Customer Reviews Osprey Fairview 40

My husband has the 40 Farpoint and LOVES it. When we were planning a weekend trip to DC last month, I purchased the 40 Fairview (women's version) for the trip. We walked a LOT with the packs, and I just couldn't take the discomfort after a few miles. For some reason this women's version felt very top heavy, painfully pulled back on my shoulder/collar bones and just didn't sit right on my lower torso. Hubby and I switched packs, and I had no problem his and he also was disappointed with mine. Traded it it for a Farpoint and LOVE it. Maybe my short torso isn't lining up,(I'm 5'2", about 110 lbs) and I don't need the shoulder strap style adjustments on the women's version, so I'm down with the men's version and have fell in love. The packing capacity was great, I struggled with the kickstand (top heavy and kept falling over on the front) the green/teal color is beautiful (more options for the Farpoint???) the quality and durability felt awesome...just wasn't the right fit for my body. I really wanted to love this pack....but fell in love with a hot red Farpoint instead.

Ended up returning and getting the REI Ruckpack 40, which is pretty similar in features but easier to access things in the bag and position of laptop is much less awkward. REI's bag also has a much more rigid frame, which, in the first five minutes of wearing, felt less comfortable, but for me anyway, ultimately provided more support for longer distances and heavier loads. Osprey's bag does feel super good on the back (some kind of foam support) but somehow seemed to hurt my back more after my longer test of a few miles with a load. I think the frame comes down a lot to preference and probably overall position/way you walk? XS fit my 16" torso well. Bag did look a bit turtle-y on me, but I'm pretty petite and most bags look ridiculously large at 40 on me. Color is not "pretty" but a decent neutral and fabric seems quite durable. Features I liked (and continued to look for in other bags) include: size (max carry-on for many airlines), ability to zip up closed/tight for stowing, security when walking around city/tight transit spaces. Would have liked easier access to things like a water bottle etc., and a bit better organization. Really good price though for durability (Osprey also has a great warranty) and features it offers for a bag this size.

I saw great reviews as a travel back pack. However I found that once I packed it I ended up in a turtle like situation. It was dragging me backwards. This was with 7.7 kilos in it. I'm only 5 feet 2 and slim and this was just really awkward. Maybe it's the position of the laptop pocket which creates a barrier. The weight distribution didn't work for me. I'm now home and my back is killing me. I'm just going to try to sell it now. Also it doesn't actually stand up when you put it down. As for using it as carry on, who wants to do airport transfers with 7.7 kilos. I've got 2 other Ospreys but this may not be a petite persons choice.

I wanted a bag that I could load and just go - anything from business travel to a week/weekend getaway. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to load to it's max capacity. The bottom of the bag folded on itself when the clamshell was open. I felt that I needed to hold it open in order to take advantage of the space in the bottom of the bag. I also found the water bottle pocket placement and laptop slot frustrating. Carrying the bag was extremely comfortable. I want to love this bag, but there are a few things that were just a deal breaker.

I got this backpack for travel trip and couldn't be more disappointed with this pack. Impossible to load, hard to adjust, and very heavy.