Osprey Talon Review

Overview

The Osprey Talon is a family of torso-adjustable, framed packs in 22, 33 and 44 liters. They are built for hikers who want a structured carry, a padded hipbelt and a pocket for everything, without paying for a trekking-weight pack. The trade-off is weight. The Talon is lighter than most framed packs, but cottage-industry packs carry more for less.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	1,080–1,330 g depending on size
Volume	22 L, 33 L or 44 L (the 44 comes as S/M at 42 L and M/L at 44 L)
Load range (44)	15–35 lbs
Frame	LightWire peripheral aluminum frame
Back panel	Injection-molded AirScape
Harness and hipbelt	BioStretch harness, continuous-wrap hipbelt
Dimensions (44 S/M)	26” x 12” x 11” (H x W x D)
Dimensions (44 M/L)	28.3” x 12.2” x 13.4” (H x W x D)
Main fabric (44)	100D recycled nylon ripstop, PFAS-free DWR
Bottom fabric (44)	420D recycled nylon, PFAS-free DWR
Rain cover	Not included

Performance

Fit and suspension

The Talon’s selling point is how it carries. The adjustable AirScape back panel lets the wearer set the distance between hipbelt and shoulder straps to their torso length. That is rare in a pack this light, and many competitors use fixed sizes. The panel is injection-molded foam under mesh, and it holds the load close to the spine. Reviewers who compare it with the tensioned trampoline panel on Osprey’s Exos say the Talon feels steadier on scrambles and technical ground. The cost is ventilation. Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers rated the 22’s breathability as average. Hikers in hot weather feel more contact heat than they would on a suspended mesh back.

The hipbelt is thinly padded, and because it is sewn directly to the frame it transfers weight well at moderate loads. Osprey’s rating for the 44 starts at 15 lbs and tops out at 35. Owners and reviewers put the comfortable ceiling lower, at about 30 lbs. Past that, the belt softens and the pack starts to feel its limits. A long food carry that pushes a 44 toward 35 lbs is the situation where hikers notice it.

Organization and capacity

Osprey counts only closed pockets in its volume figures. The open side bottle pockets, the hipbelt pockets and the rear stretch-mesh pocket are left out. Cottage makers usually count them. Counted that way, the Talon 44 would be rated well above its 44 L label, and reviewers put it in the mid-50s.

The feature list is long. The 44 has a top-loading main compartment with a removable floating lid, a zippered slash pocket on the lid and a mesh pocket under it with a key clip. It also has a stretch-mesh front pocket, tuck-away ice axe loops, Stow-on-the-Go pole attachments, dual-zippered hipbelt pockets, zippered sleeping bag access and removable sleeping pad straps. The lid has extra webbing, so bulky gear can be strapped under it. Owners of the 33 who upgraded from earlier models single out improved side pockets, roomier hipbelt pockets and better pole and ice axe attachments.

Pocket and bladder friction

The most common complaint concerns the side pockets. On a fully packed 44, the main compartment pushes against them, and the compression straps squeeze them further. A soft SmartWater-style bottle fits at partial loads. A Nalgene does not fit on a full pack. The internal hydration sleeve also costs space, because a full reservoir bulges into the main compartment. On the 22, Outdoor Gear Lab found that the clip meant to hang the bladder doesn’t work with every reservoir.

Durability

The 100D and 420D recycled nylon has held up to bushwhacking, snow and crampon-and-axe carries. Owners report clean stitching and working zippers after long ownership. Sternum-strap stitching failures show up in reports on older models, and later updates appear to have fixed them. Owners who have used both generations report little difference on the trail. Water resistance is modest, and the DWR finish won’t replace a pack liner. The floating lid can let water in through its zipper when the pack isn’t full.

Choosing a Version

Talon 22 (1,080 g). This is a daypack with a full frame and hipbelt. Better Trail’s tester carried about 20 lbs in it comfortably and found it more supportive than most 22 L packs. Its weakness is weight. Adventure Alan called the frame overbuilt for a daypack, and Outdoor Gear Lab marked it down on weight-to-volume ratio. Buy it for peakbagging or hauling a heavy day kit, not for fast-and-light days.

Talon 33 (1,262 g). This is the right size for a summer overnight or a fast weekend with a compact kit. It weighs only 68 g less than the 44, so the saving from buying the smaller pack is small. Choose it for the volume you will actually fill, not for the weight.

Talon 44 (1,330 g). This is the version for multi-day trips. It is also the one with the most reviewer data, and its 15–35 lb rating makes it the only Talon suited to longer carries. The S/M holds 42 L and the M/L holds 44 L. It is about 250 g heavier than the 22, and it gives you most of the Talon’s useful capacity and pocket count.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Torso-length adjustment is rare at this weight
• AirScape panel is stable and close to the body on technical terrain
• Real capacity on the 44 is larger than the label because of the exterior pockets
• Sleeping bag access and pad straps are uncommon on packs this light
• Recycled fabrics with PFAS-free DWR
• Durable after long use

Cons

• The hipbelt softens above roughly 30 lbs
• Side pockets are tight on a full pack, and the compression straps make this worse
• The bladder sleeve takes up interior space
• No rain cover
• Ventilation is only average
• All three sizes are heavy for their volume next to cottage-industry packs

Who Should Buy This

The Talon suits weekend backpackers who carry 20–30 lbs, peakbaggers who need axe and pole attachments, and hikers who want a traditional lid-topped pack with torso adjustment. The 22 suits hikers who carry heavy day loads. The 33 suits short overnights, and the 44 suits longer trips. Thru-hikers who have dropped their base weight below 10 lbs should look at frameless or light-framed cottage packs. They carry similar volume for noticeably less weight.

Verdict

The Talon is a comfortable, durable and thoughtfully organized pack that fits well and carries steadily. It earns its place for hikers who want structure and pockets and don’t mind the weight. Buy the 44 for multi-day trips, and keep the load under 30 lbs.