Osprey Manta vs. Talon Series - which would you buy?

[Village]

My REI dividend and 20% coupon barely landed in my mailbox before I spent it on a Talon 22 pack, having eyed one for a while for bikepacking use. Well today I was introduced to the new Raptor and Manta line of Osprey packs and wonder if I shouldn't consider returning the Talon and getting a Manta 20 or 25? I already have a spare bladder to use with my Talon but the Manta's newly designed bladder with flat panel and magnetic valve is nice. It also has a removable rain cover.

However, the Manta's storage is segmented into several smaller compartments and not so useful for throwing large items in there. Also, a Manta 25 is 9oz heavier with only ~150 extra cu in. The Manta 20 is the same weight penalty but less space!

Should I keep the Talon 22 as a trustworthy lightweight pack, or return it for the new gizmos on a Manta series pack?

[Pawel]

I've bought Osprey Raptor recently which is design with little more attention for bikers. It is too early for value opinion but the design of the new hydraulic hydratation system is very neat and works great for me. I think that the new bladder is worth making an investment. It is so easy to slide the bladder even if the pack is full. I replaced my camelbak HAWG and there is a ton of improvement.

[DaveC]

IMO the Talons are already as feature laden as I can stand.  The Raptor and Manta have too many pockets, zippers, etc.  Some people like that sort of thing, though.

Can't go wrong with the 22.  Except for not being able to carry skis, it is perfect.

[Village]

I just realized something 

The Mantas come with a hydration bladder, which according to Osprey's site weighs 9oz - the difference between the Talon and the Manta. D'oh!

Still, I'm kinda in agreement with you Dave. Those are a ton of pockets to divide stuff into.

[Marshal]

The main design difference (aside from more/less compartments) seems to be the Manta’s frame/airmesh back panel.  This is all personal of course, but I dislike the Talon’s unsupportive/sweaty/hot backpanel.  On the other hand I really like Osprey’s frame/airmesh backpanel’ designs.  Cooler on a hot day and can comfortably carry more weight over the duration of a multi-day.  At some point that extra comfort out weighs the extra weight imo.

As far as pockets go I happen to like them.  Once everything is in its place I don’t have to ‘dig’ to find anything, this makes for faster stops imo.  I like to use the outer pockets to store things I need to access during ‘ride time’ and the inner pockets to store stuff I do not need till camp time.

[Mr.Pink]

I just bought the new manta 20 and IMO it is awesome. The stability of the pack is unmatched compared to other packs I have owned,many camel back packs and last years dakine amp 18. The organization and bladder are well thought out,my only complaint was the magnet that holds the bite valve was not strong enough for single track use. I will probably be figuring out a way to change that set up.   

[Village]

Thanks for the feedback! I ended up exchanging the Talon 22 for the Manta 20. I realized that the volume of the Talon's large pocket was overkill for most Texas camping, at least the weather I'd bother venturing out into. Plus, as mentioned the functionality and stability of the Manta's pack frame is far superior to the Talon.

[sherpaxc]

I haven't tried on the Manta so I can say for sure, but if it is the same backpanel/frame as the Atmos (and many other of their packs) I had some serious issues with the frame digging into my shoulder blade.  Mind you that I'm a little boney up top though.  I had to switch it out for a Talon 22 (and later to a Wingnut 3.0).

[DaveH]

I just picked up a Manta 20 a couple of days ago - posted a review of initial impressions to the "Gear Reviews" section. 

On the weights - those listed on the Osprey site are for pack only not including the bladder.  In the store the Mantas have a noticeable heft when compared side by side with the Talon.

Have not used it yet - the bladder has a nasty leak so I'll need to exchange it before it gets used. 

[A]

Most of the bikepacking talk has been for the Manta and not the Raptor with respect to Osprey's Hydraulics line. Is this because of the backpanel frame or am I missing something else? The Raptor goes up to 18L and I like the organization of specific pockets (at least for general mtn biking). Also I tried the Talon 22 once, but was unimpressed with the bladder storage and just lack of compartmentalization. Also I did notice there are some subtle differences in design and features to each volume size of the Manta. Is there any one size that is advantageous for bikepacking?

[mikeadamski]

Somewhere (I can't remember where) I read that the new hydration packs with their "stiffened" bladders  seemed to be ill-suited to the curve of a cyclist's back.  Anyone experience this?

I'm really looking at the smaller bag for daily use.  I love the hip pockets for a camera and bar or two.

[JF-mtnbiker]

Used the Raptor 14 on the TD. It was a pretty good pack. Pretty comfy. I liked ease of the new bladder design. Made filling and reinstalling easy. However, the bottom of the bladder busted and soaked me late on the 2nd to last day of the race. I know my shorts needed a wash but I really needed those fluids and couldn't replace them at night in the middle of nowhere. The timing was really bad time as I was trying to recover from hitting the "ran outta food" wall that morning. The fabric was light weight but a bit too flimsy. I was always loosing stuff down in some folded over fabric in the bottom of a pocket. The pack can hold more than it carries "well". I have to say that the warrentee on the Raptor was great though. I called them a couple days after getting home, told them I couldn't produce the broken bladder because I trashed it when i found a garbage can. I gave them a code # off the pack and had a new bladder in the mail in 4 days. (They want the broken stuff for R&D reasons) The Osprey is pretty good but when i go ride now, I load up my 7 year old Mule. Still my favorite by a mile.

[grannygear]

Somewhere (I can't remember where) I read that the new hydration packs with their "stiffened" bladders  seemed to be ill-suited to the curve of a cyclist's back.  Anyone experience this?

I'm really looking at the smaller bag for daily use.  I love the hip pockets for a camera and bar or two.

I agree that the extra structure in those packs is a comfort/fit issue.  I have some of the Raptors (6 and 18), a Manta 20, and a Talon 22.  The 6 is the worst as the smallish pack will not conform to my back as the stiffening effect overwhelms the pack and it will not wrap around at the low back.  The 18 is much better that way, but I can still feel it.

The Mantas have that mesh back panel so this is a non-issue.  The Talon 22 (which I just got and have used once) is the uber-comfy pack of the day.  Man, it is great, but it sits right against you with not much air flow.  I would prefer comfy over air, though.  I would like to try the Talon in the 600CI size.  I love shock cord webbing on a pack anyway...why did they do away with that feature on nearly all packs?

The Mantas may be the best compromise and the 20 I have has very functional hip pockets, unlike the Raptors, which are pretty useless.  I have some review stuff on the Raptor/Manta line on www.thecyclistsite.com.

[A]

good to know about the back panels. I was thinking about the biggest Raptor or the smallest Manta. I agree about the hip pockets on the Raptor. The S/M size is barely big enough to fit a gel packet, but at least on the M/L they are much bigger. There's no real closure system to them though, i.e. zipper or velcro - kind of lame. However the Raptor was not really designed for bikepacking, but rather pure mtn biking. In that respect I guess it's OK.

[A]

Anyone ever put the Nalgene bladder in a Talon?

[DaveH]

Anyone ever put the Nalgene bladder in a Talon?

Yep, it works fine.  It's a bit short for the talon, and when I filled it with ice + water it leaked horribly.  It got the ax in favor of a platypus for CTR, I just don't trust the durability of that nalgene bladder.  Too many stories, and I have had 2 different failures with them.

[A]

Yes, I've heard about this for the Nalgene bladder. You would think it's something they should be able to fix fairly easily and soon.

[Blackhound]

Apologies for the slight highjack:

Any views on the wingnut series of bags?  I have never seen one in the flesh though they are available over here in the UK.  Could be an expensive mistake.....

I do have a few back issues and would like to keep the weight down off my back as much as possible (I currently use a very light OMM rucsac with a bladder pocket for bike-packing duties).  Plan to be on the Tour Divide next year so comfort will be an issue.  Thanks.

[maximus_lt]

Halo
Pawel, proszę, powiedz mi dobry sklep, w którym można zobaczyć plecaki Osprey. Najlepiej w Śródmieściu Gdańska, Sopotu i Gdyni.

[Pawel]

Maximus nie znam takiego sklepu. Plecaki Ospreya sprzedaje Alpin Sport w Zakopane.