold gear and a separate front pocket for easily accessible rain gear. The pack also has two very large water bottle pockets on the sides which I use for a reusable water bottle and an umbrella when I travel! There is also a built-in safety whistle on the chest strap that definitely works. (I almost deafened myself testing it).

For travelers, one thing you may dislike about the pack is it does NOT zip open sideways like a suitcase. You have to pack it top-down. However, I’ve found that the lack of this extra zipper makes this pack much more durable and water-resistant than others I’ve seen.

The pack IS water-resistant, but I always carry a waterproof cover to protect my belongings in case I get caught in some real rain. My laptop is too precious to risk it!

Osprey Lumina 45 Carry Information

My Osprey Lumina 45 Women’s Pack

For thru-hikers and campers, here’s the Osprey Lumina 45 carry information:

Suspension

3.5mm Lightwire

Superlight Airspeed Backpanel

6065 aluminum frame

3D-tensioned breathable mesh backpanel with side ventilation

Exoform Harness

Seamless layered mesh provides improved comfort and cushioning

15mm adjustable slide sternum strap

Exoform Hipbelt

Final Review of the Osprey Lumina 45 Women’s Pack

I love this pack! Even though it lacks that big zipper to allow you to pack it like a suitcase, I don’t miss it. The main pocket opens so wide that it’s completely unnecessary, and the pack is more durable without it. Osprey definitely makes some of the highest quality packs out there, and this one is no exception.