Osprey Packs Syncro 20 Hydration Pack with Reservoir

I bought this to replace my 2010 Camelbak Rim Runner. I needed a hydropack that is fully teched up for biking and also slick looking enough to work in a business setting. This year was a bad year for backpacks. I ordered this one after seeing a Syncro 10 in a store, and the Syncro 20 was mostly what I had guessed, but still disappointing.

One major disappointment is the hydration systems. The tube is not replaceable because it is covered by plastic and seemingly sealed at the bag end. But during shipping the folk at Amazon bent the hose so it's basically unusable. I can just slide my a camelbak system in there, but that's some money out the window because Osprey and Amazon aligned to produce an inferior system and break it before delivery.

The bag's back flow is its best feature. But the pockets, the cinch-straps, shoulder straps, sternum strap, and interior design are all lackluster and stupid in obvious (preventable) ways. I'm going to give it a try, and then decide whether to return it or not. But at best it's a compromise, and at worst it's a mistake to buy this pack.