THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN OUTDOOR KIT
Active pack
You’ll see Osprey’s Talon and Tempest packs on hikers’ backs throughout the UK hills – and beyond. What more could this hugely popular rucksack range require? Maybe this…
SERIOUS STUFF
Osprey Talon Velocity 20 £150
Sizes S/M, L/XL Weight 866g (S/M); 880g (L/XL)
Osprey Tempest Velocity 20 £150
Sizes XS/S, M/L Weight 821g (XS/S); 857g (M/L)
Osprey Talon Velocity 30 £160
Sizes S/M, L/XL Weight 1006g (S/M); 1076g (L/XL)
Osprey Tempest Velocity 30 £160
Sizes XS/S, M/L Weight 921g (S/M); 962g (L/XL)
60 TRAIL MAY 2024
There’s a fine reputation of established classics having a sporty option in their range. The Volkswagen Golf had the GTI. The Ford Escort had the RS Turbo. The Spice Girls had Sporty. And now Osprey’s Talon (men’s) and Tempest (women’s) packs have the Velocity.
A name like ‘Velocity’ suggests a particular focus, and yes, Osprey has tweaked its Talon and Tempest to create a pack for doing energetic things at fast paces. But before you ‘slow and steady’ hikers turn your noses up and away from yet another product designed for ‘fast-packing’, consider this – a rucksack that’s light enough to be considered sporty, with a fit that’s designed to be carried at speed, is going to make slower, more whimsical walking even more comfortable.
Not everyone will love every aspect of the design – its slightly unusual cinch closure may put off those who prefer a buckled lid, and the vest-style harness looks rather different from the shoulder straps found on most packs. But then there’s a whole swathe of hikers who have only used zipped packs without a lid anyway, and although it’s certainly a different approach, there are all kinds of benefits to that vest harness.
But perhaps most importantly, the Velocity is based on the hugely popular Talon and Tempest packs. If pushed to come up with a scientifically calculated and not at all made up off the top of our heads figure, we’d say it shares 88.7% of the same DNA as those tried and tested packs, which can only be a good thing. But, for the sake of comprehensiveness, let’s take a close look at the Talon/Tempest Velocity (focusing on that other 11.3%) to see what sets it aside from its family.
