Last Updated on 06/03/2022
This Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack Review was written by Ameesha and comes recommended as a great backpack for traveling light.
Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack Review
When I decided to travel the world for an entire year, I knew that the first thing I needed to buy for the adventure was a rucksack. On a long-term trip, your backpack or rucksack is the first thing to buy, because it will dictate how much you could take with you and what exactly you could take. This is vital before you buy or decide to pack anything else.
After much research, a trip to my local outdoor shop, and trying on a plethora of rucksacks to see how they felt, I finally opted for the Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack in Stormcloud Grey (the women-specific equivalent to the men’s Talon rucksack). After a year’s nonstop usage across various terrains, I couldn’t have been happier with my choice, thanks to its handy size, comfort, detailing, and minimal weight.
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Size
I’m a small woman (5.2 and petite), so I found a lot of the rucksacks even those designed for women to be too long for my torso. The Tempest 30L is ideal for smaller women as it’s available in two torso sizes: XS-S for torso sizes 13-17 inches, and S-M for sizes 16-20 inches and the harness is also fully adjustable. It also looked appropriately sized, while in comparison the 55L was almost as big as me!
Comfort
One of the main features of the Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack is its high-comfort design. First, the AirScape back panel with foam ridges for ventilation adds breathability and prevents that unpleasant sweaty back feeling that many rucksacks elicit. The BioStretch harness means the shoulder straps are light, and totally adjustable, though it did take some fiddling to find the perfect fit. My favorite feature was the BioStretch hip belt, as they really make the difference in carrying comfort. When clipped together, they instantly take the weight off your back.
Weight
As the Tempest 30 is frameless, it weighs just a tiny 850 grams. Yet for this, it enables you to carry up to an impressive 13.6 kg. The beauty of taking a 30L is that it forces you to pack light. I used the capsule wardrobe concept and took 20-25 items of clothing, plus a few pairs of shoes, and they fit comfortably without making my rucksack too heavy. At 61 x 25 x 22 cm, it’s also small and light enough to fit in hand luggage, saving costs on flights.
Creative storage
A huge benefit of the Tempest 30 is its creative use of storage, enabling you to organize your belongings, which is ideal for long-term travel where you’re carrying everything you own. It features:
- Two handy-access zipped pockets on the hip, ideal for essentials such as your phone.
- A stretch-mesh shoulder strap pocket, perfect for a small sunscreen or lip balm.
- Two stretch-mesh side pockets with InsideOut straps, which are handy for shoes and a water bottle.
- A large stretch-mesh front pocket great for maps and a waterproof jacket.
- A spacious top-lid zipped pouch, which is great for all your smaller items and can be carried as a separate day pack.
- The back hydration sleeve is designed for a water pouch but is also a handy place to store a waterproof cover for the rucksack.
The main compartment is surprisingly roomy, and I compartmentalized it using waterproof clip bags, which also helped with organization. In the winter months, I did find it difficult to squeeze in all of the extra layers I bought (luckily, I spent most of the time wearing them!). So if you’re going on a long-term to colder countries, you most likely need to opt for a bigger backpack.
Added extras
There are some little extras that make it ideal for a range of activities, including a sternum strap emergency whistle, reflective detailing so you can be seen in the dark, stow-on-the-go trekking pole attachments, two ice ax loops, a hydration sleeve, a bike light attachment, and an internal key clip attachment.
Appearance
It might sound silly, but one of the great things about the Tempest is that it’s available in gray and not just the more traditionally “girly” colors. In terms of appearance, the Tempest 30 is also extremely hard-wearing. After a solid year’s use every day, it still looks great! For another good-looking pack that is more of a unisex model, check out our Montane Medusa 32 L backpack review.
Overall
The Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack is ideal for smaller-framed women who are looking for a highly versatile and ultra-comfortable rucksack. It is a small-sized backpack and lightweight which makes it perfect for long-term travel when used in conjunction with a capsule wardrobe packing approach. Its abundant added extras also make it a winner for those who want an active adventure and a rucksack that can keep the pace.
How much is it?
Thanks for reading this Women’s Osprey Tempest 30 Backpack Review written by Ameesha and stay tuned for our list of the best women’s backpacks for traveling.
[…] 30-45 liters: This is the ideal size as you can keep your rucksack nice and light and concentrate on the adventure instead, even on longer trips. This is an especially good size for smaller women. Check out our Osprey Tempest Review […]