The Osprey Talon 22 is a solid lightweight do almost everything pack. It features a bunch of pockets for your organizational needs. There are two on the hip belt for storing small items like digital cameras or nutrition. There are two pockets on the shoulder straps as well. These are a bit smaller and can fit music players or cell phones. The pack has a large main compartment and a smaller essentials pocket also accessible from the top. Inside the main pocket there is also a small Velcro closing pocket that can be used to store important items; it is not very big (15 cm Tall x 14 cm Wide). The most useful pockets I have found are the stretchy pockets on the outside of the pack. There is one on each side which is good for water bottles or other small items you need to stash quickly. There is also a large stretch pocket on the outside of the pack which is great for a jacket. Osprey has really thought out the details on these outer pockets, the main back pocket has a drain hole built in to it. The side pockets have a mesh section at the bottom so they can also let out water.
The Talon’s well designed harness system gives a truly comfortable feel out on the trail. The deep hip belt sits snugly in position and it’s easy to fix the weight to your shoulders with the looped adjusters.
The Ripstop fabric used for most of the body means that you’re not carrying extra weight before you pack up, and once you do fill your pack, the profile is still sleek.
The overall effect is that the pack feels like it’s wrapped round your core, so that it not only seems like you’re carrying less, but the load remains supple and moves with you.
The well thought out pockets include zipped numbers on each side that you can access without removing the pack, and a stretchy helmet/wet weather compartment.
This is the pack we’d choose for epic days, and it’s also available in a 20L size to fit narrower or shorter backs. It has a hydration slot, but no bladder.
When choosing a daypack for hiking you are going to want to find a pack that has enough room for all your gear and has ample side pockets and compartments to keep you organized. If you plan on doing a lot of bushwalking or occasional scrambling you will want a pack that is narrower so you don’t get hung up by a bulky pack.
Recommended Hiking Daypacks:
Osprey Talon 22
If you need a pack for high alpine day hiking or need a pack to haul up the climbing route with you, you are going to want to find a durable, narrow profile pack. Avoid packs with side pockets since you need the pack to be sleek so it won’t get in the way of your arms and legs when scrambling.
If you need to haul a rope and other specialized equipment you are probably going to need a pack larger than 35 liters and an internal frame pack for more support.
Mountain Bike magazine recently listed the best pieces of lightweight gear when heading out on multi-day rides, and the ultimate bag for carrying your gear was the Talon 22. To see more, click here.
Featured in the News Tribune in an article about handy packs with plenty of pouches, the Talon 22 passes with praising remarks. To read more, click here.
For the May 2009 issue of Self Magazine, the Osprey Talon 22 backpack was chosen as the prize for winning the 2009 Self Challenge. To see more, click here.
