Hello, I want to make El Camino from SJPDP (Plus a few days in Portugal and Finisterre) with only one backpack. I am thinking of purchasing the Osprey Aether Plus 60, is it a good option? Or what alternatives can I consider?
Greetings
As others have said, I think you'll find 60L capacity is more than you need. After watching multiple YouTube videos of pilgrims back in 2019 and prior, I saw a lot of them had the lightweight Osprey Exos 36L (or maybe 38L???).
By the time I was ready to purchase, Osprey had recently come out with a new design for the Exos, which I didn't care for. Not only were the color combinations worse (I know - superficial), but there were no longer hip belt pockets. I managed to find a new/unused previous generation model on eBay, and bought that. It had plenty of room for two sets of trousers, shirts, socks, underwear, and all the other typical pilgrim gear (microfiber towel, electronics charger and cables, personal care items, etc.). Total weight 7kg, plus another 1kg for a 1L water bottle. Just about 10 pct of my starting weight.
Two years later, my wife accompanied me on the CP, and she bought the Osprey Kyte of around the same capacity as my Exos. I like hers even better than mine, as it has a separate compartment for sleeping bag, shoes, or whatever you want to keep separate but accessible. It also has the hip belt pockets, and lots of other nice features, like an included rain cover.