So I wrote before that I wasn’t totally sold on this backpack before heading out to Thailand. I was so unsold that I packed the Osprey Farpoint 40 and then I tried my old North Face Terra 55 the day before we left. In order to guarantee the Terra 55 would be carry-on compliant though I had to take out the suspension/support panel in the back. I was worried this wouldn’t hold up well throughout the trip so I made a last minute switch back to the Osprey Farpoint 40. And now you’re all caught up.
Here’s what I thought:
Pros
Front Loading
This was a big pro for me. The Terra 55 is a top loading bag and it is a pain to unpack and repack in order to get one item out. I liked being able to open up the whole bag like a suitcase to find the 1 remaining clean tank top or to cram everything back in.
Multiple Compartments
The Osprey Farpoint 40 has a main area where I packed all of my clothes and toiletries, a mesh pocket in the main area, a front area with several dividing panels and a padded laptop sleeve , and a tiny zipper section on the outside. The main area is spacious and has buckle straps to help hold all your stuff together.
Size
It is just the right size for me to have enough stuff packed but not be overpacked. My toiletries take up the most space and they had enough room to not explode. Major pro.
Cons
Multiple Compartments: Laptop Sleeve
This was also a con for me, while I liked having the whole main area available for my items, if I had packed a laptop, I would have wanted it closer to my body. Having the laptop sleeve on the outside panel made it a little hard to open up the bag. The front panel gets so weighed down that it slams open when you unzip. I’m sure this is a more practical spot for taking out your laptop at security, but I wasn’t in love with the placement.
Water Bottle Holders
The water bottle holders are too small and in a bad spot. If you fill the bag you can’t easily fit water bottles into the exterior pockets.
Overall
I like the bag and would recommend it. I lent it to a friend for her trip to Europe and she liked it and I have used it on weekend trips around the country. It has held up well under travel conditions and Freddie + George have wrestled on top of it while it was laying on my floor for weeks after a trip(sloppy) and it survived. I got the Volcanic Grey, and while it looks very black in the photos, it is more of a grey-green in real life. As an all black everything fan, this was a little disappointing.
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