Osprey Talon 26 Review: A Year and a Half In, I Don't Want Another Pack
I bought the Osprey Talon 26 about a year and a half ago, and the shortest version of this review is that I’ve never wanted another pack since. It’s been on my back from desert slickrock to mountain ridgelines, and at this point I mostly forget it’s there. That’s the best thing I can say about a daypack.
What I use it for
Day hikes, mostly. Though honestly, not every hike needs a 26-liter pack. If the trail is short and easy, I skip the pack entirely and just bring a water bottle. The Talon earns its spot on the longer days, when water, food, and layers start to add up.
What I carry in it
The ten essentials, always, including the Sawyer Squeeze I wrote about. On top of that, snacks, a rain jacket, a notepad, and whatever else the specific hike calls for. That’s usually well under the pack’s limit, and the spare room is the point. On longer hikes the extra space has saved me multiple times, more water, another layer, a friend’s jacket that wouldn’t fit in their bag. A pack with room left over beats a pack stuffed to the zippers.
How it carries
Comfort is good. It carries well through a full day, and I’d put it at an 8 out of 10. Not perfect, nothing is after six hours on your back, but never once the thing I was thinking about on the trail, and that’s what you’re paying Osprey for.
The advice that matters more than this review
Backpacks are fit to the person. My 8 out of 10 could be your 6, or your 10. The same pack that disappears on my back might rub yours wrong in the first mile. So treat this review, and every pack review, as a starting point. Go to a store, put the pack on, cinch it down, and walk around. Some packs just fit some people better, and the only way to know is to try one on.
Would I buy it again?
Yes, without a second thought. A year and a half in, the Talon 26 has handled everything I’ve asked of it and never given me a reason to browse for a replacement. If it fits your back the way it fits mine, it’s an easy recommendation.