In-depth review
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack Review (2027)
The Osprey Farpoint 40 pairs a hiking-derived harness with a 40 litre carry-on body. Our research-based verdict on the default one-bag pack.
Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Black (40L)
The default one-bag answer: a hiking-derived harness, a stowaway suspension and a 40 litre body sized for most carry-on rules.
Our verdict
The Farpoint 40 is the travel backpack most travellers should buy first in 2027: a 40 litre carry-on body, a framed harness with a hipbelt that genuinely moves weight off the shoulders, and a stowaway suspension that turns the bag into a clean shape for overhead bins. It packs simply, with one big compartment that expects cubes, and it has no outside water bottle pocket. For travellers who value carry comfort over built-in organisation, nothing else at this price carries a full week as well.
What we like
- Hiking-derived harness with a LightWire frame and load lifters carries a full 40 litres more comfortably than most travel packs
- Stowaway harness and hipbelt tuck away for checked baggage and overhead bins, then deploy fast at the gate
- Direct-zip laptop and tablet sleeve plus an external toiletry pocket keep airport essentials reachable without opening the main bag
- StraightJacket compression straps pull a half-full bag tight so it rides small on short trips
What to watch out for
- Internal organisation is sparse, so travellers who dislike packing cubes will find clothes sliding into one big space
- No dedicated water bottle pocket on the outside; the front toiletry pocket does that job instead
- The padded laptop sleeve intrudes into the main compartment when the bag is packed hard
What owners report: Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack, Black (40L)
Synthesized from recurring themes in long-term owner feedback.
Most praised
- The harness carries a fully loaded bag through long airport walks without the shoulder ache that simpler travel packs cause.
- Stowing the straps for a flight and deploying them again at arrival feels quick once the routine is learned.
- Compression straps keep a partly packed bag from sloshing around, so the same pack works for a weekend and a week.
Common complaints
- The single big main compartment disappoints travellers who expected built-in dividers and mesh pockets throughout.
- Finding a place for a water bottle takes improvisation, since no outside bottle pocket is provided.
- The laptop sleeve eats into packing space when the bag is stuffed, which surprises first-time owners.
Who it is for
One-bag travellers, week-long holidaymakers and backpackers who walk a lot with their bag and want carry comfort first.
A harness borrowed from hiking packs
The Farpoint's advantage is not a pocket or a zip; it is the LightWire frame, load lifters and padded hipbelt taken from Osprey's hiking packs. On a full 40 litre load, that system spreads weight across the hips in a way that unframed travel packs cannot match, and the difference grows with every airport terminal walked. Travellers who have carried both kinds of bag describe the Farpoint as the first travel pack that stops feeling like luggage and starts feeling like equipment.
Stowaway suspension for the airport
The harness and hipbelt tuck into a zippered back panel for flights, which keeps straps from snagging in bins and on carousels, then deploy in seconds at arrival. Combined with the direct-zip laptop sleeve and the external toiletry pocket, the bag is designed around the airport sequence: laptop out, liquids out, bag in the bin, straps out, walk away. It is a small choreography, but frequent flyers notice when a bag gets it wrong.
The organisation trade, stated plainly
The Farpoint's weakness is the mirror of its strength: one big compartment with a mesh lid pocket and compression straps, and not much else. Travellers who pack in cubes love it, because cubes divide the space exactly as they like. Travellers who hate cubes find clothes sliding into a jumble by day three. The missing water bottle pocket is the same story: the front toiletry pocket does the job, but only by improvisation. Buy the Farpoint for its carry, and buy cubes with it.
Key specifications
- Capacity
- 40 litres
- Weight
- 3.47 lb, per Amazon fields
- Dimensions
- 21.7 x 13.8 x 9.1 inches, per Amazon fields
- Laptop fit
- Up to 16 inches, per Amazon fields
- Fabric
- 450D recycled polyester, per maker description
- Harness
- Stowaway harness and hipbelt with LightWire frame
Also consider
Osprey Fairview 40 Women's Travel Backpack, Black
The Farpoint system reshaped for women: same 40 litre carry-on body, a women's-specific fit and the same stowaway harness.
Why consider it: The same system with a women's-specific fit, for travellers who want the Farpoint's carry in a shaped harness
- Capacity: 40 litres
- Weight: 3.39 lb, per Amazon fields
Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack, Del Dia
The cheerful week-long pack: 35 litres of recycled fabric, a suitcase opening and a colourway no one else will own.
Why consider it: The suitcase-opening rival with more built-in division, for travellers who dislike cube-only packing
- Capacity: 35 litres (2135 cu in), per maker specs
- Weight: 2 lb 15 oz (1.33 kg), per maker specs
Research-based assessment. TrueGear has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
Is the Farpoint 40 really carry-on sized?
For most major airlines, yes: at 21.7 by 13.8 by 9.1 inches it fits most overhead bins when packed sensibly. Strict budget carriers may still challenge a fully packed bag, so check your airline's limits before a strict flight and use the compression straps.
Does the Farpoint 40 fit a 16 inch laptop?
Yes, through the direct-zip laptop and tablet sleeve, which is sized for laptops up to 16 inches. Larger machines need a different bag, since the sleeve cannot stretch.
Do I need packing cubes with the Farpoint?
In practice, yes. The big main compartment works best when cubes divide clothes, and most owners who love the bag pack that way. Without cubes, clothes slide into one space and the bag's simplicity becomes a frustration.
Every guide on Travel Backpacks15 pages
- Topic hubTravel Backpacks
- Best ofThe Best Travel Backpacks (2027)
- Budget travel backpacks are judged here on capacity per dollar first and refinement second. A budget bag that cannot hold a trip is not a bargain at any price, so every pick states its litres plainly, and the ranking is honest about where cheaper materials and simpler harnesses show their limits on heavy, frequent use.The Best Budget Travel Backpacks (2027)
- This ranking starts from fit, not from shrinking a men's bag and changing the colour. A women's-specific harness, a manageable empty weight and a shape that sits well on a shorter torso matter more than a litre count, which is why the Fairview leads and why every pick here states its weight and fit plainly.The Best Travel Backpacks for Women (2027)
- Carry-on ranking is a discipline test, not a capacity contest. Every pack here is sized to fly without checked luggage, and the ranking rewards bags that stay within limits when packed, not bags that only meet the spec sheet when empty. Gate-check risk is treated as a real cost, not a footnote.The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks (2027)
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