Gearhead Picks: Osprey Talon

The Osprey Talon 22L Backpack is a great daypack for hiking, biking, spring ski touring, and a variety of other activities. That’s why it’s Backcountry Gearhead Jimmy Farnan’s favorite backpack. In this episode of Gearhead Picks, Jimmy talks about the Talon’s technical features and what sets it apart from other backpacks. If you’re in the market for a versatile daypack, look no further than the Talon 22. After all, it’s a Gearhead Pick for a reason.

There are so many backpacks out there with tons of activity-specific features, but if you dabble in a lot of different activities like I do, you probably need a technical daypack that can handle pretty much anything. Let’s talk about my personal favorite, the Osprey Talon 22 Liter Backpack.

 

I recommend this pack to anyone who is looking for a smaller daypack for hiking, biking, or even late spring ski tours. I mostly use it for longer bike rides and day hikes, but it’s full of technical features that make it incredibly versatile. If you want one pack for everything, this is a great pack to consider.

The Talon 22 has a large zippered main compartment and tons of internal and external pockets to keep you organized. It has a pull-out helmet attachment that fits through the vents of your bike or climbing helmet and ice axe and trekking pole attachments. I use the side compression straps to cinch down the pack when I don’t have it filled. Another feature I love about this pack is that you can access the hydration sleeve from the outside instead of having to open your pack and dig through the contents every time you want to refill your
reservoir.

Osprey did a great job with the suspension and padding. The mesh-padded shoulder straps, hip belt, and back panel are super comfortable and really breathable, even on those long summer hikes. You can fully adjust the shoulder straps, sternum strap, hip belt, and load lifters for a comfortable fit that’s easy to customize.

The Talon 22 comes in two torso sizes, Small/Medium and Medium/Large. Every backpack brand has its own unique size chart, so it’s important to measure your torso and consult the size chart, which can be found on the product page on our website.

If you have any questions about how to measure your torso or where to find the size chart, you can reach out to James directly at jfarnan@backcountry.com or contact another Gearhead using the chat feature on our website. Thanks for watching Gearhead Picks!