Osprey Tempest 22 Hiking Pack – Reviewed & Tested

Julia headed out on a string of Tassie day hikes to put the Osprey Tempest 22 hiking pack to the test – and found out what a difference a dialled-in, ultra-comfy daypack can make on the trail.

I’ve often headed out for shorter, single-day adventures with a bit of an ‘anything will do’ mindset when it comes to gear.

Sure, if it’s a mission, remote or a bit technical I’ll get prepped, but for anything else from day hikes to snorkel trips, it’s never really been a priority to kit myself out mindfully. 

Didn’t bring hiking shoes? No worries, I’ve got my Tevas. What about a pack? It’s all good, I’ve got an egg of parachute material that unfolds into a lightweight sack with straps. I’ll be home by dark anyway.

Turns out, having a quality daypack is pretty bloody good. I recently spent some time down in Tassie for a mate’s birthday and squeezed in a few solid day hikes, which was the perfect opportunity to take the Osprey Tempest 22 Hiking Pack for a spin – and to vow to never again head out with a flimsy excuse for a daypack.

Serious day hike Julia has entered the chat

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I love getting out there, whether I’m on land or under the sea. When it comes to terrestrial adventures, I’m not exactly in the ultralight camp – I’m a sucker for bringing extra layers ‘just in case’, some extra snacks (what if I get extra hungry?) and a solid reserve of water. 

All this means I’m normally putting any pack I wear (lightweight sack or otherwise) to the test, and I know what it feels like when features aren’t gelling or the weight just isn’t sitting right.

It me | @aebimedia

Quick Specifications

Weight: 1030g
Dimensions: 51cm x 29cm x 29cm
Capacity: 22 litres
Fabric: bluesign approved, 100% recycled fabric, durable water-repellent treatment made without PFAs
   Main: 100D high-tenacity nylon with dobby check ripstop
   Lining: 70D nylon
   Bottom: 420D nylon
Colourways: Deep Fig/Hotspot Pink, Black/Coal Grey, Red Pampas/Coal Grey, Frosty Mint Green/Botanica, Anchor Blue/Atlas
RRP: $269

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Competitors We’ve Reviewed

• Aarn Little Llama 20L Hiking Pack
• Cotopaxi Batac 24L Daypack
• Black Diamond Distance 22L Pack

Performance

I first put the Osprey Tempest 22 hiking pack to use not on the trail, but a few steps before – as my carry-on for the flight. Even before I’d started on the inclines and scrambles, I was wowed. 

The size was great, the features handy, and boy did it feel good to wear. Over the following days of day hikes, being pack mule for the group (naturally, I had the best gear for it), and frolicking around Hobart, I had the same thought running over and over in my head – ‘Jeez, they really know how to make a pack’.

Design and features are reminiscent of overnight hiking packs

The Tempest 22 is described as a multi-sport pack, with a range of versatile features to make it an ideal carry solution across activities. While I’m yet to test it out on every adventure hinted at by the product description (I must confess I don’t own an ice axe and thus need nowhere to stow it), it has performed excellently so far in every use case. 

From my first full day out on the trail I could see this becoming a go-to for any activity where I need a backpack that’s compact and lightweight yet ultra-supportive.

Read more: Kate’s Daypacks for Every Kind of Adventure

Durability

I can’t say I’ve fully tested the durability of the Tempest 22 just yet of course, but I’m happy to report that so far, so good. It’s carefully designed with reinforcement on key areas – the 100% recycled 420D nylon on the bottom feels especially durable – and overall this feels like a pack that’ll go the distance. 

It’s fitted out with stretchy mesh pockets on the sides and front, and I was happy to see these holding up well as they’re usually the first to tear (especially in some of the tight and scrubby conditions we were moving through on the side of Kunanyi / Mt Wellington).

No wear on these pockets, cheering!

Comfort

I simply will not shut up about how comfy this pack is – pretty much the entire time I was in Tassie I kept exclaiming ‘I just can’t believe how good it feels on!’ to my mates (soz guys). 

The Tempest 22 is promoted as having a precise, close-to-body yet breathable fit, and I couldn’t really put it better myself – it’s all about the finer details here and a lot of the comfort of this pack comes down to the ability to really fine-tune the fit to your body. 

While I’m used to this standard for larger hiking packs, it’s not something I’ve ever experienced to this degree in a day pack.

Back Panel

There were two key details that contributed to the comfort of the pack – the system of hipbelt and straps (more on that in a sec) and the back panel. 

The Tempest 22 features a breathable AirScape back panel, which is essentially a set of foam ridges underneath mesh that sit comfortably against your back, helping to promote airflow while keeping the pack weight close to your body. 

I’m naturally a very sweaty hiker (sweaty girls unite) and while this didn’t stop me from sweating fully through the back of my merino tee, the back panel did make the pack feel noticeably cooler to wear throughout the day. 

I’ll always appreciate a pack that I don’t have to peel off my body at the end of a hike.

Straps

The system of the continuous wrap harness and hipbelt is the other star of the show as far as comfort’s concerned. 

Locked in (feat. whistle)

The hipbelt is sturdy – not a flimsy little strap but nice and wide, meaning that when it’s buckled up it offers solid support and weight-bearing. There are plenty of adjustable points all round – across the shoulder straps, the chest strap, and even a sliding yoke feature which allows you to adjust for torso length. 

All combined, it means you can keep the Tempest 22 as close to your body as possible, as well as a pack load that feels much lighter on than expected.

Simple waistbelt for bigger loads

Design

Overall, I give the Tempest 22 a big old tick when it comes to design. There were many, many handy features I loved, but especially all the different places to store water. As an aforementioned sweaty gal, I like to have my water plentiful and easy to access. With the Tempest 22, I have options to store bottles in stretchy mesh pockets on either side, a large stretchy mesh panel that runs down the front of the pack, or to put a bladder in an internal reservoir sleeve and feed the tube out of a designated h20 hole near the top.

I love dumping my Nalgene in this rear pocket for easy access

There’s plenty I’m yet to try too – it comes equipped with Stow-On-The-Go trekking pole attachments, as well as tuck-away ice axe, and LidLock bike helmet attachments (snorkpacking trip, anyone?). I also appreciate the many loops and straps on the exterior – terrific potential for strapping extra gear to the outside of the pack.

The one thing lacking for me was internal pockets. There’s the internal water reservoir sleeve, as well as one small internal zippered mesh pouch attached close to the top. The pouch was very handy for quick access items – but if the rest of the pack wasn’t mostly full, this became a bit of a weirdly heavy, floppy section to contend with when opening it up. Otherwise, it’s more or less one big section inside. I would have loved to see more options for separating the internal storage, whether that’s zipped sections or even removable dividers.

Sustainability

Osprey do a pretty bang-up job when it comes to sustainability. The Tempest 22 is a bluesign®PRODUCT, meaning it adheres to a fairly rigorous set of environmental and social standards during production, for every component of the product. 

Osprey has also been a bluesign® system partner since 2021, with 83% of the full Spring product line made of bluesign®PRODUCTS (which is the strictest standard for a product to be held to within the bluesign® system). They have their progress each season mapped out on site and it’s pretty cool to see the growth in sustainability – although I would love to be able to understand what percentage of total products, not just styles, currently meet this criteria, as well as what their goals are for the future, especially in regard to their carbon impact.

On top of that, the Tempest 22 is made with 100% recycled nylon, has a durable water-repellant finish sans nasty PFAs, and carries the All Mighty Guarantee, a free-of-charge repair policy with a lifetime guarantee. Sustainable production is one part of the picture, but a sustainably-made piece of gear that gets chucked into landfill isn’t doing the planet any good – so I love to see initiatives like these in place.

Price

Retailing at $269, the Tempest lands a little higher than other daypacks on the market. It’s not a drop in the ocean, but not an unreasonable price for the quality and sustainability either. 

Considering how many of the features I love and how dang good it feels to wear (plus the potential lifespan with the All Mighty Guarantee), I’d say this is money well-spent.

Feature-packed and comfy makes the Tempest 22 a multisport beast

Final Thoughts

The Osprey Tempest 22 hiking pack has pretty much reshaped my priority matrix for a day hike – as it so happens, having a pack that actually fits well, carries comfortably, and feels thoughtfully-designed makes a world of difference – who knew! If you’re after a comfy, compact pack to suit a range of daytime adventures, I’d look no further.