Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Volcanic Grey, Small/Medium

This is the fourth bag I've tried for one bag travel and it's the best one so far. It's quite roomy at 40 liters but packs up into looking like a large backpack. The bag is about 3 lbs. The main compartment also opens up flat (like traditional luggage) so it's easy to find things when you open it up. I use two packing cubes (medium for clothes, small for undergarments) and have room to spare for two pairs of shoes (or more) in the main compartment.The thing that might bother some is that the laptop sleeve is in the front zip; it's ok for my MacBook Air but not sure how it would fare for others with a heavier laptop. Depends how you pack the rest of your bag as well.The front compartment is very roomy and this is where I store my cables/chargers and toiletry bag.Then there is a tiny zip pocket at the very front/top where you can fit things you might need on the go like pens, granola bars, etc.One of my favorite things about the bag aside from the quality of its build are the straps. They are well-cushioned and use a suspension system (not sure how it works but you can adjust the tension above your shoulders). There are also a chest strap and hip strap. Out of the bags I've tried (Patagonia MLC, Tom Bihn Tristar, Tom Bihn Aeronaut 30- my second runner up), this bag is the comfiest and I've used it for a couple international travels already with no discomfort. I should mention I have severe arthritis in my cervical spine and both shoulders.The last thing I should mention is when you stow the bag away in the bag hold or under the seat in front of you on a flight, you can zip away the straps and hip belt with a covering that is rolled up into the back/bottom part of the bag. Pretty awesome way to keep the straps from getting caught on anything.Love this bag. I read many reviews here and elsewhere as well as watched videos before buying it and the reviews weren't lying. If you are trying to do one bag travel, this may be the bag. Of course this bag would also be perfect for weekend trips. I've read on other sites not to use this for activities with long hikes or treks as there are bags more suited to those activities. Enjoy!Photos: fully packed for the Philippines. Will definitely post an update if I ever use this bag for cold weather travel. I'd be interested to see how well I manage one-bagging it then!

First, I loved this bag. It looks great, the volcanic grey is a cool gray green color, and it holds a good bit of stuff. I liked the hip straps, and the shoulder straps are nicely padded and comfortable. The outside pocket has a nice lined area for wet clothes or toiletries. There is ample space for a laptop in addition to two outer mesh pockets for either water bottles or shoes. The construction is super solid, as you would expect from Osprey.With all these great features, there are still a few downsides. I think the main complaint I have is that they tried to do too much with this bag. The shoulder and hip straps completely stow away in their surrounding zip up pocket, which wastes a good bit of valuable space, not to mention you have to roll up the zippered panel and shove it into its compartment when not in use. Also, there is a detachable luggage style shoulder strap, which I think is another waste, because why would I use a luggage style shoulder strap on a backpack. If for some reason you want to look like you are carrying a regular duffel bag instead of a backpack, you will love these features. I did not.I planned to use this pack for travel as a carry on, with the goal of it being my only luggage. As a test, I packed in my Eagle Creek Pack-It Garment Folder (medium), Eagle Creek Pack-It Half Cube, my toiletry bag, and a pair of shoes. It all fit reasonably well, but you could definitely feel the edges of the garment folder, and there did not seem to be much additional room.After a bit of consternation,I ordered a different bag that I had heard about, the Gregory Compass 40. The Compass 40 does not have hip straps, which is why I ordered the Osprey Farpoint 40 to begin with. However, after being honest with myself, I decided that I likely would only be using this pack to travel through airports, on shuttles, and in taxis, so while nice, the hip straps really weren't essential. When I received the Compass 40, I was able to fit the same amount of stuff (garment folder, half cube, toiletries, and shoes), plus an additional Eagle Creek Pack It Full Cube, and there was still room. I did not even use the expandable foot locker.In the end, I returned the Osprey. I would have loved to keep both, but I really could not justify doing so.pros- sharp looking useful bagcons- stowable straps waste a bunch of precious space, does not fit as much stuff as comparable Gregory Compass 40 pack

Really great solid bag! This is a long review because i'm going to attempt to answer all the questions I had.I searched all over for the perfect bag. I tried on ones from patagonia, and so much more but I like the Osprey company. I debated between this and the porter for months. I just like the clean look inside of the porter better but I found this much more comfortable. If you're on the smaller side I would suggest this one because you can choose the size. I walked around for hours with this in Rome and found it great. I even have slight scoliosis and back problems and found the way it distribute weight to be really good. If you have the option I would try it on in person. That is what I did although they did not have the color I wanted and were not gonna get it in time so I ordered it from amazon.if you're worried about bringing it as a carry on full I got away with this AND a rolling carry on Vueling. I used it as my "personal item" and put it under the seat, although it did stick out so I just put my feet on top. I also like that the straps all tuck away nicely which was good when I ended up checking it in a few times.If you're worried about not fitting everything I fit 5 business outfits, plus several dresses, pants and tops plus heels, 3 bikinis, curling iron, makeup and more (I know I overpacked but I needed it for work in Europe and was then going to SE Asia ) Overall I would highly recommend this bag. It's worth the money because it will really last and the price really is not bad at all. There's tons of compartments though I did use compressing packing cubes which helped me to fit a bit more and organize it plus makes it easier to unpack.For reference: I'm 5'3 and 135lbswhen I got sized they recommended XS/S but I found the small/medium.