I bought the Osprey Talon 44 Hiking Backpack from Amazon about 8 years ago in preparation for my first solo trip. Since then, I have used this backpack for months at a time traveling to almost 60 countries on 6 continents with it. I still travel with the same backpack to this day. It has held up incredibly well. Most people who buy this backpack probably use it for ultralight hiking. This review is written from a traveler’s perspective who also does a bit of hiking. Here’s why I think the Osprey Talon 44 is the best backpack for travel.
Durability
This backpack can take a beating. It has survived dozens of journeys strapped to the roof of African buses. Over the years, I have walked thousands of miles with this backpack on my back. It has been thrown around by rough baggage handlers on many flights. I have stuffed it far beyond capacity for months at a time.
So far there is no damage to speak of. Not a single strap or clip has broken. There isn’t a single tear. All of the seams are holding tight. I’m beyond impressed with the beating this thing has endured over the years.
Of course, the backpack doesn’t look like new after 8 years of use. It’s covered in stains from its adventures and it doesn’t smell too pleasant. The only visible wear is an internal lining that has begun to rub off. This is a thin layer of rubbery type material that coats the inside of part of the bag.
I’m not sure of the purpose of the material though I believe it has to do with waterproofing. Other than that, the bag looks great. I have zero complaints as far as durability goes. I plan to continue using this backpack on all future trips.
A Note About Ultralight Backpacks
While hiking backpacks are designed to be durable, ultralight backpacks like the Talon 44 utilize thinner and lighter materials to cut weight. These materials are generally weaker than the thicker materials used on heavier backpacks. Tears and other damage are more common.
When buying an ultralight backpack, there is a bit of a compromise. You have to choose between durability and lightweight. Of course, this is a consideration with all ultralight packs, not just the Talon 44. I try to handle my backpack with care. Even though it can take a beating, I don’t throw it around like I would a heavy canvas bag. As I said earlier though, I have had no problems with this backpack in terms of durability.
Size
The main reason I choose this backpack initially was because it is, roughly, carry-on size for most airlines. The bag measures 26.4” X 11.8” X 13” when it’s completely full. Admittedly, this is slightly over most airline’s carry-on limits of 22” X 9” X 14”. However, if you leave some space, you can easily compress the bag to an acceptable size with the compression straps on the sides and bottom.
Every time I have tried to carry this bag on, I have succeeded. I have even carried this bag on smaller propeller planes and it fit in the overhead bin just fine. One time, the ticketing woman at the gate asked to put the bag in one of those metal frames to test the size. Even though it was slightly over, she waved me by because it was so close. On this occasion, I had the backpack packed completely full.
In my experience, airlines care more about the weight than the size unless your bag is obviously too large. This bag isn’t. Of course, you’ll want to make sure you pack too much weight. If you do, you may have to check it.
In the Talon 44 I can carry:
- Ultralight camping gear- Including my Big Agnes ultralight tent, Kelty Cosmic 20 sleeping bag, Klymit Static V sleeping pad, water filter, and camp stove. I do usually have to strap my tent to the outside.
- Clothes for 3 seasons- Including plenty of t-shirts, socks, underwear, jeans, etc. I don’t usually travel to cold weather destinations, but I could strap a large jacket to the outside of the bag. If you wanted to carry winter boots and full cold weather gear, you’d probably want a larger backpack.
- Electronics- Including my laptop, phone, camera, and all chargers. On some trips, I even manage to carry my DSLR camera.
- Toiletries- Including toothbrush, soaps, contact lenses, first aid kit, etc.
- Additional travel gear- including outlet converters, hair clippers, insect repellent, etc.
- Food and water- While traveling, I always have a couple of liters of water as well as a day’s worth of food. It’s nice to always have something to eat during a long bus ride.
When the bag is full, it doesn’t look all that large. It’s got a pretty narrow profile yet still manages to swallow up a surprising amount of gear. In fact, I compared the volume of this 44-liter bag against a lower end 50-liter hiking backpack that I own. Surprisingly, this backpack holds more than the 50.
After a bit of research, I found that Osprey only includes the volume of closed compartments when calculating the volume of their bags. This is the industry standard. Some companies decide to include the volume of water bottle pockets, hip belt pockets, and other compartments which makes the backpack seem larger than it actually is. If you were to add up the capacity of all pockets and compartments on the Talon 44, you would probably find that the backpack holds around 60 liters of gear.
Weight
The Talon 44 is an ultralight hiking backpack. The bag itself weighs 2 pounds 7 ounces (about 1.1 kilos). It is made of various types of nylon-Lycra synthetic fabrics. The straps and padding on the back and waist belt are also fairly thin which keeps the weight down.
One benefit to using a lightweight backpack while traveling is the fact that you can carry more gear. Airlines are getting more and more strict about weight limits. Most only allow 15-22 pounds for carry-on bags. You don’t want to carry a 5-pound backpack that takes up a quarter of the weight allowance by itself. With this bag, I can carry a couple of pounds more gear without going overweight simply because the bag weighs so little.
If you plan to check the bag anyway, the Talon 44 is designed to carry a 40 pound (about 18 kilos) load. I’ve had it loaded about that heavy on a couple of occasions and it has handled the load just fine. I wouldn’t want to pack that much gear around all the time though.
Comfort
When I travel I walk a lot. Rather than take an expensive taxi ride or uncomfortable bus to my hotel or hostel, I prefer to walk whenever possible. I also like to go on overnight hikes on occasion. I needed a travel backpack that could be worn for long periods of time.
When I first saw the straps, I had my doubts. They are significantly thinner and a bit more narrow than most other hiking backpacks that I have used. After carrying this backpack for thousands of miles, I can say the design works. The straps are comfortable and don’t dig in.
Additional comfort features include:
- Hip belt- The hip belt is sewn directly to the frame. This helps greatly with load transfer. The belt also uses a mesh material and foam with cutouts to allow airflow. The belt is wide and takes much of the weight off of your shoulders. I haven’t had any problems with bruising with this belt.
- Shoulder straps- Even though the straps are thin, they offer a good amount of support. Not great, but good. The design of the straps includes mesh and cutouts which allow for a decent amount of airflow. This helps keep your shoulders cool.
- Back support- The Talon 44 uses an Airscape internal frame made of aluminum with fiberglass stays. The main compartment and hip belt are attached directly to the frame. A grooved mesh back allows for airflow to keep you cool.
Even though the Talon 44 is designed to hold up to 40 pounds, it won’t be very comfortable with that amount of weight. I usually carry 25-30 pounds of gear when I travel. At that weight, I can hike or walk pretty much all day with this backpack and stay relatively comfortable.
In the past, I’ve used backpacks that use thick, bulky straps to improve comfort. While these work, they add weight don’t offer any airflow. I actually find Osprey’s design to be better for comfort. The excellent support system allows them to use thinner straps without sacrificing any comfort. In fact, the hip belt offers so much support that I can tighten it up and pretty much remove the shoulder straps. This allows me to switch between carrying the weight with my shoulders and hips.
Organization and Access
This backpack offers several compartments, pockets, and straps to hold all of your gear including:
- Main compartment- The large main compartment uses a drawstring closure. You can access the main compartment from the bottom by unbuckling two straps and opening a zipper. This feature is designed to give you easy access to your