Osprey Hiking Packs Review: Are They Really Everyday Bags?

In this review, I will walk you through my honest opinions on two of Osprey’s hiking day packs. The Tempest 20 and the Talon 22

My partner and I have been using these bags for quite some time now so I wanted to give my honest feedback on how it fares compared to other bags out there.

When I started planning my two-month trip, the most important thing for me was making sure I had a decent day pack or rucksack that I could use every day.

On previous trips, usually, the city break guides, carrying a weekend’s worth of stuff in my rucksack would give me back pain (pathetic I know). As it wasn’t particularly heavy, I put this down to the bag itself as it obviously wasn’t appropriate for what I was using it for.

Thus started my mission to find a bag that was more supportive so that my physical pain would be no more!

What felt like days of research, I finally came across the Osprey Hiking Packs. At first, I was unsure whether they’d be suitable for everyday use (I use my rucksack for literally anything) but upon reading their reviews, I found many women who were praising them for ‘curing’ their back pain and calling them “everyday bags.”

They were so highly recommended that I needed to check them out for myself.

Osprey Hiking Packs Review

These two small day packs are two of Osprey’s most popular model and understandably so as it has lots of great features.

Take a look at the chart below to see the difference and a few of their specifications.

Tempest 20L and Talon 22LReview

Weight: 0.70kg (tempest), 0.75kg (talon)

Pack Volume: 20-22L

To suit our needs, we each chose lightweight, all-rounder packs that we could use for hiking, as a weekend bag for city breaks and as an everyday bag whilst we were living in Malaga. This is why I choose the Tempest 20, a 20L pack designed for females weighing only 0.70 kg.

My partner David is using the Talon 22, the 22L male version of the Tempest weighing 0.75 kg.

When we received them, we were so happy. We actually spent a while loading our bags with various items just to test them out, they were amazing.

Update: We’ve tested the latest versions of these bags, the Osprey Tempest Pro and the Osprey Talon Pro. Click on each one to read our full review.

Check prices for the Osprey Tempest below

Not only were they aesthetically impressive, but they also didn’t weigh anything and no matter how much we filled them, they felt the same while on your back as the weight distributes evenly.

Features of the Osprey Tempest and Talon

• AirScape™ backpanel with foam ridges for ventilation– On my trip, I found that the AirScape back panel pretty handy. As we were doing a lot of hiking and even just walking around a city, the back panel really helped ventilation between my back and kept my temperature down without soaking my back from sweat. Sounds gross but it really makes a difference after you rest and put a dry bag on instead of a wet one.
• Stretch mesh side pockets with InsideOut™ compression – this is really useful to carry large bottles of water as the straps hold them securely at your side.

• Side compression straps

• LidLock™ bike helmet attachment – very handy for cyclists. I used this to tie my running shoes to the outside of my bag.

• Stow-on-the-Go™ trekking pole attachment

• LED light attachment point

• Single ice axe loop

• Twin zippered hip belt pockets – these really cushion your hips when the bag is heavy. The other feature that really made a difference was the hip belt pockets and the body straps. This is the genius invention that transforms the bag from dead weight carried on your shoulders to evenly distributed carried on your whole torso.

• Stretch pocket on harness – surprisingly you can fit a lot in this compartment.
• Sternum strap with emergency whistle – I didn’t personally use this but many people that hike have said it has saved their lives!
• Zippered panel access

Stretch mesh side pockets with InsideOut™ compression – this is really useful to carry large bottles of water as the straps hold them securely at your side.

• Side compression straps

• LidLock™ bike helmet attachment – very handy for cyclists. I used this to tie my running shoes to the outside of my bag.

• Stow-on-the-Go™ trekking pole attachment

• LED light attachment point

• Single ice axe loop

• Twin zippered hip belt pockets – these really cushion your hips when the bag is heavy.

The other feature that really made a difference was the hip belt pockets and the body straps. This is the genius invention that transforms the bag from dead weight carried on your shoulders to evenly distributed carried on your whole torso.

• Stretch pocket on harness – surprisingly you can fit a lot in this compartment.

• Sternum strap with emergency whistle – I didn’t personally use this but many people that hike have said it has saved their lives!

• Zippered panel access

Check prices for the Osprey Talon below

Tempest 20L Review

Overall, I LOVED the fact that Osprey came out with similar bags built differently depending if you’re a man or a woman. I think details like this make it different to other universal-fit brands. Here are some of the key features of the Tempest 20L hiking bag.

A Shaped Harness

The Tempest 20 is specifically designed to take into account the female bust. This together with the adjustable hip straps ensures a perfect fit for the female form, whatever the measurements.

A narrower yoke

The top panel, that curves around the bottom of the neck, is narrower on the Tempest to ensure a better fit as a woman’s shoulder area tends to be narrower than a mans. This also allows improves the weight distribution further as the bag sits nicely between the shoulder blades.

An opaque inside pocket rather than netted

I love this feature! As women typically have bits that they would rather not share with the world (e.g makeup, we naturally look like this you know!) this pocket is specifically for those hidden items. Although not a major need, little features like this make the bag all the more special.

Want to read reviews about the Tempest 20? Click the buttons below to see what others are saying.

Talon 22L Review

While the two bags are extremely similar, the Talon 22L is slightly larger than the female version. Here are a few key features about it that make it stand out.

Airscape Backpanel

While I briefly spoke about this earlier, I don’t think I fully explained how important this when you’re hiking. Osprey’s unique ventilation system makes it very comfortable to walk and carry this pack, even in extremely hot weather.

Multi-Sport

Rarely do you find a hiking bag that accommodates multiple uses but that isn’t the case with the Talon 22L. With this backpack, you can see that Osprey put careful consideration into how the bag will be used. The Talon 22 has attachment points for trekking poles, ice axes and bike helmets, making it an all around great bag.

Osprey Hiking Backpacks Conclusion

Our verdict on whether this is an everyday all-rounder bag? DEFINITELY. We absolutely love our Osprey Hiking Packs and for me specifically, I don’t know how I managed before I had it.

For the 8 weeks we were traveling around Spain we used our Osprey packs for days out hiking, for activities such as rock climbing, to pack full with our food shopping while living in Malaga (you can get so much in it’s really impressive) and we even lived out of them for the last 3 weeks of our trip when our luggage was lost.

These are ideal everyday rucksacks which we are really looking forward to using on our future travels and in our everyday life. Available in a variety of colors in both models, they are literally made to fit everyone.

Products Information

Website: www.ospreyeurope.com

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This Osprey bag was sent to us to try out but as always, our opinion is solely ours. We will always be 100% honest with all our reviews.

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