Osprey Talon 22 Review (2026) — Daypack Verdict
Grant's Verdict
The Talon 22 is the long-running technical daypack from Osprey: an AirScape ridged foam backpanel for airflow, a structured hipbelt with pockets, external Stow-on-the-Go trekking pole attachment, and — unusually for this volume — load lifter straps. It is sized rather than one-size-fits-all, and owner discussion makes clear that getting the size right is the whole review.
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The Short Version
The Osprey Talon 22 is the default recommendation for a technical day hiking pack. We looked at the published suspension features against the rest of the 20-25 litre category and pulled the recurring fit themes out of owner comments.Who This Is For
Buy this if: Day hikers who carry water, layers and lunch and want the load off their shoulders — and anyone who has found simpler 20L packs leave them sore across the traps.
Skip this if: Anyone who wants a pack that fits every body without thought. The Talon is size-specific, and a mis-sized one carries worse than a cheaper universal pack that fits.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Load lifter straps at 22 litres — rare at this volume and the reason the pack carries above its size
- Structured hipbelt with pockets moves weight onto the hips instead of the shoulders
- AirScape ridged backpanel keeps airflow behind your back on hot climbs
- Stow-on-the-Go lets you stash trekking poles without taking the pack off
Cons
- Sized S/M and L/XL rather than universal — ordering the wrong torso length is the most common complaint
- The technical suspension adds weight over a simple panel-loader of the same volume
The Detailed Breakdown
Why load lifters on a 22L pack matter
Load lifters are the short straps running from the top of the shoulder harness back to the pack body. They pull the load in toward your spine instead of letting it sag behind you. On a 60-litre backpacking pack they are standard; on a 22-litre daypack they are unusual enough that owners remark on it. Practically, they are why a loaded Talon still feels like it is sitting on you rather than hanging off you at the end of a long day.
Fit is the review
The single loudest theme in owner discussion of this pack is fit and sizing — not durability, not features. Measure your torso from the C7 vertebra (the bump at the base of your neck) to the top of your iliac crest (hipbones) before ordering, and pick the size from that number rather than from your height. A pack whose hipbelt lands above or below your hipbones cannot transfer weight, which removes the main reason to buy this one.
22 or a larger volume
The Talon comes in several volumes and the 22 is the honest day-hike size: water, layers, food, first aid, headlamp. If you regularly carry a camera body, a rope, or winter layers, the extra few litres of the larger model costs very little weight and prevents the strap-everything-to-the-outside problem.
Grant's Final Take
The daypack to buy if you actually hike in it. Measure your torso first — that single step decides whether this is a great pack or a returned one.
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Methodology: Our gear ratings combine published manufacturer specifications with owner feedback collected from comments on independent YouTube reviews of each product (see data/evidence/gearscout/). We do not receive samples and we do not perform lab testing — where a claim comes from a spec sheet we say so, and where it comes from owner reports we say that instead. Grant rates based on value, packability, durability, and whether it would survive a trip he's been planning to take for three years. Last verified 2026-07-03.
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