Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

I was lucky enough to receive a Talon 44 for Xmas. They are being released in 2007, however Paddy Pallin has imported some pre-release stock into Australia. It is an adventure racing pack which will compete very well with the MacPac Amp 40.
What an excellent design. The back length is adjustable. The hydration pack is outside the pack, between the pack and harness. Plenty of pockets, straps that do not flap and even a zip in the bottom compartment!
I will use this as my UL pack for week-long hikes. Very well priced and certainly worth considering. Overall weight 1.1 kg

Edited by pnienaber on 12/25/2006 20:05:50 MST.

Rating: 4 / 5

The harness and hip belt, pulling process not easy when you putting on your bag. Normally I adjust them after I carried it and not the another way around.

I'm not sure why Talon using this kind of
harness and hip belt... Only this part
that stopping me from buying this bag :-(

What a nice bag... I heard those on the market are pre-release products. Hopefully they will change the harness and hip belt in 2007...

Edited by ivanooi on 12/30/2006 23:46:41 MST.

Rating: 4 / 5

It weighs 1.1 kg (2 lbs 7 oz), which seemed unbelievably light when I bought it. Now I'm moving to a true UL backpack soon, but the Talon 44 has served me pretty well with loads of 10-15 kg.

The main advantage of this pack is its comfortableness with loads up to 10 kg.

I have also liked the extra pockets all over. I would put all my toiletries and little odds and ends in the hip belt pockets.

The pack handles up to 30-35 lbs, but it begins to be slightly uncomfortable around 22-28 lbs due to the somewhat elastic hip belt which must be cinched up really tight. Otherwise it slides down your hips. Under 20 lbs the pack is really comfy.

Another minor (so far) issue is that with heavier pack weights the shoulder straps start to stretch out and get narrower. They seem to be on the borderline of proper durability. Also, bits of light fabric have worn through around the top of the aluminum frame and hydration sleave.

Altogether, the pack seems to be too complex and hence overly prone to wear and tear on seams and around the frame. However, I've worn it so far for about 30 days. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. Probably one of the best packs in its weight range.

Rating: 5 / 5

I love this pack. I find it to be very comfortable carrying up to about 20 lbs or so, but haven't packed much more into it to fairly judge how it would do with more weight. I like that this pack feels supportive, but not stiff, like many other packs I've tried. It strikes a great balance.

The external straps and attachment points are very handy and actually excessive (in a good way) compared to other lightweight packs. I usually pack my sleeping pad (ThermaRest ProLite 4 Womens Reg) in the bottom, with a sleeping bag or quilt system on top, and then add a shelter, clothing, and food above that. The bottom zipper is great for accessing the pad when you first get to camp to allow it to inflate after setting up your shelter. The bottom straps can be used to attach tent poles, sleeping pad, or othe long objects, and the back pocket is good for quick access items. The brain has a lot of room and can hold all your dishware, gloves, hats, and other small items while the pocket on the brain is perfect for a knife, headlamp, map, etc. The small shoulder pockets are great for quick access to small items, and the hip belt pockets are nice for this as well, although they are pretty small and can't hold a lot. The size pockets are just big enough to hold a standard Nalgene bottle, but the compression straps interfere with the pockets, as they do on most packs. The compression system is pretty effective otherwise.

The pack itself is fairly narrow, so packing wider items horizontally can be an issue sometimes, even with something as squishable as a Marmot 15 Degree Helium (Womens Regular) sleeping bag. Because its narrow, you'll also have trouble searching for items packed out of order without dumping the entire contents of your bag. Also, when not packed to its full capacity volume wise, the brain just slumps over the top of the bag, and the tiny straps that attach the brain slide off to the side of the frame. Not a big deal, but you loose some side to side stability with this.

The lightweight fabric is a lot more durable than it would seem. This was a concern of mine at first, but I haven't had any issues with it at all.

It has a pocket for a 3L hydration bladder, but I have not tried this yet, so cannot comment on its functionality. It also has 2 ice axe loops and fasteners, which do not appear to interfere with the external stretch pocket.

The back panel breathes some, but your back will still get sweaty on a tough hike or in the summer heat.

The zipper loops are fantastic. Very easy to find and grab, even with gloves on, and they look good too. The entire pack is very pleasing to the eye.

Overall this is a great pack. Its not SUL, but does have a ton of features that make the extra weight not a very big deal, as the pack is extremely comfortable.

Some minor changes, like larger hip belt pockets and maybe a way to make the brain less floppy, would improve the pack slightly.

As a final note, the pack comes in two sizes, S/M (<19") and M/L (>19") I have a 19" torso but purchased the S/M because the place I purchased the bag from incorrectly told me I have a 17" torso. I wish I went with the larger size. It would be nice if the two sizes had a bit of overlap so that those right in the middle, like me with a 19" torso, could have a custom fit bag that wasn't right on the brink of being too short or too long. It would also be nice to have a way to detach the brain and carry it as a hipbelt, but that would probably add weight and I doubt it's a common feature on lightweight packs.

Edited by karipost on 01/24/2009 15:40:14 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

All of the Osprey Talon packs are just plain comfortable. For all of the features the Talon 44 packs, I think its weight is actually pretty amazing. Sure you could get a lighter pack, but for the comfort and convenience this Osprey it is totally worth it in my opinion. The internal volume of the pack seems way larger than 44L. I have the S/M size which is supposedly 42L, but seems as large or bigger that a Golite Jam2 in the medium (51L). I have heard people worry about how durable this pack is which is just strange to me. I have beaten the crap out of my Talon 22 and 44 and there is nothing to show for it except some dirt stains. boo hoo. Most comfortable for loads of 25 pounds and under.

I would recommend this pack to anyone.

Rating: 5 / 5

I picked up this pack with my REI dividend and have been taking it for a lot of 'test-runs' in the hills and have come to really love it's fit. I have switched between trying out a SMD Swift and a ULA OHM to try and go a little lighter, but I keep coming back to the Talon. It is heavier, but carries better than the other two and I don't even notice the weight difference. For some odd reason, the Ohm is listed as having a larger volume, but I get a lot more gear and a bear can in the Talon without a struggle. The bear can will fit in the Ohm, but pushes against my back a bit. The Talon has a thin back panel that keeps anything from poking me. I love the small hip pockets and I actually realized that I really missed my top lid. I fit a lot of gear that I want easy access to. I finally got brave and took the scissors to a lot of the straps and shaved a few ounces off of it. My only quibble is how snug the side pockets are. It is tough to get bottles in and out of them.