Good to know: Whilst this pack is referred to as unisex a lot, it is technically a men’s pack. Osprey do offer a women’s specific variant, but your choice should be based on your frame and what is right for you. If you are more petite, you may find the Tempest to be a more comfortable fit and with a better feature set.
Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Extremely comfortable to wear
- Great versatility in terms of attachments for different uses
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- If you need a smaller fit (though you can opt for the complimentary Tempest range instead)
Often referred to now as the Talon/Tempest range, Osprey are doing a lot to make this pack appeal to a wide range of hikers, from their unisex and women’s (though I’d rather call it smaller frame) specific ranges. As well as extended sizes for different bodies with redesigned elements that just make sense.
That aside, the Talon 22 is an extremely comfortable daypack with keen sustainability credentials that will equip you with a pack that is ready to take on any trail you are. It is also low profile enough to work well as a day to day, school or work pack without feeling out of place. The Osprey Talon 22 is an all rounder that hits well above its weight in terms of price and spec, which is why we’ve awarded it best overall daypack.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our overall guide to the best daypacks, see more in this guide:
- Best Daypacks for Hiking
- How to Choose The Right Daypack For Your Hike
- How We Tested Hiking Daypacks
- Compare Hiking Daypacks
You may also be interested in: Best Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
Compare to Similar Products:
Product | Osprey Talon 22 | Deuter Speed Lite 23 | Osprey Stratos 24 | Gregory Citro 24 | Rab Tensor 20 | Osprey Daylite/Plus | Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 | Black Diamond Distance 15 | The North Face Basin 24L | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20 | Cotopaxi 24L Batac Pack | Granite Gear Dagger Ultralight |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||
Our Award | Best Overall Daypack | Best Daypacks For Women | Best Daypacks For Men | Best Waterproof Hiking Daypack | Best Daypack For Hot Weather | Best Daypack For Travel | Best Hiking Daypack With Hydration | Best Lightweight Daypack | ||||
Type and Style | Lightweight all purpose backpack for hiking, climbing and bikepacking | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Full suspension backpack | Full suspension hiking pack | Lightweight summer pack | Lightweight lifestyle travel/hiking pack | Full suspension backpack/summit pack | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Hiking and biking | Ultralight daypack | Basic hiking | All round hiking |
Material | bluesign®-approved recycled 100D x 210D wave check high-tenacity nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating. | 140D and 100D recycled polyamide | 210D recycled nylon body, 420D recycled nylon accents and bottom with a PFC/PFAS-free DWR | 210D Honeycomb Cryptorip Nylon and 420D High Density Nylon body. EVA foam straps, alloy steel frame. 135D High Density and 50% recycled polyester lining | 100% recycled 420D polyester ripstop | bluesign® approved 300D recycled polyester | 210D recycled nylon, DWR | UHMWPE ripstop body fabric and mesh | 210D recycled ripstop nylon and 600D recycled polyester also all with non PFC DWR | 15D high strength nano nylon fabric with silicon coating for water resistance | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack | Nylon (100D and 210D) |
Capacity | 22 liters | 23L | 24L | 24 liters | 20 liters | 20 liters | 30L | 15L | 24L | 20L | 24L | 22L |
Breathability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Not as good as some other models | OK | OK | Not as good as some other models | Poor | OK | Good |
Pockets | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6/7 |
Dimensions | 48 x 28 x 23 cm | 52 x 27 x 18 cm | 59 x 34 x 24cm | 52 x 28 x 20 cm | 50 x 30 x 23cm | 43 x 26 x 20 cm | 57 x 27 x 24 cm | 47 x 32 x 13 cm | 50 x 27.9 x 17 cm | 48 x 28 x 20 cm | 51 x 28 x 18 cm | 53.34 x 33.02 x 20.32 cm |
Rain Cover | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Durability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | OK | Good | Excellent |
See the Osprey Talon 22 daypack in more detail:
Analysis and Test Results
I’ve been testing the Osprey Talon 22 in pretty much any outdoors scenario you could expect over a prolonged period and have been extremely impressed with its performance. It gets the balance right between comfort and application, as well as providing excellent ventilation.
One of the areas where it performs the best in terms of testing is as a technical daypack. Given that it is well featured and has a number of attachment areas for things like helmets, hiking poles and ice axes, you can be guaranteed you’ll find space for everything you need, whether that’s a day in the alpine, or a day in the desert.
Performance Comparison
Type and Style
The Osprey Talon 22 is a lightweight multi-sport daypack which is suitable for hiking, biking and alpine trekking. It has space* for all the tools you’ll need for those activities, from hiking poles, bike helmets and ice axe attachments for ease of use.
It sits as a supportive pack with a hip belt (and in their extended fit range, there is a redesigning of this to fit different body types better) for better weight distribution. It also makes use of a full suspension back for better lumbar support through and through.
*S/M: 1 lb. 14.6 oz., EF S/M: 2 lbs. 1 oz., L/XL: 2 lbs. 0.64 oz, EF L/XL: 2 lbs. 3 oz.
Material
Ever since I bought my Talon 22, I’ve been impressed by how its material construction presents a really robust pack that is suitable and ready for anything. The main body of this daypack is made from bluesign® approved recycled 100D x 210D wave high-tenacity nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating.
Aside from its sustainability credentials, in all my time using this pack and testing (and that’s been many years at this point) it has never even got a scratch. It has never seemed like being shoved full to the brim will cause it any problems. It’s dependable and sturdy.
Whilst it doesn’t come with a rain cover, the DWR coating does keep the pack dry, apart from ‘technically’ in heavy storms. Though in reality, I’ve used this daypack in all conditions you could imagine, and it has never soaked through.
Breathability
I really love the Osprey brand AirScape back system that has been used on the Talon 22. This is injection molded with foam which is breathable and also sits snugly on your body. I’ve used this pack on some extremely hot hikes. In the hot heat of Sedona through to humid forest treks and have never had a problem at all with the comfort this gives. It feels like it sits just perfectly against the body with enough space for ventilation.
Waterproofing
The Talon 22 isn’t technically waterproof, however it uses a PFC free DWR coating to help with water repellency. This does a really good job in anything up to heavy rain, and I’ve never had a problem with this pack in terms of soaking in the time I’ve been using it.
It doesn’t come with a built in rain cover, which is something I’d love to see as this would allow the Talon/Tempest system to go further. However, it is possible to easily buy a non branded cover that would fit and allow you to make it more robust to even the heaviest of rain.
Dimensions
The Osprey Talon 22 is 19h X 11.02w X 9.06d inches for the unisex with the women’s specific Tempest 20 sitting at 18.11h X 10.63w X 9.0d inches. So, as you can see there is certainly a difference in size between the Talon and Tempest in all regards. In application, this pack sits nicely on the back and doesn’t feel so bulky over the course of the day.
Fit
The Talon 22 daypack is offered in a number of fits, and this is good to see as Osprey seem to be making some nice moves forward in terms of inclusivity. I bought my Talon 22 daypack before these extra options were available and when it was just a standard S/M or L/XL fitting, but I think this is an excellent step.
Now, Osprey offer the extended fit (EF) range, and when looking at their sizing, you’ll see they offer an EF of both standard sizes. It isn’t just an increased size; they have actually worked with product testers with differing bodies to make adjustments that make sense here.
For example, the hip belt is extended, with the pockets slightly repositioned from the other sizes, the shoulder straps are also extended too. This is also the case on the Tempest 20 women’s specific version.
Speaking of the Tempest 20, if you have a more petite frame, you may find this a better fit. Until a few years ago, Osprey had most of their packs as unisex fit, but more recently, they’ve started introducing women’s specific packs as a direct sit along against what was unisex, and sometimes referred to as men’s.
There are a few differences, and apparently there is a slight change in the cut but realistically, it’s the size of the pack where you’d notice it the most. The Talon 22 is 19h X 11.02w X 9.06d inches whereas the Tempest 20 is 18.11H X 10.63W X 9.06D inches. As you can see there are some differences there – the Tempest is generally narrower and smaller (plus it does loose two liters of capacity).
Some people with smaller frames find the Tempest 20 fits better, especially around the shoulders (reporting it feels too long in the body). At 5 foot 8 inches, I personally find the fit of the Talon to be better suited to my frame and feels well distributed to my back.
I think fit shouldn’t be geared by gender, but whatever feels right. So, look at the sizing options and go based on what feels right for you – but know they are essentially the same pack just with a few adjustments.
Storage
I’ve always been really impressed with the storage offered in the Osprey Talon 22. One of the things I love the most is that when filled, the weight feels proportioned and distributed evenly. I think it is in part because of its more rectangular shape, which I think feels really comfortable.
I can easily fit everything that you’d want on a long day hike – even swimming gear in a dry bag and multiple food items as well as layers and camera gear. I often find myself making extensive use of the roomy front, stretchy pocket and the side pouches are plenty big enough to fit a 32oz bottle, even with a full pack. This makes it my go to for longer hikes.
That said, it isn’t just geared up for longer days outdoors. Even with less inside, it still feels comfortable. I also love the fact that the hydration section is outside the main pack. This makes a huge difference if you carry expensive and fragile items like camera gear and you want to keep them separately protected. The internal pockets both at the top back and inside of the pack are roomy and allow you to keep your valuables stowed well.
Comfort
Comfort is an area that I think is one of the biggest wins for the Talon 20 backpack. Through all my tests, I’ve found it hard to find another pack that lives up to this one in terms of comfort and wearability.
I think this is of course a personal thing – we all have different things that we look at when it comes to comfort, but I think one of the most important areas with this pack is the cushioning it offers around the shoulders and the back suspension system. It feels like it sits on the body really well when wearing, and this is the same when carrying heavier loads.
The hip pockets, when clipped in, add an extra level of comfort and the sternum strap is well positioned. Even when wearing with tank tops or on hot summer hikes, there is never any rubbing, and this is one of the reasons I reach for this pack time and time again.
Features
The Osprey Talon 22 has a number of features that make this a handy pack for a variety of outdoors pursuits. It has a ‘stow-on-the-go’ hiking pole attachment, but in reality, a pair of poles fit just as easily in the side mesh pouch.
It also makes use of a tuck away ice axe attachment with a bungee cord tie and a helmet attachment which is perfect for alpine adventures (and the helmet for biking too). Though they can also be used for other items which improve this day pack versatility.
One of the areas I love the most feature wise on this pack is the external 3 liter reservoir pouch, which when combined with the Osprey Reservoir, makes a pretty hardy solution. The side pockets are great too – making this pack feel like it’s ready for that little bit more outdoors and of course with the extended fit range, these pockets have been redesigned for different body shapes. There have actually been times where I’ve used this pack for ultralight backpacking trips and found it supportive enough for those and with more than enough attachments to make an overnight trip work.
Durability
I have been using and testing this pack repeatedly for three years at this point and it shows no signs whatsoever of failure. It really is built to last. It feels robust and feels like it’s aged well.
I have pushed hiking poles into the mesh pouches, rammed it full to the brim. I’ve dragged it across desert floors and dropped it in mud a few times too. I’ve never found any marks or scuffs anywhere – which I’ve always been pretty amazed by, considering its life so far!
I think one of the lovely things about this daypack is that it has the capacity to last you a long time and grow with you as your adventures turn new corners. It’s well featured enough to sit as a technical pack and low profile enough to be suitable even as a daily pack for general use, work or school too.
Sustainability
The Osprey Talon 22 makes use entirely recycled components when it comes to materials. They’ve all been bluesign approved, and this is obviously a great thing to see.
However, from using this pack for an extended period, I think one of its most important sustainability aspects is that it’s built to last. As I’ve said earlier on in this review, it has been put through its paces and shows no signs of real wear and tear at all.
This is obviously one of the key ways we can improve sustainability, to buy less. I think there’s no reason why this pack won’t last you a really long time, even if you don’t treat it too well, which is a pretty good boast for it.
Conclusion
There’s a reason that this pack has been awarded best overall daypack – it’s simply a fantastic pack. It’s well featured – especially with the addition of the various attachment points for things like helmets and hiking poles. This takes it from an entry level daypack into something more suited for a variety of terrain.
Its usage doesn’t stop outdoors though, and its low profile enough to be perfect for everyday use, work and school which means this pack will likely give you everything you need. It’s also exceptionally comfortable to wear on longer treks, and it’s cushioned and well thought out suspension system lake it a treat to wear.
It also ticks so many boxes when it comes to sustainability and the fact that Osprey have introduced extended fit options too. At the price point, I think it gives a big step up from some of its competitors. I’d say the Osprey Talon 22 is the holy grail of day packs, and if you decide to buy it, I can confidently say it’s the pack you’ll be reaching for time and time again.
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