Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Gear Review: Osprey Talon 22 Daypack
Last Sunday I promised a pack review later in the week (link), so here it is.
Size: At 22 liters this pack is the all-rounder. Any bigger and it would be awkward on a bike, any smaller and it wouldn't be so useful. t's perfect for a day on the trail (foot or bike) where you need a little more room than say a Camelbak MULE but don't want a full-on backpack. Laptop, radio gear, you name it, it fits in any quantity you'd generally want to take on foot. I got it to replace my old college haul-all, which had gone back to the Great Bagmaker a while back, and it fills the gap nicely.
Carry Straps/System: All the stuff you'd expect on a serious backpack is here in miniaturized form. Comfy shoulder straps, check. Velcro-pull torso length adjustment, check. Supportive hip belt with handy side pockets, check. Sternum strap with integrated whistle-buckle, check. Load lifters, check. Functional load lifters, and on a pack this small, that's a nice surprise and they really do work here. Framesheet with decent back ventilation, check. It's not quite as airy as Osprey's Anti-Gravity mesh suspension, but it does a decent job of mitigating sweat nonetheless.
Pockets & Carry Points: One Big Compartment, it's a daypack after all. But inside near the top there's a mesh pocket with a key clip for those pocket things you don't want to strew along the trail. At the top and accessible from the outside there's a glasses pocket, lined with anti-scratch material. There's a big, stretchy front pocket for wet stuff, or items you want handy like say a poncho. Just above that there's a bike helmet hanger. On the right side front there's an ice axe mount, of dubious utility in south Mississippi, but you never know. I do get north of I-10 from time to time. On the left, there's the stow-on-the-go hiking pole holder loops. At first I thought they were kind of gimmicky, but no, they're damn handy and I'm glad to have them. Those are the main items, but a few others worth mentioning are a blinky light clip tab, a hanger loop, stretchy cell phone pocket on one main strap, and maybe a few other things I've forgotten.
Water: Pocket with hanger for a 3 liter hydration bladder (not included); it's nicely accessible between the main pack and the framesheet. Two side pockets suitable for tall 1 liter bottles. If 5 liters won't get the job done, you're in over this little pack's head.
Now for a few, not exactly downsides, but thinks to know about going in. To keep the weight down this pack's made of relatively thin nylon. It's by no means flimsy, but it's not like a cordura bag that you can load with 40 pounds of books and drag around campus sidewalks. It is what it is, and it is built to take use, not abuse. The second thing to mention is that the side pockets are for tall water bottles or something similarly shaped, not chubby unbottles. Again, not a downside but a design choice. Finally, realistically you won't be tempted to try an overnight backpacking trip with this size pack, but I suppose if somebody else is supplying shelter it would be just possible.
OK, that's all I've got, so here, have some other peoples' reviews. They're just as positive:
Obligatory Pics: (l) Look at all that breathing space in the framesheet. Airy. (r) Front pocket, holding some necessities. Yes, that's the Coffeeneuring 2018 patch stitched on over the Osprey logo, because this pack's earned it.
OK that's all. If you want a daypack and aren't sure which one to get, this is probably the best blind choice out there.
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