Non absorbent straps.

[Ethesis]

I’m looking for a pack that has shoulder straps and a hip belt that are not absorbent.

My wife likes her pack and I like my Exos, but both have picked up a smell from sweat and rain.

It will clean out, but for longer hikes I’d like to find a way to avoid that.

I don’t need absorbant or cushioned shoulder straps.

I’m wondering if there is a brand that isn’t absorbent at all.

When I read reviews that topic never seems to be addressed.

[Dogwood]

Wash the pack with McNetts mirazyme odor eliminator.

Spray straps or entire pack with Grangers Performance water repelling spray or NikWax TX Direct WPing spray.

It's easier than buying an entirely new pack retiring a usable pack one otherwise already likes. With the Osprey Exos you'll achieve greater water repelling character of the entire pack at a minimal wt if you spray the entire pack.

[scrabbler]

Non-absorbent straps sound nasty and clammy. I dont know how smelly you folks are, or maybe hyper sensitive to smell? I'm gross and can wear a pack for quite a while before it needs a washing.

[Slo-go'en]

The material the straps are made of are non-absorbent, but the weave of the threads traps water and dirt which the microbes can feed on. Hard to get around that issue. Basically you'd need solid plastic straps and I shutter just thinking about how that would work out. Straps are only part of the issue too, there is the whole back of the pack to consider.

Dogwoods suggestions would help mitigate the problem. I've just learned not to put my pack in an enclosed space on a hot day. It's like living next to a dairy farm, you get used the smell...

[Dogwood]

Here's another successful approach used personally: https://www.kumaoutdoor.com/how-to-w...sty-chemicals/

No matter how sensitive or not to smells we may individually be, I'd still add, hose down outside or take the pack into a shower/tub to clean on longer hikes in your described wet warm sweaty or muddy/grimy conditions as often as every week or two and ast teh conclusions of such a hike. 1) It can prolong gear life...and not just the pack but apparel, etc 2) Leaving the pack dirty resulting from bacteria(this is one of the leading causes of gear odors...and underarms), minerals(from sweat), and body and lotions/insect repellents/etc oils laden leads to decreased gear performance. That includes but is not limited to the backpack and apparel, especially shells. 3) Dirty packs increase wt of the pack. I've carefully measured as much as a 3 1/2 oz wt differential between the same non cleaned backpack of minerals, sweat, pack grunge, and oils, an otherwise 'dry' backpack, to after being cleaned and air dried...in a 24 oz backpack.

[DuneElliot]

You won't find a way to stop absorption from sweat but if you want a waterproof pack that doesn't absorb the rain you will need to look at DCF which isn't cheap and can't be as roughly handled as some beefier packs.

[thruseeker]

Cover it with removable neoprene. Wash as needed.

Sent from my SM-G892U using Tapatalk

[nsherry61]

Wrap your straps and pack in Saran Rap? ;-)

Wanting to avoid getting your pack dirty and sweaty and stinky is kinda like trying to build a house and not get dirty or overhaul your car's engine and not get greasy. It's just part of the journey. Sure, some people get dirtier and stinkier than others and some things can reduced the dirt and sweat and stink a little, as noted above. But, trying to eliminate it is a fool's errand.

[Dogwood]

Nsherry is the type of backpacker you dont want to sleep next to in a lean to or share a hotel room with on a long wet warm weather hike.

[Ethesis]

Wash the pack with McNetts mirazyme odor eliminator.

Spray straps or entire pack with Grangers Performance water repelling spray or NikWax TX Direct WPing spray.

It's easier than buying an entirely new pack retiring a usable pack one otherwise already likes. With the Osprey Exos you'll achieve greater water repelling character of the entire pack at a minimal wt if you spray the entire pack.

Thank you. I’ve got the waterproofing sprays and such and will use the wash.

Thank you again.

[lonehiker]

Periodically spray your straps etc. with Lysol. It kills odor causing bacteria. Won't get rid of it entirely but will help quite a bit.

[Huntmog]

Ultimate direction fast pack