Customer Reviews Osprey Farpoint 40 Pack

I stuffed this thing with just over a week's worth of clothes in the main compartment and it handled it all fine. It was perfect for a long week of trains and walking around cities: fit nicely overhead when getting on planes and offered pretty easy access to the items I needed most (camera, iPhone charger, etc). At one point I had to stuff my hoodie in the already full main compartment as well. The fit was tight but the pack handled it, along with all of the misc crap I was carrying around (iPad, Apple wireless keyboard, book, toiletries, etc). Very glad to have this backpack for future trips. It's also come in handy when having to take 12 pounds of dry dogfood from work to home on bike.

If you are under 5'3" or have a short torso (mine is ~16"), this is your backpack. I've been searching for a leisure travel bag (ie, not one to carry a bunch of heavy computer stuff). My requirements were basically that it fit, be comfortable to carry a "heavy" load (according to calculations, I only have 39lbs of muscle mass, so give me a break if I consider 15lbs "heavy"), carry 35-40L, work as a Euro airline carry-on, and open like a suitcase. Wants, as opposed to needs, were some small exterior pockets for bits, ideally some on the hip belt, lockable zippers and to get it in black. I tried: The REI Trail 40 pack for women - I ordered the small and it was still absurdly long on me and also only came in purple and grey/pink (can't be a woman's bag with no pink!) The Kelty Redwing 40 - this is supposed to fit a torso from 14.5"-18" but was too short on my no matter how I tried rearranging the straps. Additionally it felt cheaply made. I didn't have any confidence in the zippers and the pulls were not lockable. The Osprey Porter 30 - REI employee: "So the best part of today was taking off the pack? That's not good." Felt really heavy and did not conform to my back - too bad because I liked the layout for efficient packability. Tom Bihn's Aeronaut 30 - I just assumed this would be really comfortable because I (unfortunately) seem to be fit best by the most expensive option. This was the best bag for looks and layout. However, though I loved the bag itself, with the straps cinched all the way to fit my smaller frame, they dug into my neck, and the bag of course felt heavier than others with no weight-bearing hip belt. I ordered the Osprey Farpoint in the S/M size and it is a solid 8.5/10. It is comfortable at a realistic load, which is the most important thing, and it opens like a suitcase, which is the second most important thing for me. I doubt I will ever use the shoulder strap to carry it, but it's nice that the option is there, and even nicer that the shoulder straps can be zipped away in case the Euro airlines go even nuttier in the future with size restrictions, or if I went over the weight limit and needed to check it. Load lifters and an adjustable sternum strap help customize the fit. It's got lockable zippers (and in fact, if you have one of those locks with a short cable, one lock will secure the front and main sections) - and it comes in (almost) black! My complaints: - a LITTLE more interior organization wouldn't have gone awry, like an elastic pocket along the side walls or something - I hate that the laptop/tablet sleeve is in the front, though I can't see a better way to handle it - there is no way to attach anything else to the bag, unless you get creative with the shoulder strap attachment points. This is probably the biggest downside of the bag (and it's small, admittedly) but it would have been nice to be able to attach a yoga mat, or jacket, or pillow for those 15 hour flights. - there is only one pocket accessible when the exterior compression straps are in use, the sunglasses or whatever one at the very top of the bag. - small design thing, I really like when backpack makers have the little elastic on shoulder straps for you to tuck away any excess on the strap - this one doesn't have that. It's a small thing but with all the straps everywhere it does feel backpackery. - why isn't it just black? why is it this weird charcoal color? The gray straps just kind of give the impression that it's black that's been well-worn already and it kind of looks dirty at a glance, to me at least.

A great travel bag if you are going places where wheels are not an option. Not quite as big as a carry on, which also means it will fit under most airline seats.

Love this bag. It has so many ways to carry it. Fits under the seats on the cheap-o airlines. Laptop is easily to access Going through security. The hideaway straps are great to them from catching on things in the plane. I only wish it had more pockets for pens and pencils.

This is a very nice backpack. It even comes with a removeable shoulder strap. The harness is comfortable and adjustable for a custom fit. The inner compression straps and full sized zippered lid compartment provide for secure packing. I like the outside pocket although I doubt I would carry my computer in the padded sleeve. The padded handles are quite comfortable. If I were only carrying clothing for my 6 day dive trip, it would be ideal. I do not have enough room for clothes plus my small bag for camera, dives computers and chargers. Sad that this won't work for me.

Pack has been great for a 10 week trip across SE Asia and New Zealand. Fits into overhead compartments, is light, and easy to stay organized.

I'm a 5'9" female and this bag fits me great. Comfortable. I used it for some international travel, and the handle on the side is nice for carrying the bag when you don't want to wear it like a backpack. My only complaint: it didn't quite fit in the overhead compartments in any of the planes I flew in. Maybe I had my bag stuffed to the gills, but I'm glad it could squeeze under the seat. It's too big to use as a daily school backpack.

Purchased this backpack after much research in the travel pack area. What I liked: - Big main compartment with zipper that went all the way down. It opens up the main compartment completely. The compression straps are nice. - Tech savvy front compartment with a very nice laptop and tablet combo. Velcro strap to hold in place and well padded. Lots of organization possible in this compartment. - Comfortable shoulder straps and waist harness. Waist harness is substantially sized and not just a simple strap across the waist. It resembles a waist harness found more often on a hiking pack than a day pack. - Multiple carry handles that were thick and felt solid. What I didn't like (and the deal breaker for me): - While I was looking for a bag where the shoulder straps and waist harness could be tucked away, the design of the back of the backpack only gives you an all or nothing option. By that I mean, if you are carrying it like a backpack, the waist harness will be out with you, either being used around your waist or flapping around unused. There is no way to tuck the waist harness out of the way. The design is such that it is one zipper that goes all the way around the back of the backpack to reveal the entire shoulder strap/waist harness system. You either have it zipped up and out of the way, or unzipped and in use. Unlike other bags where you can tuck away pieces individually, this bag just requires you to place the harnesses within the zipper area, and zip it up. - When you unzip the back panel to reveal the harness system, it needs to be hidden away, due to its design (as mentioned above). There is a piece of Velcro on the outside of the bag and one inside the bag. At the bottom of the bag is a little space where you can store the cover inside, and then attach the two Velcro pieces together to seal it. I initially tried to treat the cover nicely by rolling it up, but it didn't quite fit in the space. When I simply jammed it in the little space, it did just fine, but I don't think I want to treat my bag like that over and over again. Other than the back panel design, I think this bag is fantastic and would serve its purposes extremely well. Unfortunately, it is a deal breaker for me, since I do not want the waist harness dangling about.