Customer Reviews Osprey Talon 6

I use this pack to hike and snowshoe, while doing photography along the way. It allows me to carry several camera lenses, water, a small snack and several other necessities. Being worn around the waist, it doesn't pull at my shoulders and is easily accessed by pulling it around towards the front. If I could ask for one thing, I'm interested in a waterproof version. This one is water resistant, but can get wet in heavy rain or snow. Otherwise perfect for my needs!

This pack actually works for running. The straps and fittings allow you to cinch it down for almost no movement and good comfort. It carries enough for even long runs and you can use your own bottles if you prefer insulated ones to the oddly shaped ones that ship with it. Have bought three of these now and have no complaints whatsoever.

I have a shoulder injury, so a traditional day pack doesn't work for me. I was a little hesitant to get this bag, because well, it's a fanny pack. However, I found the bag to look outdoorsy enough that I didn't feel like a typical tourist walking around with a camera. I hiked trails (various level of difficulty) for several hours in inclement weather (sleet and rain) at Yosemite. The pack handled the wet weather well. I was able to store raingear, snacks and equipment to make all my hikes comfortable. I'm 5'5" weigh 135 and average build. This bag fits well, I did not need to buy the smaller version of this bag cut for women.

Really like the idea of this lumbar pack, especially when using a baby carrier, and in hot weather for shorter hikes. However, the waist strap and buckle are way too thin to be comfortable. They need to be wider and ideally have the same kind of padding as the rest of the pack to distribute weight instead of digging into your belly. If you compensate by loosening the straps the suspension is lost. Surprised Osprey didn't already think of this...

This pack was much touted in the reviews, however much I loved the design, it just didn't work for my body (5'1"/113 lbs/athletic build). Way too wide and my arms could not swing without hitting the sides of the pack, and this occurred without the bottles inserted. The up side is that the lumbar support, venting aspect of the pack is superb. I couldn't see loading up the pack as some have said they do since it would stress the lower back too much and cause an imbalance of back to front of body. Otherwise quite an attractive piece of green.

I bought this for short hikes in the summer. It works for that purpose. I can even fit a light pullover in this. The strap is thin, and digs in. I'm going to look into sewing a thicker one on. The problem is in the winter, the pack doesn't fit right over a coat. It fits over the pockets so I can't get into them, and just feels bulky. There really isn't enough room to fit layers when they are taken off. Best use is for the warmer months.

I use this pack when I want to do a short hike (less than 3 hours). It has a large compartment for some snacks, a phone, flashlight, knife, or some first aid essentials, as well as two water bottles, and then two smaller easy access side pouches for quick access items, such as gels, or to store your car keys. Because of that, it works for a hike with my spouse. This isn't meant for trail running as it bounces around quite a bit, even when pulled tight. It will hold everything in place as the water bottles have a strap over the top, but it was just uncomfortable. I use the Raptor 10, or we'll use her Verve 3 (both with hydro) when doing a run, or a longer hike.

So I have been eyeballing This pack for awhile now. I wanted something for shorter day hikes where I didn't exactly need a whole backpack. I bought the Talon and not the Tempest because I didn't see a difference between them and this one was on sale at a local sporting goods store. Now my husband tried it first and look it on a 8.5 mile hike and he said it wasn't comfortable at at to him. But he is a broader guy and I feel like it may not have sit the way it should have on his body. I am an average sized female and I took it on my 4.5 mile hike and loved it I thought it was super comfy I almost forgot I had it on as I was accending. But as I was descending it did tend to bounce around a bit but honestly I feel like any other pack like this would do the same. The other thing I really really love about this pack is that my iPhone plus fits in the side pockets. Which it's too big for my other 2 Osprey packs side pockets. So bottom line is yes I love this pack but only for short day hikes. For a broader guy though probably not the best fit unfortunately

Purchased this for a trip where I was going to be doing a lot of day hiking. I was able to carry most of the gear that I wanted to carry with no problems. The two pockets on the hip belt are useful for small item (point and shoot camera, insect repellent, small first aid kit, etc. The bottles do not stand up on their own, however, this was not a problem for me. The main compartment held my wind breaker/rain jacket and a few other small items. My main complaint would be to have a wider hip belt, maybe 2 inches wide.

The strap (and buckle) is too thin and it gets uncomfortable when fully loaded. Curved bottles are not practical, I changed them to 0.5 L bottles. Side pockets sit in the back (not at the sides) and are not easily accessible. side pockets are bigger than expected, I put a lot of stuff in there: mobile, wallet, foldable water bowl, map, etc. the main compartment is roomie. I use it for trail running and day hikes. The thin strap makes it uncomfortable for long hikes (or runs) but good for biking.

Looks nice, but could have been so much better. If carrying the entire load on a lumbar/waist pack, using a 1-inch strap and buckle for the waist is insufficient and uncomfortable. Side pockets should be larger. 6L is just not quite enough room in the main compartment, a bit more volume would have been better. The silly small curved bottles are not useful, I will be using larger round bottles, which fit but further eat into the internal volume. This is the first Osprey product that I have found disappointing, I have six other Osprey packs.

I've had many lumbar type packs over the years and love the freedom of movement they provide. Osprey had the right idea but missed the boat on a few things which make this pack a bit frustrating. One strong point is the ventilated rigid back panel which keeps the load close to your back with out much sag like other similar packs tend to do. The bag width should be a bit more so you can use the standard size Podium water bottles without cramping the interior. I suggest losing the small tapered ones they provide, which certainly up the cost which IMHO is too much already. The top handle is strangely placed between the two pouch zippers making it impossible to open the main zipper if the pack is hanging by the handle, which mine often is. It also needs a small pocket inside the main pouch for cash etc. The narrow belt and clasp are too thin which makes it more difficult to connect and adjust and it ain't very comfortable against my belly either.

I want to like this pack as I am a firm fan of the Osprey backpacks but this one was a let down. This was replacing a similar hip pack I had from the 1990 and frankly, apart from organization, that older pack has this one beat! The Talon has one major flaw. The belt and bucket are too skinny. When the pack is loaded the thin belt will dig into your abdomen making it not comfortable at all. I really don't like using this with water as it is too heavy for the skinny strap. My old pack has a belt and clip that was about 2 inches in width and that was very comfortable. If Osprey redesigned this to use a wider belt and buckle system (at least 2" width) then this could become a good pack. Until then, this is a failure..

The waterbottles are nice but the closure part of the openings are poorly designed. Rendered useless in two weeks. Threw this all in the trash. Both of them had two faulty water bottles. Support never bothered to answer mw

I own seven Osprey bags and love every one of them. I bought the Talon 6 thinking it would be the perfect bag for warm weather day hikes with my dog. One water bottle for him, one for me, and just enough space for a thin shell, first aid kit, some snacks, and a few odds and ends. Unfortunately, I instantly hated the Talon 6 the moment I put it on after loading it up. The waist belt is too narrow to spread the load, and there are no stabilizer straps to help pull the top of the bag towards your lower back. As a result, the top of the bag rotates outward and away from your back. That, in turn, pulls more on the narrow waist belt. The thing bounces around far too much while hiking. I tried running a bit with it and I have no idea how people can use it for trail running - it just jostles around entirely too much to be comfortable. I really, really wanted to like this pack because it's the perfect size for me, is lightweight, and has a nice style to it. But Osprey needs to add a strap that runs from the top sides of the pack to the hip belt so that it can be cinched more snugly into the lumbar area of your back. This would more efficiently transfer weight to the hips. As it is, it hangs like an oversized fanny pack, and not a true lumbar pack.