I only got into backpacking a few years ago and have slowly been refining my gear since that time. Many of my early purchases proved to be unwise; too heavy, too bulky, poorly designed, or simply totally unnecessary and never used. The one area where I was either uncharacteristically wise or hit some serious beginner’s luck was in my pack choice. For my needs, I cannot think of single improvement I would make to the Osprey Talon 44 beyond the nit-pickingest of nitpicks. In short, I love this pack. I find the Talon 44 to be a perfect marriage between durable construction and lightweight simplicity; all compromises were made in the right places and not at the expense of comfort, ruggedness, or performance. Let’s go over the basic specs before getting into comfort, performance, and durability:
