Osprey Trail Running Packs Reviewed & Tested – Duro 6 and Duro Pro 10

Hiking pack juggernauts Osprey have spent some time upgrading their Duro | Dyna lightweight packs for trail running – Tim a gave their 6L and 10L offerings a workout over the last six months while training for an ultra.

A few years ago I ran the UTA 50 in the Blue Mountains in an 8L Black Diamond Distance 8 trail running pack. Honestly, the pack had some major flaws, and I remember two gels bouncing out in the first few kilometres while a sea of Salomon-adorned runners blew past me.

You can guess what I bought to replace it, the Salomon ADV Skin 12, which was available everywhere in black, bright red, or bright blue. Yikes! I chose black.

For a long time, Salomon were pretty unchallenged in the space. Trail running packs need to minimise bounce, fit perfectly, and have pockets that work intuitively on the move, and no one else was really nailing it.

But as running has exploded recently a few others have been catching up, and I’d heard rumours that Osprey had made some significant updates to their offering. They sent me the Duro 6 and Duro Pro 10 to test ahead of their launch. The women’s fit are called the Dyna, thanks to Osprey’s infernal dual-naming approach, and there’s also an LT version that strips out features for a lighter, cheaper minimalist approach.

Why should I do this review?

I’ve been trail running and racing for nearly a decade now, doing everything from 12k full sends to recently running my first 100k. I regularly run remote routes in places like the Blue Mountains, where I need to carry poles, a PLB, snake bandages, and a water filter. I also never really want to run with a pack (does anyone?) so I’m picky about the fit and comfort. If I forget it’s on, we’re doing something right.

Running is unforgiving and small details matter | @eandrewsphoto

Quick Specifications

Duro 6

Weight: 230g (Medium)
Capacity: 6L
Fabric: bluesign® APPROVED, 100% recycled polyester in a mix of 200, 300 and 600D, DWR treatment made without PFAS
Colourways: Black (not this green here unfortunately!
RRP: $199

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The Duro 6 is small and sits up high, which minimises bounce | @eandrewsphoto

Duro Pro 10

Weight: 210g (Medium – Yep, lighter than the non Pro 6L above!)
Capacity: 10L
Fabric: All bluesign® APPROVED, 
Body: 86% 75D recycled polyester, 14% spandex in the body
Mesh: 100% recycled, 30D polyester
Colourways: White
RRP: $299

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The Duro Pro 10 has the space and tech for big days out and ultras | @eandrewsphoto

Duro | Dyna Pro Running Pole Quiver

Works with both the regular and pro models, which is pretty neat.

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Performance

As this is a double review, I’ll start each section with the Duro 6, before explaining the differences in the Duro Pro 10. There’s a Duro Pro 7 available, but there’s no standard Duro 10.

The first thing I noticed about the Duro 6 was that it looked a little bulkier than I’m used to. The fabrics are tough (up to 600D!), even the mesh looks like it would stand up to some bush bashing.

And it has. My Duro 6 is stained up as you’d expect, but if you could clean off the blood, sweat, and gels, it looks like it’s barely taken any wear.

The Duro 6 has a sizeable pocket plus a hydration pocket with a hose zip up to the shoulder | @eandrewsphoto

I was worried about the pack being warm on my back. Given a smaller pack like this is primarily for bringing along liquids for hydration, too much back padding and durability could have been a risk. But it was fine, thanks to its smaller size it sits quite high, leaving lots of my back to breathe, and large shoulder cutouts help here.

The Duro Pro 10 uses noticeably lighter materials. The fairly sexy grid of polyester and spandex that covers much of the pack is only 75D, down from the Duro 6’s minimum of 200. I was pretty worried this would pill and tear, but so far I haven’t had any issues.

Better chest closures feature on both models, but the Pro fabric is substantially lighter | @eandrewsphoto

The white fabric does get dirty though, with a mix of dirt and sweat turning the front panels a bit brown. I haven’t been able to wash it out. It still looks pretty good, but considering you buy these things to use for years, having the only choice of colour as a sparkling white seems a bit strange.

The Duro Pro 10 covers more of your body, but the fit feels slightly racier, the pack is lighter, and it breathes better. Once my long runs got long, I found that moving to the bigger Pro 10 didn’t feel like a sacrifice.

Comfort

The Duro 6 has noticeably padded shoulder straps, which is rare for a pack like this and means it’s very comfortable, even when loaded with a few kilos of water. Every part of the pack that touches you is padded mesh, with added padding under key areas like pockets and stitching. It’s seriously nice to wear.

The fit is high and tight, and the elastic chest straps are an improvement on previous models. Spend some time dialling this in, it’s worth it. There are three sizes available, so your best bet is trying the pack on in store – bring your gear to simulate a full pack, it makes a huge difference on little packs like this.

Check out the padding around the neckline! | @eandrewsphoto

The Duro Pro 10 is also comfortable, but not in the plush, surprising way of the Duro 6. You have to think about your packing a little more to avoid your items stabbing you through the pockets, but it doesn’t feel like a design flaw.

Even fully loaded, I found the aerated mesh kept my cool while wearing the Duro Pro 10. I did think the fit was slightly boxy and didn’t stretch as much as expected. I felt that the front pockets extended a bit too far down, which could lead to things bouncing against the bottom of my ribcage or getting in the way of my arms. Not a dealbreaker, but not quite as good as the larger Salomon.

Design

There’s a few things that I love across these two Duros. The adjustable elastics that hold the included flasks in place, the hook-and-loop attachment for hydration bladders that’s simple and works, the fact they both take the Duro Dyna Pro Running Pole Quiver and that it can be used vertically or diagonally depending on your preference.

The packs support diagonal and vertical carry (I prefer vertical) | @eandrewsphoto

It’s clear that Osprey have been working with real trail runners to get these little details right. So, onto my first gripe.

The Duro 6 only has one zippered chest pocket, not the standard two. Yet the side with the zippered pocket has an extra front pocket. I’m not sure if this is because the right side has more space for a hydration bladder hose, but to me it seems like a miss. I often use one pocket for my phone and the other for keys (or rubbish in a race). Having one secure pocket accessible while wearing the pack just seems a bit limiting, and the Duro Pro 10 has them.

The right hand side of the Duro 6 doesn’t have this pocket and I don’t quite understand why | @eandrewphoto

Both packs are designed to take a hydration reservoir (like the Osprey Hydraulics 1.5L) but my 1.5L Hydroflask worked just fine. However on both packs it was a little confusing as to how I should set this up. On the Duro 6 there’s an obvious zipper for the hose to come over your shoulder, and an elastic loop for the bite valve, but between there it’s a bit of a mystery.

On the Duro Pro 10 there’s not even the zipper or the elastic, so I just threw it through a loop on the shoulder and put the end in one of the pockets. This worked great, but felt mysteriously ad hoc for a well thought out pack. To Osprey and a heap of other outdoor brands out there: explain your products. What are all the little elastic loops for? Draw a diagram, help us out!

The bottles site nice and high but some elastics (like the one behind the bottles here) are unexplained, allegedly for poles but without instructions | @eandrewspoles

As for the rest of the design, pretty top shelf. The chest pockets allow lots of organisation and are easy to find by feel, particularly the Duro 6. The rear Duro 6 pocket is enough for an extra layer, but you won’t fit much more if you’ve got a hydration bladder in the other large rear pocket.

The Pro 10 in particular has a huge rear pass through pocket, a large zippered rear pocket, and a smaller top one with a key loop. You’ll fit all of your mandatory gear for a pro level race in this pack if you use that rear pass through pocket well, and it balances the pack nicely.

It took me a few uses to realise how much storage there was in the rear pockets below the zippered compartments | @eandrewsphoto

Both packs also have their hydration flasks set quite high, more so than Salomon and The North Face packs, making it easier to sip out of them. If you know, you know.

Both packs also include a whistle, for safety and mandatory race gear.

Sustainability

It’s always pleasing when I get to this section and know it won’t be a beat down. The Duro Dyna series running packs are bluesign products, a third party criteria for environmental protection and social responsibility. That’s why the packs are made with nearly 100% recycled fabrics and don’t use PFAS treatments.

Read more: Your Rain Jacket is Probably Harming The Planet – Here’s How That’s Changing

More broadly, Osprey has eliminated PFAS-based DWR in all of their products, have become a bluesign system partner to clean up their entire supply chain, and offer the All Mighty Guarantee, which allows for pack repair. They also support habitat restoration in Europe, but nothing is listed for Australia.

bluesign certifcations aren’t easy and it’s great that Osprey has prioritised this | @eandrewsphoto

I want to encourage Australian websites of global brands to pay more attention to their sustainability page. The US version of the site includes specific percentage breakdowns of recycled and bluesign products, info on low impact packaging, and a published supplier code of conduct. The only thing missing is broader impact targets (like a net zero approach) and Australian-based environmental work.

Overall though, Osprey are doing a pretty good job here, making your entire range bluesign approved is no easy feat.

Price

The Duro 6 comes in at $199 ($178.95 on Wild Earth at time of writing, via the links in this piece) which is pretty darn good. Most packs around or a bit below this price point are not as full-featured as the Duro 6, or are focused on the road runners who are carrying a fair bit less.

The included flasks can cost anywhere from $20-$40 each when bought separately | @eandrewsphoto

The Duro Pro 10 is pricier, at $299 ($268.95 on Wild Earth) which is kind of mid range. There are definitely cheaper options, but many don’t have the premium materials and design to truly make running a 30k training run, or a 100k race, enjoyable and comfortable.

Both include two 500mL Osprey branded HydraPak soft flasks, which is very welcome.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the Osprey Duro 6 and Osprey Duro Pro 10 trail running packs. The 6L is a durable, comfort-focused workhorse that’s affordable and ready to support a decent long run.

The Duro Pro 10 offers seemingly far more than 4L extra storage, an extra zipper pocket, and more breathable materials, for a lower weight. Perfect for your first ultra.

Both packs show that Osprey is committed to trail running and a significant improvement on their previous, somewhat clunky running packs. I’d definitely try one on at your local outdoor or running store when you’re next looking for a trail running pack.

All photos thanks to @eandrewsphoto

Welcome to the crew Osprey! | @eandrewsphoto