Osprey Tempest review: Adventuring in hot and cold climates with the female-specific fit Osprey Tempest 20 litre daysack, £90.
Osprey Tempest review
Adventuring: I usually completely forget I’m wearing my Tempest daysack, which is the sign of a very comfy backpack indeed. It came with me to the Great Barrier Reef for hikes, plane rides and snorkel trips and (once I’d got all the sand out of it) to Switzerland for more walks and a glacier skiing session. As a lightweight all-rounder bag for sports it really is the business – adjustable, breathable and waterproof. The inside is simple and will hold a surprising amount of kit, whilst the outside has a ton of handy design extras, including lots of pockets, reflective panels and attachments for trekking poles, water bottles and bike lights. It’s especially useful for ski trips, as it feels comfy to wear on long days of touring and it sports an emergency whistle and an ice-pick loop.
As for whether it has a woman’s fit – I’m always a bit wary of tags like that for what is usually unisex gear. I am a woman and it fits me well, but I can’t remove my boobs and hips and re-test it, unfortunately. It does feel very snug and comfortable on – that said, I had a boy carry it about and it looked and felt fine. There is a men’s version (weirdly it’s a tiny bit bigger at 22 litres) if you feel the need to know you’re carrying Real Man Gear.
The only downside I’ve found to my Talon Tempest is that whilst the hip straps are super comfy when done up, they flap about annoyingly by your side if they’re loose, making it harder to just sling the bag on and go.
Verdict: A fantastic, hard-working daysack with myriad clever design touches, perfect for shorter hikes, cycling and skiing. It also looks fabulous – I love the ocean-blue colour. If you’re after a backpack to commute with or for weekends away I’d pick a bigger beast, such as the Tempest 40, which is only £20 more.
