Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack

9.4

9.4 score

[Editors rating (9.4)] = (Gearweare.net) score (9.4)/10

Editor rating: 9.4 / 10

User's rating: based on 0 user ratings

1 star

2 star

3 star

4 star

5 star

Add your Rating

By Lillie Joseph

Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack Review Facts

See more facts

The Osprey Packs Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack opens fully like a suitcase, weighs only three pounds when empty, and is ideal for travel or around town purposes. It is one of the lighter Farpoint packs that can handle as much as forty pounds of weight and be toted as a messenger bag, duffel, or backpack. This terrific backpack meets airline requirements for carry-ons and is used mainly as a daypack for city travel or short getaway trips. The main compartment has a large zippered panel that when the pack is flipped on its side, opens up just like a suitcase. This allows the entire inner compartment to be seen and accessed. Being that the Farpoint 40 is perfect for commuting and air travel, the suspension system of straps and hip belt can be tucked away in the rear compartment to make the exterior problem-free and sleek. Compression straps on the interior and exterior hold the contents secure along with the frame suspension technology of LightWire. It is also this type of suspension that transfers the weight of the pack from the harness to the hip belt for toting comfort. Made of ripstop and packcloth denier materials and available in four solid vibrant colors, the Farpoint has five pockets in total along with the main large compartment. For daily use, commuter trips, and short travel excursions, this Osprey product is one of the best currently being offered online. We provide you with the full details of our research and the important features of the Farpoint 40 in our full review below.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Load is transferred to the hip belt from the harness
Can be carried as a messenger bag, duffel, or backpack
Can handle as much as forty pounds of weight
Load is secure with two inside compression straps
Lockable compartment for a tablet and laptop
Suspension system is sleek for transporting
Carry handles are padded for carrying and hoisting
Weighs three pounds when empty
Good for travel or around town purposes
Meets airline requirements for carry-ons
Is one of the lighter Farpoint packs
It opens fully like a suitcase

Cons

Needs more pockets for organizing gear and quick access on the outside
Bottom of pack is not flat - will not stand on its own

Comfort

The load of the Farpoint 40 is transferred to the hip belt from the harness because of the frame suspension technology of LightWire. This makes carrying the heavier weight much more bearable, especially when walking for long periods of time. The mesh material on the hip belt and harness decrease chafing when carrying a load. Being much softer than the material that makes up the bulk of the bag, it is much easier on the skin as the bag shifts with your weight and movement. This backpack can be carried as a messenger bag, duffel, or backpack. This will depend on the load, the weight, and the user preference in toting the bag. Most people carry it as a messenger bag if they need to be able to access items from it while they are in motion or for a shortstop. It is usually carried like a backpack for long walks or trips. With the padded straps, it is a moderately comfortable bag for your day and light excursions

Durability

This Osprey backpack can handle as much as forty pounds of weight easily and is quite rugged to withstand lots of abuse from normal wear. It is mostly used for city and travel purposes, the Farpoint 40 usually lasts much longer than a backpack for outdoor hiking and camping. Because they are great carry-on bags for airlines, you will get many years’ worth of regular use from it with minimal signs of wear. The load is secure with two inside compression straps that keep the pack contents secure, plus two other compression straps on the front. These aid with stabilizing the items you have on the interior and also keeps them from moving around to cause too much weight shift for you to carry it well. The strong materials and support frame of the Farpoint 40 ensure it is plenty durable and tough.

Flexibility

The Farpoint 40 is flexible with its several pockets and main compartment. Also, the way that it can be carried as a duffel, backpack, or messenger bag gives you several options for toting it wherever you have to go. It has a lockable compartment for a tablet and laptop and zippered front-flap mesh pockets. Included are a heat-embossed stash zippered pocket and two mesh front pockets. while this pack does have five pockets and the main compartment for you to store and organize your gear, the lack of more pockets was a major complaint from buyers who purchased this backpack model. You want to have many pockets in a backpack to keep from having to search for things constantly. If you do not pack too many smaller items, this will not be a problem. It is possible to place the smaller items on the outside for quick access and leave the larger things on the inside or the main compartment.

Key Features

-Frame suspension technology of LightWire
-Two inside compression straps to secure contents
-Two compression straps on the front
-Lockable compartment for a tablet and laptop
-Zippered front-flap mesh pockets
-Stash zippered pocket and two mesh front pockets
-Side and top carry handles that are padded
-Made of ripstop denier nylon and pack cloth denier

Stability

The suspension system is tucked out of sight behind a zippered panel, so the form of the backpack is sleek for transporting. By taking the straps and hip belt off and stowing them in this back compartment, you will not be bothered with catching the loops and straps on things when traveling. This is best used when taking a flight. There is only so much space you will have on the plane and having the straps and hi belt removed from the exterior is a big plus. The Farpoint 40 includes side and top carry handles that are padded for carrying and hoisting the pack. When handling the bag, these come in handy as quick grab points to move it quickly and easily. We want to mention a comment that we noticed from one customer about the bottom of this pack, as this may be a very important point for you in deciding whether to purchase this Osprey model or not. The bottom of the Farpoint 40 is not flat but is slanted. It will not stand on its own and must be leaned on something to access it in an upright position. This can be a big problem for some people that want to be able to access the pack when it is upright.

Style

Made of ripstop denier nylon and pack cloth denier material, this Osprey travel backpack is used mainly for light-packing on trips in the city or when traveling to far off destinations. Offered in four solid colors and weighing just three pounds when empty, it is a wonderful pack that many buyers are delighted with owning. As we will discuss fully in another section, it is unique in the way that the main compartment opens up. It is put on its side and opened like you would a suitcase. This allows all of the contents to be seen and accessed at once. It is this feature and the fact that the Farpoint can be carried in three different ways that make it valuable for travelers.

Support

Including a mesh harness, stowaway mesh back panel for ventilation, and a rear zippered flap on the mesh hip belt for protection, you have a very supportive backpack with this Osprey item. The mesh materials make the pack lighter to carry and also give it the ventilation needed for carrying it comfortably. If these areas were solid nylon fabric, the pack would be heavier and hotter for the user to tote. Also concerning support, were a few negative comments online from customers. Although the Farpoint has five pockets and the main compartment, many people feel that more pockets are necessary to make this a better product, especially for daily use. you want to have quick access to small items, such as a phone, keys, money, or identification. These need to be on the exterior of the bag and easy to get to quickly. Some people could not organize their contents well because of the shortage of pockets. they had to use other backpacks for daily use and the Farpoint 40 for longer trips that did not require the use of so many pockets.

Use

Good for travel or around town purposes, this Osprey item is ideal for work, school, and daily use of commuting. Because it can be carried the three different ways as a backpack, messenger bag, or duffel, it is suitable for any mode of transportation and use. As a city weekend getaway, it is perfect because it can easily hold several days’ worth of clothes and accessories for a short trip. The main compartment can hold quite a bit of supplies to get you through your site-seeing adventures around the world. Online feedback of the Farpoint 40 is packed full of comments from customers who bought this backpack for trips abroad and loved having the suitcase-like access to the main section. It meets airline requirements for carry-ons because of its smaller size and has the capability of tucking away its straps and hip belt to make it safer and more compatible for traveling in tight quarters.

Version

The Farpoint 40 is one of the lighter Farpoint packs that Osprey makes that is compatible as a carry-on, plus has a shoulder strap that is padded unlike some of the heavier models. Heavier models of the Farpoint are most suited for longer durations of travel and for bringing along more gear for those trips. If you only want to pack for a trip of a week or so with several changes of clothes and gear, then the Farpoint 40 will be the best choice of the Osprey Farpoint family of backpacks. It is also used more than the others for daily commuting use as well because of its lighter and smaller size. college students, teachers, office workers, and those that commute by public transportation daily use backpacks just like this one for their daily needs.

Ease of Use

The main compartment of the Farpoint 40 has a large panel with zipper access that opens fully much as a suitcase does. It is superb for clothes and large items that you want to bring along with you. For school and work purposes, you can easily fit a laptop or tablet in this section with its protective sleeve on it. books, gym clothes, and all sorts of school supplies can fit inside nicely. Office workers and travelers will also use the main compartment for their laptops and tablets to do their jobs. The exterior of the pack has a zippered pocket and attachment points to carry larger gear on the outside. you can clip an umbrella or sunglasses to the outside or even tuck in the mesh pocket a light sweater or jacket. Even with the limited pocket space, you still have plenty of organizational options and places to put all of your essentials for work, school, travel, or play.

The Bottom Line

For your daily adventures, commuter trips, and short vacation travels, the Farpoint is an ideal backpack to carry your gear along. It opens just like a suitcase on its side to expose the full contents of the main compartment and can be carried as a duffel, backpack, or messenger bag. The suspension system of hip belt and straps can be easily tucked into the back compartment to get them out of the way for commuter or airplane travel. It has been said by unsatisfied customers online that this product does not have enough easily accessible pockets to make it a comfortable bag for some people. The fact that the bag does not sit up on its own vertically to access the contents because of the slanted bottom is another negative aspect that buyers do not like about the Farpoint 40. If these features are not important to you, then it is a great bag for your short-term and daily travel purposes. It is versatile, comfortable to carry, long-lasting, and durable.