Osprey Packs

Talon Velocity 20L Backpack - Men's

This style of pack was

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This style of pack was a first for me, and I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I used it for the first time last week on a quick 10-miler with 2700' of gain, and LOVED it! The pack design is incredibly versatile and functional, and I got full use of all the pockets and the quick-access pole holder. I didn't use a bladder with it this time, but the chest pockets for 500ml bottles worked great! The pack is incredibly light, might be the most comfortable I've ever worn, and can hold far more than would ever be needed for even an extended day-hike (I had layers with me as I started in early morning cold and ended in full sun). It was easy to fit with the adjustable back, harness and load adjusters. The hipbelt and lumbar panels felt secure and the entire pack distributes loads well. So why 4-stars, here are the issues I found: 1. The reach-in access for the side pockets is a great idea, and bottles were secure, but still came out with relative ease. Putting them back in required a bit of patience (and flexibility). 2. When full, the zipper on the hip pocket can be hard to pull closed. 3. The Airscape back panel is in full contact with your back, and while it breathes well, I was moving fast (the point of this pack) and sweating heavily under it. 4. The DWR finish didn't seem to do its job. I found that sweat soaked into the pack fabric, and while it dried quickly, objects in the hipbelt pockets did get wet (some paper I had in there got ruined). This may not be an issue in dry, desert climates, but is one in more humid climes. I would absolutely recommend a cover for this pack if you have any chance of rain as moisture soaks right through it (so much for the DWR treatment). Otherwise, I would fully recommend this pack. I'm looking forward to using it on ALL of my fast-pack hikes!

Perfect Fly Fishing / Trail Running Pack

I regularly pair long distance trail running with fly fishing (a sport I call the "Flyathlon") and I can honestly say that the Talon Velocity 20 is the perfect pack for combining the two sports. The 20+L main compartment is plenty of space to hold a rain jacket, lunch, a water filter, a reel, and an assortment of flies boxes, leaders, and tippet while running. The stretch-mesh front shove-it pocket is the perfect size for a narrow fly fishing net, the two side pockets are ideal to stow and secure both my 6-piece pack rod and my trekking poles, and the diverse front pockets are sized just right to stash and easily access fly boxes and other fishing gear while actively fishing. The external hydration sleeve greatly reduces the time to access and refill my hydration bladder on the go. Finally, even when fully loaded, the running-vest-inspired harness minimizes bouncing and load shifting when trail running. I thought I had found the ideal Flyathlon pack in another brand, but after a friend of mine put me on to the Talon Velocity 20, I have a new favorite!

Looking great! I got small/medium

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Looking great! I got small/medium sized because I’m not tall, and it is great. The color is great for most of my outfit and great in photos. The weight is light, and the belt is what I liked the most.

Absolutely love it! Excellent design.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Absolutely love it! Excellent design. Plenty of pockets, easy to access everything & super comfortable. Like it so much I'm going to order the same pack in the purple & orange.

Fast, light, and feature-packed with minimal compromise

Bought this pack to use as a summit/day trip bag while on a 5-day backpacking trip. It was exactly what I was looking for; the frameless design made it much easier to attach to my 75 L backpacking bag, as I could fold it in half and shove it under my main pack's lid. Despite lacking a frame, it still feels incredibly supportive. I carried ~15 lbs worth of gear in it daily (2-3 L of water, a midlayer, trail crampons, gaiters, an ice axe, first aid kit, sunscreen, bug repellent, snacks, and a light lunch) and it didn't feel like I was carrying anything. I love the design of the shoulder straps; I know they're styled after running vests (although I didn't use the pack as such), but now I don't want to go back to conventional shoulder straps without stretchy pockets. Combined with the hipbelt pockets, I had plenty of spaces to stash lotion, snacks, phone, multitool, and sunglasses. I never felt any pressure or pinching on my shoulders or waist, despite how thin and flexible the straps are. The back panel is also super breathable and never creased, despite being folded during transport. There are some slight compromises to the fast-and-light design, particularly in the accessory attachment options. One of my favourite features of Osprey packs is the quick-stash hiking pole system; however, I did have to regularly tighten the bungee cords as they'd loosen over time. On the burlier Osprey packs, this wasn't an issue. Similarly, the ice axe loops have to be used a bit differently compared to ones you'd find on "normal" hiking packs: since you can't unclip the top loop to wrap it around the axe handle (and it doesn't stretch enough to pull it over top), what I did was slide the axe upwards through both loops on one side (head down, pick facing inwards), and then twisted the bottom loop around the head and adze to keep it from sliding down (and sliding the pick through the bit of webbing at the bottom). Using this method, the axe never fell out, even when I was doing a lot of scrambling and boulder-hopping. The large stretchy mesh pocket is great; however, despite the product page advertising you could stash a helmet in it, I wasn't able to fit either a medium-sized ski or bike helmet inside, as the pocket simply wasn't wide enough. Maybe a small helmet might fit, or the description may be more accurate for the 30 L version of this pack, which is both wider and taller. Overall I'd rate the pack 4.5/5 because it's does a fantastic job as a do-everything pack for all of your outdoor activities if you want something lightweight and flexible, but not sacrificing support or features.

Love this pack , perfect

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Love this pack , perfect blend of a running vest with usable pack space .

What an AWESOME Kit !!!

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

XL

Weight:

190

Most comfortable back pack I have ever worn . I love the running harness style straps. If you're looking for a super light weight day hiker look no further :) I'm 6'0 - 190lbs the XL version fits me like a glove. I loved it so much I ordered 2 more packs from Osprey .