Osprey Talon 33 Litre Rucksack

Osprey's Talon packs are packed with features that will appeal to day hikers but some will use them for backpacking and racing - they are a close fit and mid range in terms of their weight - but if you want a comprehensive feature set they are staring to look ultra-lightweight.

Osprey says: Building on 10 years of design, the next generation of the iconic Talon series is here. Talon 33 features clean, modern design and stunning performance no matter what your adventure. Talon 33 is a versatile pack, designed as a true mountain professional and featuring all you could need for long days outdoors.

The cleverly designed new AirScape™ accordion foam backpanel combined with a seamless lumbar-to-hipbelt body wrap increases air flow and provides an even more comfortable carrying experience, by keeping the load close to the body and spreading the weight evenly around the hips.

Talon 33 features an adjustable back length, ensuring the pack fits well to your body and enabling the most comfortable carrying experience. The pack is complete with innovative solutions such as Stow-on-the-Go™ trekking pole attachment, twin ice-axe attachments and InsideOut™ compression straps. The zipped pockets on each side of the hipbelt allow quick and easy access to smaller items such as phone, snacks and GPS. On top of the lid you will find another conveniently placed pocket, ideal for gloves, hat, map or other items that you need easy access to. On the front of the pack is a large PowerMesh™ pocket, which is ideal for a wet jacket or extra layer of clothing. Keeping hydrated during activity is essential and re-filling your hydration reservoir has been made easy with the quick access external hydration sleeve with reservoir hanging loop.

Talon 33 is compatible with all Hydraulics™ reservoirs and the size Small High Vis Raincover. It's built to be lightweight, comfortable, durable and exceptionally versatile. No matter the adventure, Talon has your back.

Osprey's Talon Rucksacks are designed to be quite lightweight and yet there is no compromise on features and functionality, though the first thing to notice is that the back system is unframed and therefore will only carry ultralight backpacking loads. Osprey have designed the back system to offer a degree of ventilation with mesh on the back covering a raised grid of foam that will allow air to circulate much better than a simple back pad.

The torso length of the pack is adjustable using a velcro system which adds very little weight to the overall pack, the hipbelt has a very open weave mesh in contact with the body helping that breathability.

As we said the Talon packs are full of features which although they add weight they will also appeal to many who want them. I don't want to repeat the Osprey blurb but the features we particularly value are zipped pockets on the hip fins, three stretch mesh pockets on the outside of the pack and a further two pockets on the lid. We also like that you can stow a bladder outside the pack between the back panel and the main compartment.

Getting into the detail we also like the device for stowing trekking poles while on the move, one end of the poles attach to the left hand strap and the other to a protected bungy at the base of the pack - really easy to use and very convenient.

At 33 litres we know people who would backpack with a Talon, and in that respect its a mid weight choice with a comprehensive set of features, many will prefer it for day hikes though if that's the case weight will be slightly less of an issue and the pack really hits the mark.

- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Help and advice:

• Fabrics: 70 x 100D Nylon Shadowbrick, 420HD Nylon Packcloth
• Maximum dimensions: 62 (l) x 30 (w) x 29 (d) cm