Osprey Talon 44

I bought this pack to hold all of my climbing gear (ropes/quickdraws/caribiners/shoes/harness/gri-gri etc.) it does the job perfectly!!!! Plus enough to room to pack for at least overnight.

I usually end up carrying my wife's gear also (an additional harness/shoes). I also have packed lunch in there and a lot of other goodies!

I love this bag! It is probably my favorite bag that I have. I have also used it for some travel and it has flown fine on a plane.

The internal frame makes it a lot better than better than its little brother the 33 and I am so happy with it.

Update 3/8/13

Almost a year after I purchased this pack, I was riding my motorcycle to work when I got hit by a car. I skid 13 feet across the pavement and when I got up was only a little worse for the wear. I truly believe this backpack was the reason I didn't break any bones.

Also the pack survived with only a minor scratch! That impressed me the most. Great durability, great features, overall this is still my favorite pack both for outdoor adventures and vacations!

Just completed a 113 mile trip on the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado in 4 1/2 days. Pack weight on day 1 was 30 lbs. I love everything about this pack but 1 thing, and that is the hydration "pocket". It was difficult for me to get my bladder in the pocket when the bladder was full and the pack was loaded. I was able to get the bladder in but it wasn't easy.

The pockets on the hip belt were perfect for storing many of the food bars I ate during the day. The pockets on the shoulder straps were perfect for more food bars of energy gels.

The stretchy pockets on the back and sides of the pack are nice but the side pockets didn't hold much. They were perfect to store my emergency kit in though. The back pocket was great.

I really liked the hipbelt and the way the belt is designed to be pulled. It is very easy to adjust. I thought the shoulder straps were sufficiently padded. I noticed no sore shoulders until the very last day of the trip when I did 30 miles and 5 passes. But by then my waist had gotten tighter so the hipbelt was slightly too big by then...so every couple if miles or so I would have to hoist the pack back into the proper position. On shorter trips I did not notice that problem.

If the hydration pocket between the shoulder straps was easier to use and if the side pockets could hold a bit more gear I would give this pack a 5 star rating.

Concerning weather proofness. On day 4 of the trip I got hit with s tough Colorado storm and had to hike 3 miles in pouring rain to get off an exposed pass. Since I was going lightweight I had no pack cover. I was amazed at how dry the inside of the pack was after the driving rain pounded it for just over an hour. The fabric dried really quickly once I got out of the rain.

Osprey did good on this pack.

What I love most about this pack other than the impeccable construction and great styling is the fact that when I pack my stuff into my kayak's dry bay, I can roll this pack up and stuff it in with ease. Yet, when I fill this pack with a week's worth of supplies, it feels light and straight on my back during hikes.

Best pack I have ever owned. I use the pack every day during the summer for research in the canyon lands of Utah (Zion, Capitol Reef, Cedar Mesa….). Very good in hot environments, but also use it for cross country skiing during the winter. Packs small enough for a day hike or large enough for a few days of light packing. I am 6’4”, 180 and love the fit of the m/l adjustable torso.

Best use would be for overnight hikes.

I picked up this pack last year but did not get a chance to use it until this fall. I did a two day trip across the Bigelows in Western Maine. I loved it! It was light and comfortable, I found that the belt fit my body better than other packs I have used in the past (no friction sores on the hips!)

The only downfall that I noticed was that the low number of external pockets makes made it harder for me to organize things the way I like to. Otherwise, the pack preformed great!

I found mine at Epic Sports in Bangor. If you are from the area you can try one on there--they have the only hip belt molder (that I know of) in Maine. They have a website too:

www.epicsportsgear.com

I used this pack on what was supposed to be a weekend backpacking trip into the Smokies that turned into an overnight trip due to our pace. The pack is really great. It's super light and versatile and has lots of loading options. It also loads and carries very well up to about 30 pounds; however, the reason I gave it 4/5 stars is because of the minimal padding in the shoulder straps.

I could really feel them on the second day and they left my shoulders a bit sore. I was probably pushing the design load though and believe that had I packed a bit more selectively, I would have had no problems. Overall, I am definitely pleased with the pack and can't wait to use it again!