Best Travel Backpack: Osprey Porter vs. Osprey Farpoint

What’s the best travel backpack? I submit that it’s either the Osprey Porter series or the Osprey Farpoint series. Either way, Osprey packs win the best travel backpack contest.

My wife would tell you that I have a backpack addiction. She’s likely right.

Best Travel Backpack

I’ve been in search of the “one backpack to rule them all” since I discovered backpacks in elementary school. I’m still not sure that “the one” exists, but these two travel backpacks from Osprey come close.

I’ve owned the Osprey Farpoint 55 for about a year and a half and traveled thousands of miles with it. With a 40L main pack and a 15L attachable day pack, the Farpoint served me well on weekend excursions all the way up to a month long trip to the Florida Keys.

I started to write a review about the Farpoint series, thinking it was the best travel backpack available. That’s when I discovered the Osprey Porter series.

The 46L Osprey Porter comes closer to being “the one” backpack, in my opinion. The primary feature swaying me to the Porter comes in the form of a smaller front pouch for miscellaneous items and the laptop/tablet sleeve in the back. Both features allow the pack to hold everything I need for almost any trip in one pack.

Rather than the detachable day pack on the Farpoint, the Porter combines the best features of a full size travel backpack with the features of a smaller day pack. Also, the 46L size makes it much bigger than the Farpoint main pack, while remaining carry-on sized. If you need the day pack, you can attach the Osprey Daylite and Daylite Plus to the Porter series using small loops on the Porter.

Additionally, the Porter technically meets all carry-on specifications (in the 46L size). The Farpoint 55 main body pack “technically” does not, although it does fit in most carry-on compartments.

Best Travel Backpack: Osprey Farpoint Series

Farpoint Pros

• I LOVE the daypack that comes with the Osprey Farpoint. The backpack is designed to be two packs in one. You can zip the day pack to the back or clip it to the front, allowing easy access when in an airport.
• All the straps and buckles tuck into the Farpoint. This way, they don’t get caught in the conveyor belt at security.
• Fully padded hip belt. This travel backpack is designed well enough to be a backpacking backpack with load-lifters and a solid hip belt.

Farpoint Cons

• 40L main pack is a bit tight
• NOT carry-on compliant
• Laptop sleeve is in detachable day pack, so you HAVE to take both packs on any trip, if you’re bringing your laptop (and let’s face it, I’m always bringing my laptop)

Best Travel Backpack: Osprey Porter Series

Porter Pros

• Large, 46L main compartment
• The compression panels on the outside of the pack are phenomenal! They lend stiffness to the backpack while packing and securely compress your load for maximum space savings and loading.

All-in-one design. Although you can get the Osprey Daylite as an attachable pack, you absolutely do not need one. With a front pocket and laptop sleeve, this pack easily carries all your essentials for any trip in one bag

Carry-on compliant

Porter Cons

• Shorter, wider main pack. If you have longer items that you take on a regular basis (maybe a longer tripod, for instance), then you may want to go with the Farpoint series for the longer main pack
• No water bottle holder. Unless you get the Daylite pack, you do not have an “official” water bottle holder on the Porter. However, the water bottle holders on the Farpoint day pack are TINY and my 32oz. water bottle fits perfectly in the top pocket of the Porter (even though it’s not “technically” a water bottle pocket)

All Osprey backpacks come with an unlimited, lifetime warranty. It truly is unlimited and lifetime. I’ve used it on my Osprey Talon 22. Also, both the Porter and the Farpoint series allow TSA locks on the main compartment zippers.

I own 5 Osprey backpacks. As an admitted backpack addict (Hi, my name is Tim and I’m addicted to backpacks. Hi Tim!), I believe Osprey wins in the entire backpack arena, at this time. I don’t believe you can go wrong with either of these phenomenal travel backpacks.

What do you say? Is there a better travel backpack out there? I’d love to know about it and see if it can best one of these Osprey packs as the world’s best travel backpack.