Osprey Talon 22 Backpack – Review
As you may have seen from my last backpack blog post, I am a bit of a backpack whore.
I have many different bags, for many different purposes, and love everyone.
And I especially love Osprey packs. I’ve used them on 6-month round the world trips, weekend expeditions and more.
My current day sack is a North Face Angstrom 20 Litre bag, that is approaching 8 years of age. It has seen its fair share of wear, tear, rain and snow! So when Osprey got in touch and asked me to join them on their SS19 launch day – and the chance to takeaway a couple of their brand new day sacks – I gladly jumped at the chance.
Introducing the Osprey Talon 22 black backpack.
If I was to describe the Talon 22 in three words I would use lightweight, versatile and comfortable.
The Osprey Talon’s 22 litres pack might be on the smaller side for many day pack users, but for me it is the perfect size. It’s kitted out with side mesh water bottle pockets, a comfy hip belt with pockets, a large main section with internal storage, walking pole loops, water bladder storage, a cycle helmet clip, the Osprey Airscape airflow section between your back and the pack, and adjustable torso straps.
Available in Yerba Green, Black, Ultramarine Blue and Martian Red, I picked the standard black colour (boring, I know).
Let’s hop back to my three words, and start with lightweight.
The Talon 22 weighs in at 0.81kg, which is, frankly, ridiculously light.
Next up, we have versatile.
The backpack can be used for day hikes, but I found several other great uses for it. At the product testing day, we rode around on bikes for a few hours, and due to it’s comfort, water bladder pouch and cycle helmet clip, it can also be used as a very handy day cycle bag. Pop a multi-tool into one of the side pockets, fill up with water, and away you go.
Whilst in the Cotswolds last weekend, I also used it as a nappy bag. Very handy, and very versatile indeed! 🙂
Lastly, I mentioned comfortable.
Osprey don’t mess around when it comes to comfort. The Talon 22 is specifically designed for men (the women’s version has a slightly different fit and name – Tempest 20) and has an adjustable torso, and adjustable chest straps, as you’ll see in the picture above.
If I’m hiking or cycling in late Spring or throughout Summer, I have a tendency to sweat a lot, so the Airscape will come in very handy, as will the mesh lining on the side waist pockets, shown above.
Although it doesn’t come with its own water bladder (you can pick one of these up separately), it does have a separate compartment for your all important H20.
The only downside for me is the Talon 22 backpack doesn’t come with a built in rain cover, but you can buy an Osprey rain cover separately.
All in all, the backpack is superb and will replace my North Face Angstrom 20 over the next few weeks. RIP Angstrom, you have served me well 🙂
TALON 22 SPECS
Weight: 0.81 kg (M/L)
Maximum Dimensions (cm): 51 (l) x 28 (w) x 28 (d)
Retail Price: £90 – OspreyEurope.com
Disclaimer – The Osprey Talon 22 backpack was gifted to me by the Osprey team. Whilst I didn’t pay for the pack, the views and opinions I present here are explicitly my own.
Thanks for sharing this amazing post.
No probs!