Description
Most frameless backpacks have a strait back panel, causing a gap to form between your shoulders when the backpack when fully loaded. This gap forces the center of gravity away from your back, reducing weight carrying efficiency and comfort. The Talaria solves this problem by using a curved back panel that fits the shape of your back, with a gradual curve around the back of your shoulders. Making a curved back panel is more difficult and time consuming to make, but the extra effort is worth it because it keeps the center of gravity close to your back for added comfort and efficiency.
The Talaria backpack includes a generous assortment of standard features to meet the needs of the demanding ultra light backpacker while keeping weight to a minimum. Your choice of torso length ranging from 17 – 21 inches in one inch increments is included as a standard feature. The Talaria is also available with several custom options so you can fine tune the backpack to perfectly fit your needs.
Special: get a 15% discount on backpack gear pouches when ordered along with a Talaria backpack.
Current wait time: 3 weeks. The Talaria backpack is custom made to order and wait times usually vary from 1 to 4 weeks. The wait time may change without notice on this website. While we do our best to keep the wait time listed above accurate, it may change more quickly than the website can be updated. Orders are produced and fulfilled in the order they are received or payed for. At the present time rush orders are unavailable.
Standard Features
The Talaria backpack comes standard with a generous array of popular and useful features that are included in the base price:
- Tapered and curved side panels, to conform snugly to the contour of your back and move the load closer to your body.
- 3” wide, S-shaped shoulder straps with long daisy chain for accessories.
- Torso lengths of 17″ (small), 19″ (medium) or 21″ (large), measured from the shoulder strap where it attaches to the backpack to the bottom of the hip belt attachment. Backpack sizing varies from person to person, but an 19″ torso length would be considered a “medium” by most people. If you normally prefer a medium size in a framed backpack, then you may prefer the slightly longer medium-large torso length for a frameless backpack like the Talaria.
- Integrated 3/4″ hip belt with sturdy fabric wings.
- Removable, adjustable and shock absorbing sternum strap with whistle.
- Side pockets fit two Smartwater bottles side by side or a traditional 1L Nalgene bottle with room to spare. Pocket rims have sturdy, adjustable and removable 1/8” shock chords with a hidden tab to hide the end – open the rims wide for easy access, or tighten them down to snugly retain contents and protect them from escaping. Pockets are slanted for easier access while hiking and flat-bottomed (with drain holes) for maximum volume. Solid fabric construction to prevent snagging by trail-side vegetation.
- Large front pocket with pleated bottom and drain hole. The pocket rim has sturdy, adjustable and removable 1/8” shock chord with hidden tabs to hide the ends.
- Dry-bag style roll-top closure is 11″ tall and tapered (wider opening at the top) for easy packing and unpacking and viewing of pack contents. The collar secures with two evenly spaced snaps in the middle, plus Linloc-3 male adjustable side-release buckles at each side.
- Compression chords on both side panels. The top of each chord has female Linlocs to cinch down the extension collar. The bottom of each chord has a mitten hook – this allows the chords to be clipped to any of the loops in many different configurations, or completely removed or replaced.
- Multiple D-ring attachment loops all the way to the bottom of the side panels, for volume compression or attaching of accessories. The lowest attachment loop is at waist-belt level, to facilitate attaching belt accessories such as gear pouches.
- One ice axe loop and a shorter pole/accessory loop on the bottom front panel.
- All critical seams, external attachment points and high stress areas are reinforced with bartacs, x-boxes or other strengthening stitches and techniques.
Options
Torso Length
Torso length of 17 – 21″ in whole inch increments. See the Torso Sizing tab for details on selecting your torso length. If in doubt, please contact us for help. $0 – included in base price.
Backpack Shoulder Pouches
Backpack shoulder gear pouches in three sizes. See our shoulder pouch page for details and photos. Special prices when ordered with a backpack: Small ($14.45), Medium ($17.00) and/or Large ($20.40)
Removable Hip Belt
Removable 3/4″ webbing hip belt, adds 0 oz ($5)
Top Y-Strap
Top Y-strap with side release buckle and reinforced front base, adds 0.7 oz ($15)
Horizontal Cross Strap
Shock cord cross strap with a single clip hook on the bottom of the front panel. Holds rolled or folded CCF pads or other bulky gear items. Adjustable and removable. The Bottom D-Rings option below works well with this option, but is not required. Adds 0.4 oz ($5)
Vertical Cross Strap
Shock cord cross strap with two clip hooks over the entire front panel. Holds rolled or folded CCF pads vertically or other bulky gear items. For extra wide 25″ pads this option works better than the Horizontal Cross Strap option above (a 25″ pad is shown in the photo). Adjustable and removable. Adds 0.5 oz ($5)
Internal Pocket
Removable zippered internal pocket for keys, wallet or passport. Attaches to the inside the the back panel near shoulder level – includes two attachment loops sewn to the inside of the back panel of the backpack. Inside dimensions: 6.5″ x 6.5″. Adds 0.6 oz ($15)
Mesh Shoulder Pockets
Integrated mesh shoulder strap pocket, made from sturdy Leno mesh. Available with either a draw cord closure for securing the contents, or an elastic rim for quick one-handed access. Adds 0.6 oz each ($15 each)
Front Packs
Front packs let you store multiple small and mid-sized items on your shoulder straps for easy access while hiking. Front packs also distribute weight onto the front of your body, giving you a more upright gate. A pair (right and left) are highly recommended to balance the weight evenly across your chest. Right and left front packs attach snugly to each shoulder strap with space in between, rather than hanging in between the shoulder straps. This keeps the front packs from bouncing around and allows you to easily see your feet while hiking.
These front packs are optimized to fit the Talaria backpack shoulder straps. They will likely fit most backpacks with 2.5 – 3 inch wide shoulder straps and 3/4″ daisy chains. These front packs are large enough to fit most mirrorless cameras with a standard lens.
Each front pack has top and bottom split rings for attachment to 3/4″ shoulder strap daisy chains and two elastic bands across the back to hold the front pack snug to the shoulder strap. A short daisy chain is also included on the underside to pass a sternum strap through, further snugging the front pack to your chest. If buying a pair, a custom center-connecting low-profile sternum strap is also included. Made from 100 or 210D fabric with water resistant zipper. Adds 1.5 – 2.0 oz each.
Pad Sleeves
Top and bottom back panel sleeves for sit pad or folded foam pad, with open corners, stretchy Leno mesh and elastic rims. Adds 1.3 oz ($15)
Load Lifters
Load lifters on the shoulder straps to pull the top of the pack forward, or to increase the effective torso length of the backpack. Reinforced attachment points to the back/roll top panel of the pack. Adds 0.6 oz ($10)
Padded Hip Belt
Standard padded hip belt with 1″ webbing daisy chain and hardware and 1/4″ foam padding, attached to the main side seams of the backpack. This option increases carrying comfort, especially when carrying loads of 15 – 20 pounds on a consistent basis. Sizes: small (28 – 32″ waist), medium (32 – 36″ waist), large (36 – 40″ waist) and x-large (40 – 44″ waist). Medium size adds 2.3 oz ($20)
Hip Belt Pocket
Removable hip belt pocket with waterproof zipper and two zipper pulls. 4″ tall x 6″ long x 1.5″ deep. Works best with the Padded Hip Belt option. Adds 1.0 oz ($17 each, $33 per pair)
Loop Roll Top Closure
Male-female “loop” roll-top closure with separate side compression straps, adds 0 oz ($5)
Ice Axe Lashing Point
Ice axe lashing point made of webbing and cam loc provides secure, wiggle-free and one-handed quick release of ice ax shafts. The lashing point is directly above the ice axe loop on the bottom of the backpack. Fits axes that are 50cm and longer. Adds 0.3 oz ($5)
Bottom D-Rings
Replaces the standard ice ax loop and auxiliary loop on the bottom front panel with the same d-ring fitted attachment loops as found on the side panels. This option is recommended if you want to place shock cord on the front of the backpack, such as in the Front Horizontal Cross option above. You can still carry an ice ax by threading a 5 inch loop of webbing or cord through one of the D-rings. Saves 0.1 oz ($5)
Optional Fabrics
Please inquire about the availability of specific fabrics and colors. Materials can include: X-21 RC X-PacTM (sides, front, back), 330D or 500D black CorduraTM (bottom only), HyperD 300TM (sides, front, back) or 210D Robic (sides, front, back). Black with gray side panels is the standard color. Yellow side webbing with black webbing on the front/back and black hip belt and shoulder adjust straps are standard. Other materials and colors may be in stock and available at no extra charge (see the Specifications tab for details).
Torso Sizing
Your choice of torso length ranging from 17 – 21 inches, in one inch increments, is included as a standard feature. The Talaria torso length is measured from the bottom of the waist belt to the underside of the shoulder straps where it attaches to the back panel.
There are different ways to measure torso length and different people may have different torso length preferences. The following sizing instructions work well if you wear the backpack’s waist belt near your iliac crest and like the shoulder straps at or slightly below the level of your shoulders.
- Locate the hard, body protrusion on the side of your hips, where your pelvis sticks out at the sides. This point is approximately where the hip belt will be worn.
- Locate the center of your shoulder, about three inches away from the vertical part of your neck.
- Standing up strait, enlist the help of another person to measure the distance between your iliac crest and center of shoulder. This measurement is your torso length.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Rob C. –
I purchased my Talaria on a whim at the start of summer. Little did I know at the time that it would quickly become my all-time favorite backpack.
This was my first fully-custom ultralight pack, so I had quite a few questions about the many different fabric options and available add-ons that Les offers with this pack. He responded very quickly to my countless inquiries and did a great job guiding me through the process. After several days of emailing back and forth, he helped guide me to the perfect backpack built to my exact specifications.
I’ve now put several hundred miles on this pack over the last couple of months and really can’t find anything about it that I dislike. It’s amazingly comfortable and the quality is top notch. Les nailed every single tiny detail on this backpack and it looks amazing! I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from him again- top notch customer service and an amazing product! Highly recommended!!!
Donnie Barnes –
Absolutely love my Talaria. Workmanship is top-notch. I have had it loaded to it’s max rated capacity for many miles and it handles it just fine. Les does what he says and does it when he says he will do it, unless he can get it done faster, which was the case for me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rod S. –
After discovering Les Moore and his company, OlympicUL.com, through a BPL forum, I decided to contact him and see if he would build my “dream” pack. After a couple of days of corresponding, and getting his recommendations based on what I wanted, I placed an order for my new custom built “Talaria” pack. It was a last minute decision as I was scheduled to leave in just a couple of weeks for a Foothills Trail, 76 mile thru hike. Les got the pack built in time and it arrived at my door the day prior to my departure. So initially, this experience was excellent due to his incredible customer service. It was fantastic talking to the person who owns the company and who would actually be building the pack. Upon receiving the new Talaria, and inspecting it, there was no doubt I had made the right decision. The materials Les sources to build his packs are top quality, and he gives you several different choices of materials to use. On my request the pack came loaded with options like a padded waist belt, two removeable medium size waterproof waste belt pockets, two mesh stretch shoulder pockets, a Y-strap, and even a special strap on the front I requested for trips when only using my zpad. The first thing I did was place it on my scale….20.5 ounces! Les really came through giving me everything I asked for and at such a light weight. I will follow up with a review after my 76 mile hike.
Rod S. –
Hi Les,
Wanted to give you my review of the Talaria pack after using it for my 76 mile Foothills Trail hike this past week. It had ample room and storage for my 16 lb total weight, which included fuel, food, and water. It handled that weight effortlessly, and was very comfortable for the entire 5 day trip. The way the Talaria is built and sewn it hugs my back and feels like a part of my body. The first day I used the foam pad in the built in pad sleeves, but it felt bulky and cumbersome. After removing it the pack felt just perfect against my back. I folded my inflatable NEMO pad and placed it inside the pack against the back for support. It worked perfect. 5 stars for comfort.
On the second day of the trip, we had torrential downpours, high winds, and tornado warnings all day. We did 16 miles that day, and were completely soaked. I just knew there would be water in my pack, but that night when I opened it….bone dry. Almost couldn’t believe it. You suggest a pack liner, but this pack did not require it that day. 5 stars for water proof. I put this pack through the wringer for 5 days, placed it down in mud and wet ground constantly, scraped against trees we had to scramble across that were blown down on the trail, actually fell hard on a rock outcrop and slid about 6′ on top of the pack, let it get soaked in the downpours, and when I got home and unloaded it, simply wiped it off and it still looks like new. 5 stars for durability and the materials you use. (Actually 10 if I could but this is a scale based on 5 being the best LOL).
The hip belt pockets were also completely waterproof and durable. My In-Reach and iPhone both fit in just one pocket, and were completely safe and dry during the entire trip, and my snacks for the day fit in the other pocket, totally dry. The stretch shoulder strap pockets fit a Smart water bottle easily, it never fell out once, even when I fell. I used the side pockets for the Smart water bottle for a couple of days, and it was easy to reach around and access it while walking. When I threw the pack down the water bottle never came out of the side pockets. Not sure if I want to carry the water bottle in the side pocket, or the shoulder pocket, both worked so well.
Just can’t believe I finally have everything I’ve wanted in a pack and it only weighs 20.5 ounces with all of those options. Overall this is easily a 5 star pack, top quality, and probably the best lightweight gear purchase I have made.
Douglas Adams –
Reviewer:
Douglas Adams, 57 years old, BC, Canada and previously England and Scotland. I have not been paid or solicited to make this review.
Hiking and mountaineering experience:
Section hiking PCT Oregon & Washington, Colorado Trail, West Coast Trail and Juan de Fuca Trails of Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast Trail BC, winter walking and camping in Strathcona Park of Vancouver Island BC, Cape Wrath Trail & West Highland Way in Scotland, Munro-bagging in Scotland, and some fun stuff while in the Parachute Regiment.
Introduction:
I used this pack for my 650 mile section of the PCT from Dunsmuir, California to Cascade Locks, Oregon, northbound, during August 2019. My previous PCT pack was the ULA Catalyst. This time I wanted to go lighter and with less volume (19oz vs. 48oz and 50 litres vs. 75 litres).
I searched the Internet and found 52 ultralight packs that I liked the look of. I analyzed their specifications, features and benefits and filtered this down to my top 5 based on weight, volume, load bearing and value for money. Top Five: Olympic Ultra-lite Talaria High Volume, MLD Prophet, Granit Gear Virga 2, KS UltraGear KS50, Northern Ultralight Sundown.
I chose the Talaria High Volume after much deliberation as it offered exactly what I was looking for and the owner, Les Moore, was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. I asked Les to make me a 50 litre version of his 40 litre Talaria. He added 1.5″ to its width and made it 2″ taller.
Experiences:
I’ve never hiked any long distances with a full pack that did not have an internal frame. I was therefore hesitant to go frameless. I should not have been concerned. The Talaria High Volume is ideally suited for up to 20 lbs and maxed out at 24 lbs. The pack was comfortable when fully loaded and the padded hip belt was a bonus on tough terrain.
I’m pleased that I chose to add the back mesh sleeves so that I could cut and fit my own low density foam pad (recycled from a computer packing box) to the back panel. This made the pack rigid and much more comfortable.
I was happy with the thickness of the shoulder and hip belt foam and the strap thickness and fittings were perfect. Reduced weight yet substantial enough to hold the load.
The angled side pockets worked well to hold two 1 litre pop or Smartwater bottles in each pocket but I walked with only one in each. The angle was essential for access while walking and the drain ports are a nice feature to let rainwater flow out.
I like the simplicity of the roll-top using two snap fasteners (no Velcro to get fouled up with grass and hairs). The cord worked well to lock down to the side buckles.
The use of cord was a concern for me when choosing the best pack as I have always been used to straps on the sides and over the front but I had no problems and would choose cords again to reduce weight. They worked very well.
Wear and Tear:
650 miles, 36 days, PCT, desert, mountains, forest, camping, hot sun, no rain – nothing malfunctioned. There were no tears or wear to the fabric, mesh or cords. I’m very pleased with the materials of construction. Sure it got dirty but I’m confident that I could get a full thru hike of any of the big three and then some more.
Extras I bought … and were they worth it?
Back mesh sleeves – I’m pleased I added these sleeves to take my own foam pad. I think the mesh is better than cords. It was comfortable on my back and did not dig in and the pad was stable inside and did not move around.
Padded hip belt – Les made me an in-between small to medium hip belt for my 31″ waist. He took the medium 10″ on each side of the belt and reduced this to 9″. Worked for me and another reason to choose Les. He is flexible and adaptable. I wish he had added 2″ extra on the hip belt straps. I passed this on to him and he said he would add this to future orders.
Vertical Cross Strap – I used daily to strap in my camp sandals, dry my socks, hang stuff off. It would also be useful if you had a big mattress to secure.
Internal pocket – was well worth the extra investment as I confidently secured my passport, credit card and money and always knew where they were.
Load lifters – For the weight I was carrying I don’t think I needed them. I would not add them to my next Olympus Ultra-lite order.
I decided against the ice axe loop and aux loop and replaced them with two D rings. In the end I did not use them but they would be useful in conjunction with the horizontal cross strap if I wanted to carry a Therm-a-Rest Z lite mattress for the desert section.
Les Moore and his service:
I have to admit that I asked Les a lot of questions. He was very patient with me and extremely professional. He always answered within a day. He is one of the few cottage manufacturers that has the time and flexibility to bespoke manufacture dream packs. Les was able to send me my pack within weeks of ordering instead of months, as some other cottage companies have to do with their inflated back-logs.
Conclusion:
I would recommend Olympic Ultra-lite to other thru and section hikers looking for an ultralight pack made from the latest high-tech materials and made by a fellow hiker that knows how design and sew a damn good pack. My next pack will be from Les Moore.
aaronufl (verified owner) –
If you’re looking for a solid frameless pack, I’d highly recommend the Talaria. The pack is well made with quality materials, hugs your back comfortably, and can even fit a bear can (I use a BV450 with an otherwise 8 lb baseweight with no issues). Les was easy to work with, responsive, and finished my pack quickly. Definitely recommended!