Osprey Tempest 22 Review: Tempest or Talon, and Does It Fit You?
The Tempest 22 is the women’s version of the Talon 22: same price, same 22 litres, same pockets. The question is not whether it is a good pack — it is whether its shorter back range and different harness suit your body better than the Talon’s. Two UK reviewers who carried it disagree on the back panel, and one of them gives it only 3 out of 5.
Where the reviews line up
Our three sources all cover the current one-size Tempest 22: Countryfile, whose reviewer took it round Snowdonia and on city breaks; Live For The Outdoors, the UK walking magazine; and REI, a US retailer with 78 buyer ratings. They agree it fits well and is full of useful features. They do not agree on how much it is worth.
The common ground: the harness and hipbelt hold the pack close and steady. Countryfile says it stayed stable “even on rocky sections”; Live For The Outdoors says it minimises rubbing and hot spots. There is no rain cover, and both UK reviewers point it out. And it is fussy: Countryfile complains of “excessive tassels”, Live For The Outdoors calls it too fussy for minimalists.
The split is over the back panel. Countryfile says the AirScape panel keeps her back cool on steep, sunny climbs. Live For The Outdoors says it is not as well ventilated as a suspended mesh back, and some REI buyers report a sweaty back. Countryfile’s low score comes from small details: hipbelt pockets an old iPhone 8 only just fits, and side pockets too high to reach a bottle on the move.
Tempest or Talon? Osprey says the Tempest’s harness and hipbelt are shaped for a female body. On REI’s figures its back length runs 14–19in (about 36–48cm) against the Talon’s 17–22in (about 43–56cm). If your back measures under about 43cm, the Talon will not adjust short enough for you. Over about 48cm, the Tempest will not go long enough. In between, try both on, whatever the label says.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- CountryfileUK editorial test by Leonie Helm, 30 October 2025. 3/5. Snowdonia, commuting and city breaks.
- Live For The OutdoorsUK walking magazine, tested by Matt Jones and Ellie Clewlow on the current 2025 model.
- REI4.7/5 from 78 ratings, 80% recommend. US buyers of the current model.
Before the review: Tempest 20 or Tempest 22?
The current women’s pack is the Tempest 22: one size, 22 litres. Osprey’s UK site lists it at £125 alongside the Talon 22 at the same price. The Tempest 20 is the previous generation, which came in two sizes, and it is still listed by some UK shops. If a listing offers you an XS/S or S/M size, it is the old pack. There is also a Tempest 22 Extended Fit at the same £125, with a hipbelt that REI says fits 40–70in. For what changed between generations and how the Talon compares, see our Osprey Talon 22 review. We do not repeat it here.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Tempest 22 | Talon 22, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes | One size (plus an Extended Fit version) | One size. Osprey UK, both checked 7 Oct 2026 |
| Capacity | 22 litres | 22 litres |
| Weight | 1.03 kg (Osprey UK, Absolute Snow, Live For The Outdoors). Ellis Brigham and REI list 1.08 kg / 2lb 6.1oz, which is the Talon’s figure | 1.08 kg (Osprey) |
| Back length | 14–19 in (about 36–48 cm), REI spec. Live For The Outdoors says 15–19 in. Osprey gives no range | 17–22 in (about 43–56 cm), REI spec |
| Hipbelt fit | 27–50 in. Extended Fit: 40–70 in | 29–50 in. REI spec for both |
| Harness | Shaped for a female body, per Osprey. Ellis Brigham adds “narrower shoulder width, ergonomic harness, shorter torso length” | Shaped for a male body, per Osprey |
| Dimensions | 51 × 29 × 29 cm (Osprey UK). Ellis Brigham lists 56 cm, the Talon’s height | 56 × 29 × 29 cm (Osprey) |
| Load range | 4.5–13.6 kg (10–30 lb) | Osprey US page |
| Hydration | Internal reservoir sleeve. Reservoir not included | Osprey UK |
| Rain cover | Not included. Osprey sells a Small cover separately | Osprey Denmark page; both UK reviews |
| Fabric | bluesign approved, 100% recycled 100D nylon, DWR without PFAS; 420D recycled base | Osprey |
| Guarantee | 30-year All Mighty Guarantee, “Any Pack. Any Reason” | Osprey UK product page |
| UK price | RRP £125 (out of stock on Osprey UK, 7 Oct 2026). £125 at Ellis Brigham and Snow+Rock, both in stock. £108.95 at Absolute Snow, pre-order | All checked 7 Oct 2026 |
Countryfile
Countryfile’s reviewer used the pack on walks in Snowdonia, including the Glyderau, and for commuting and city breaks. She likes the fit: the BioStretch harness and hipbelt “wrap snugly around my torso and hips, distributing weight evenly”, and the pack stays put on rough ground. She also rates the build quality and the recycled materials. Unlike some testers, she finds the AirScape back keeps her cool “even on steep, sunny climbs”.
Her 3/5 comes from the details you use all day. The hipbelt pockets are small — “even my old iPhone 8 only just fits”. The side pockets sit too high to reach a water bottle while walking. The pack “doesn’t shut properly when not full”, there are too many dangling strap ends, and there is no rain cover. None of these is a dealbreaker, but together they cost the pack two stars.
Watch: Osprey Tempest 22 Women's Day Pack Series Review
A review of the Tempest 22 by name. Look at the hipbelt pockets and side pockets on screen, as those are Countryfile’s main complaints.
Watch on YouTube ↗Live For The Outdoors
This test is more positive. The reviewers say the harness and hipbelt feel great and reduce rubbing and hot spots, and that “pretty much every feature you could want in a daypack is here”. They describe the back adjustment as a “clever slider” covering 15–19in, and point plus-size walkers to the Extended Fit version.
On the back panel they are cooler than Countryfile. The AirScape foam gives stability and some airflow, but the panel is “still relatively flat, so it doesn’t hug the body quite as well as some rivals”, and it is not as well ventilated as a suspended mesh back. They also note there is no rain cover and the storm flaps cope with little “more than drizzle”. They add that it is not the lightest daypack and is too fussy for minimalists.
Watch: Osprey Talon & Tempest 2025 Review
Covers the 2025 redesign of both packs, the same generation Live For The Outdoors tested. It also covers the men’s Talon, so use it to compare the two.
Watch on YouTube ↗REI
These are owners’ opinions on a page that sells the pack, so treat them as a sample, not a test. They are mostly happy. One owner says she can “hardly notice it on my back” and that its “many adjustments distribute the weight perfectly”. Several use it for bikepacking as well as hiking.
The complaints match the UK reviews. The hydration clip is described as “flimsy” and did not suit one owner’s non-Osprey reservoir. Some buyers find the close-fitting back traps sweat on hard climbs. A few say the hipbelt pockets are “a bit hard to reach”. REI is also where we got the 14–19in back range and the 27–50in hipbelt that separate the Tempest from the Talon. Osprey’s own pages give neither.
Watch: Newly Updated: Osprey Talon & Tempest Packs
A look at the updated packs. We could not open it to confirm which features it covers, so check that it shows the one-size 22-litre pack.
Watch on YouTube ↗Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- A harness and hipbelt that hold the pack close and steady on rough ground, praised by both UK reviewers.
- A shorter back range than the Talon (14–19in), so it fits smaller backs that the Talon cannot.
- About 50g lighter than the Talon, according to Osprey (1.03kg against 1.08kg).
- Plenty of features: hipbelt pockets, stretch front pocket, pole and ice-axe loops, bike helmet clip.
- An Extended Fit version at the same price, with a hipbelt up to 70in.
- A 30-year guarantee that covers damage as well as defects.
What people complain about
- No rain cover in the box, and the storm flaps only cope with drizzle.
- Small hipbelt pockets, and side pockets too high to reach a bottle on the move (Countryfile).
- Back ventilation divides opinion: one reviewer stays cool, others get a sweaty back.
- A flimsy hydration clip that may not suit other makers’ reservoirs.
- Fussy, with lots of strap ends, and it does not close neatly when half full.
- Still over a kilo for 22 litres.
Who it actually suits
Buy the Tempest if your back measures roughly 36–43cm, where the Talon cannot adjust short enough, or if you have found unisex and men’s hipbelts sit wrongly on your hips. It suits one pack for fell days, cycle commuting and travel, and you will need a separate rain cover for UK hills. Use a flexible tape to measure from the bone at the base of your neck to the top of your hip bones. Better still, try both packs on with some weight in them. Outdoor shops can do this for you.
Choose the Talon instead if your back measures over about 48cm, or if you have tried both and the Talon fits better. The label does not matter; how it sits on you does. Look at something else if you want a mesh back that holds the pack off you on hot climbs, big hipbelt pockets for a modern phone, or a lighter, simpler pack.
Other kit for the same day out: the Regatta Pack-It III folds small enough for the front stretch pocket, a Hydro Flask 32oz is a wide bottle (CleverHiker found the side pockets suit wide bottles better than tall thin ones, on the Talon), and an Anker Nano power bank is small enough for the hipbelt pocket.
What we could not check
- The videos were confirmed by search listing, not by opening them. YouTube blocks our checks, so each video’s watch address and title had to appear in two differently worded searches. The listings did not name the channels. Two of the three cover the Talon as well as the Tempest.
- The back-length range from Osprey itself. Osprey’s UK, Danish and US pages say only that the harness adjusts to various torso lengths. REI gives 14–19in and Live For The Outdoors gives 15–19in. We have printed both.
- The weight. Osprey, Absolute Snow and two reviewers give 1.03kg. Ellis Brigham and REI give 1.08kg (2lb 6.1oz), the same as the Talon, which may be copied. Ellis Brigham also gives the Talon’s 56cm height. We have used Osprey’s figure.
- Exactly how the harness differs. Osprey says only that the harness and hipbelt geometry suits a female body shape. “Narrower shoulder width” comes from Ellis Brigham, a retailer, not from Osprey.
- A UK buyer rating with a sample size. None of the UK retailers we checked showed a rating and count. The 78 ratings above are from US buyers.
- Stock on Osprey’s own site. The Tempest 22 shows as out of stock on Osprey UK on 7 October 2026, although it is still listed at £125. Ellis Brigham and Snow+Rock show it in stock.
- Whether the Tempest 20 is still sold new. GO Outdoors lists one at £135, but we could not see its stock or sizes.
- No forum or Reddit thread. We found no community discussion of the current Tempest 22 with enough replies to count.
- Independent breathability tests. The disagreement over the back panel comes down to individual reviewers. Nobody has measured it.
Sources last checked 7 October 2026. Prices change and the previous-generation Tempest 20 is still listed, so check the size options and weight on the listing in front of you before you order.