As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of Osprey packs, and recommend Farpoint 40 (women's counterpart is Fairview 40) a lot here in this site.
I also recommend it as the Best Osprey Travel Backpack. You can read my full Osprey Farpoint 40 hands-on review here.
It's incredibly comfortable (even when you aren't wearing the hipbelt), durable and looks very pretty IMO.
The first downside is that although the laptop AND tablet sleeves are very large (laptops up to 17" can fit) and well padded, having them at the backpanel would have made Farpoint 40 even more comfortable.
Luckily, Farpoint 40 is a comfort oriented pack, so I never wished any extra comfort.
- #A sidenote here: REI's backpack capacity chart is GOLD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you read any further.
Second downside is that I'd like to see an internal organizer just like that of Porter 46, but it's lacking. I just use the stash pocket for that purpose - although my stuff get tangled there sometimes.
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A noticeably less comfortable but better organized alternative to Farpoint 40 would be Porter 46. Read my Farpoint 40 vs Porter 46 post for more details.
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If you'd like to get a wheeled carry-on size pack, Osprey Sojourn 45 is the best wheeled carry-on backpack in my opinion - although I personally don't see the point of wheels under 60 L packs.
Sojourn closer to a backpack rather than a luggage, unlike its other wheeled competitor Ozone 38 which has it the other way round.
Overview
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Overall Score | |||
This product is a Crunch Top Pick! | This product is a Crunch Top Pick! | ||
Osprey Farpoint 40 | Osprey Sojourn 45 | eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible | |
Pros | Very comfortable, large laptop AND tablet sleeves are well padded to keep your electronics safe, stow away harness, very durable, lots of external gear attachment options, sits upright when put down, very pretty | Spectacular versatility, both wheeled luggage and backpack uses perform very good, daisy chains | Excellent organization, lots of zippered exterior and interior pockets |
Cons | Having the laptop in a backpanel compartment instead of in the middle could have made this pack even more comfortable due to better weight distribution | Heavy, no laptop or tablet sleeves | Not ideal for walking long distances because of poor suspension |
Osprey Farpoint 40 | Osprey Sojourn 45 | eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible | |
Size options and corresponding torso heights | S/M: 15 - 19 inches M/L: 18 - 22 inches | One size fits all | One size fits all |
Compartments | Main & middle compartments | Main compartment | Main & front compartments |
Pockets | 6 Pockets: 1 external zippered pocket, laptop sleeve, tablet sleeve, 1 internal zippered mesh pocket, 2 unenclosed side mesh water bottle holders | 3 Pockets: 1 external top zippered pocket, 2 internal zippered mesh pocket | 10 Pockets: 2 external zippered pocket, 4 internal zippered sleeve, 1 internal mesh zippered pocket, 1 internal zippered pocket, zippered laptop sleeve, 1 unenclosed side mesh water bottle holder |
Laptop & Tablet Sleeves | Laptop sleeve: 14 x 11 x 1.5 inches. Meaning laptops up to 15.6" can fit perfectly. For 17" laptop, sleeve height doesn't suffice but laptop still stays inside the pack[2]. Tablet sleeve: 10.5 x 10.5 x 1 inches. Meaning tablets up to 10" can fit. | N/A | Laptop sleeve: 11.75 x 19 inches (depth adapts. See review). Meaning any laptop or tablet can fit. |
Osprey Farpoint 40 | Osprey Sojourn 45 | eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible | |
Uses | Top carry handle, duffel bag strap, backpack | Top, side and bottom carry handles, backpack, wheeled luggage | Top, side and bottom carry handles, duffel bag strap, backpack |
Osprey's Daylite Daypack attachability | No | Yes | N/A |
Manual | N/A | ||
Specs | S/M: 3.11 lbs, 38L, 22x14x8 inches M/L: 3.17 lbs, 40L, 22x14x9 inches | 7.9 lbs, 45L, 22x14x9 inches | 3.7 lbs, 32.77L, 21.5x13-14x5.5 inches |
Women's counterpart | Unisex | Unisex |
What size is a carry-on size?
There is no standardization for the maximum allowable carry-on luggage size. Different airlines have different regulations.
However, most of the biggest airlines by passenger count[5] such as American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, AirAsia and China Southern Airlines draw the line[1] at 22(H) x 14(W) x 9(D) inches (=56(H) x 36(W) x 23(D) cm).
A technically carry-on size pack meets all height, width and depth dimensions at the same time as the checker requires. Packs aren't made of steel, though, so it's very highly likely that you'll be perfectly fine with other airlines that require, for example, 21.5 inches of height such as Lufthansa.
Plus, most of these .5 or .7 inches of differences stem from converting metric to imperial and vice versa. For example, carry-on requirement of Lufthansa is declared[6] as 55 x 40 x 23 cm (=21.5 x 15.7 x 9 inches), but also Lufthansa itself states here[7] on a different subject that 55 x 40 x 23 cm is equivalent to 22 x 16 x 9 inches.
That's why, in this post, carry-on size is considered as 22 x 14 x 9 inches.
#1) Osprey Farpoint 40
Osprey Farpoint 40 is clearly the winner as it fills the bill in all aspects.
Summary
Osprey Farpoint 40 is, single handedly, the best carry-on backpack.
The biggest pro of this pack is that it provides unbeatable comfort. Whole contact surface (shoulder straps, hip belt and back panel) is extremely well padded and curved, providing seamless fit and comfort, allowing walking very long distances.
Click on the image below for the full review of Osprey Farpoint 40.
The only gripe about this pack is that laptop and tablet sleeves come in the middle compartment instead of between main compartment and backpanel. As they're placed away from your body they create more moment on your torso and expected to pull your shoulders down and decrease comfort. Luckily you don't feel any noticeable comfort deficiency in Farpoint 40 as it exceeds comfort expectations in all other aspects.
Comfort
Exceptional comfort is what makes Farpoint 40 so popular among travel backpacks.
Backpanel, shoulder straps and hip belt are all generously padded. Thicknesses and curves accommodate the anatomy of shoulders, chest and neck. Load lifter is adjustable and provides a built in whistle.
3.5 mm LightWire peripheral frame conveys the load from harness to hip belt. When hip belt carries the load, our hip muscles which are the largest muscles in our body as explained by BCcampus[8]. As the study Epstein et al conducted in 2017[9] concluded, this helps you walk longer without any extra exhaustion.
Osprey's own size & fit chart[10] below shows the torso heights corresponds to S/M and M/L sizes.
Organization
Besides main compartment, there's a middle compartment with a 14(H) x 11(W) x 1.5(D) inches (36(H) x 28(W) x 3.755(D) cm) of laptop sleeve and a 10.5(H) x 10.5(W) x 1(D) inches (27(H) x 27(W) x 2(D) cm) of tablet sleeve - meaning that up to a 15.6" laptop and a 10" tablet can fit.
Besides compartments, there's a slash pocket at the front and two mesh water bottle holders at sides.
External dual upper and lower front compression straps (1) secure your items and (2) shrink the pack into smaller sizes to incraese stability when not fully loaded.
Dual compression straps inside the main compartment secure your load further.
Versatility
Although Farpoint 40 is a travel backpack first, it can be used in multiple ways.
Farpoint 40 performs perfectly well for hiking/camping as you can walk very long distances with it comfortably. The only time it'd come incomplete is 3+ days of hiking/camping trips because of its medium volume of 38-40 liters.
Another way is to stow away the Farpoint 40 harness and use it as a hand luggage with carry handles or as a duffel bag with removable duffel bag strap.
Bottom line, Osprey's Farpoint 40 is a very comfortable and versatile carry-on size travel backpack with a lean towards outdoor activities.
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#2) Osprey Sojourn 45L/22” Wheeled Luggage Review
Summary
Osprey Sojourn 45L/22" is the most versatile carry-on backpack.
It comes with a promising chassis and a quite comfortable stow away harness. Unlike Osprey Meridian or Ozone, Sojourn performs perfectly fine with both uses.
Although suspension doesn't feel as comfortable as Farpoint 40 beceause of its extra chassis weight, it's surprisingly very comfortable, and definitely more comfortable than eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible.
The biggest con of Sojourn is its organization. It doesn't offer any laptop or tablet sleeves. It has one compartment and only one exterior zippered pocket at the top. Fortunately it has dual front compression straps, daisy chains and the main compartment offers plenty of room.
Comfort
Osprey Sojourn 45L/22" is converted into a backpack when the suspension system stowed inside the backpanel are unzipped.
Still, it comes with ample padding on shoulder straps, backpanel and hipbelt covered with pleasant mesh. Thickness of shoulder straps are optimized and adapt anatomical shoulder and chest curves.
Although the comfort it offers can't compete with Osprey Farpoint 40 as no pack can, it's very promising for a do-it-all wheeled backpack and feels more comfortable than eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible.
Organization
Main compartment with double U-shaped zipperes opens like a clamshell, allowing easy access to the entire compartment when lying on the floor.
Top zippered pocket comes handy for storing any frequently used items.
On top of that, external upper and lower compression straps and daisy chains allow attaching extra gear.
Versatility
Obviously versatility is what makes this pack very special and one of the best packs in the market.
Most packs that allow both wheeled luggage and backpack use shift one side too much ending up being insufficient for the other. Unlike them, Sojourn is spectacularly well balanced between.
To begin with, lightweight and high rolling clearance HighRoad Chassis ensures a high quality ride over any texture and is superior to the majority of wheeled luggages out there. Along with Osprey's All Mighty Guarantee they make Osprey Sojourn 45L/22" a legit wheeled luggage.
Lightweight chassis benefits backpack use as well. I agree that Osprey Sojourn 45L/22" is a heavy pack, but the extra weight sacrifice comes very minor when you think about the added benefit of exceptional versatility.
Osprey Sojourn vs Ozone vs Meridian
Osprey Sojourn 45L/22in is commonly compared to Osprey Ozone 46L/22in and Osprey Meridian 60L/22in as they're all 22(H) x 14(W) x 9(D) inches. I'm going to summarize them briefly as they have tons of differences, yet it'll be enough to grasp their design intentions.
In terms of comfort, Osprey Sojourn offers the best by far, with Ozone being slightly superior to Meridian. This is what puts Ozone and Meridian on wheeled luggage of the fence, and fall short of backpack use. Which is also why Sojourn happens to be the most versatile.
As for organization, Ozone and Meridian come with detachable daypacks. Sojourn is a daypack attachable pack, but doesn't come with one. Plus, Ozone and Meridian offer more pockets such as laptop sleeves - which aren't available in Sojourn.
Since we're talking about backpacks in this post, Osprey Sojourn is clearly the winner.
You can find Osprey Ozone Series User Manual here[11] and Osprey Meridian Series User Manual here[12].
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#3) eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible Review
Summary
eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible is an excellent carry-on travel suitcase with straps that offers perfect organization.
Terrific organization is very well thought and responds to user feedbacks. It comes with a front compartment with traveler organizer, a main compartment with an internal zippered mesh pocket and an internal zippered pocket, one front zippered pocket, a top U-shaped zippered pocket, a large laptop sleeve and a hideaway water bottle holder.
3 carry on handles at the bottom, top and side, a duffel bag strap, stow away harness and a removable waist belt allow multiple uses.
The biggest con about this pack is that harness is poor and hence lacks comfort while walking long distances.
Comfort
Although stow away shoulder straps and both removable adjustable sternum strap and waist belt are great to have and provide versatility, they aren't designed to walk on trail or long distances.
Organization
There're two compartments: front and main.
Main compartment with two internal compression straps opens like a suitcase and not like a top loading backpack. Unsnappable (removable) divider at the center prevents your top load from falling downwards.
Front compartment is accessed with a U shaped zipper. It's front loaded (NOT top loaded), so the bag must be lying on the floor or somewhere else for truly proper access.
Papers that you need quick access to such as your itinerary, boarding passes, passports are usually stored in front zippered narrow pocket. U shaped top zippered pocket offers more room and proper for bulkier items needed readily available like gloves, charger, earphones etc.
Additional organizational features are a hideaway water bottle holder and a tuck away ID pocket alongside.
Versatility
In addition to shoulder straps and waist belt for backpack use, there are 3 carry on handles and a removable adjustable duffel bag strap.
Top and bottom carry handles are usually used together for storing in and out of the trunk or into the overhead bin.
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References
- Carry-on Size Chart, 170+ Airlines, Travel-made-simple.com. Retrieved from https://travel-made-simple.com/carry-on-size-chart/
- Youtube. "Osprey 40 litre fits alienware 17 r2 into laptop sleeve". Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnrUfZVdJog
- Osprey Farpoint 40 Manual US. Retrieved from https://www.osprey.com/user_manuals/OM_FarpointFairview_F17_ENG.pdf
- Osprey Sojourn Manual US. Retrieved from https://www.osprey.com/user_manuals/OM_Sojourn_F16_ENG.pdf
- Gulliver. (2015, June). The world's largest airlines. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/gulliver/2015/06/24/domestic-bliss
- Carry-on baggage rules at Lufthansa. Retrieved from https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Carry-on-baggage
- Transporting animals as additional carry-on baggage in the cabin. Retrieved from https://www.lufthansa.com/online/portal/lh/us/infoservice/baggage?nodeid=1304895278&l=en&cid=1000390
- Anatomy and Physiology, BCcampus. The Muscular System. Chapter 11.6: Appendicular Muscles of the Pelvic Girdle and Lower Limbs, p. 78. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/muscles.html
- Epstein, Yoram et al. (2017). Mitigating load carriage burden – The Dynamic Weight Distribution (DWD) hip belt. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 20, S101. Retrieved from http://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(17)31506-2/pdf
- Osprey. Size & Fit. Retrieved from https://www.osprey.com/ca/en/fitting-learning/size-fit
- Osprey Ozone Manual US. Retrieved from https://www.osprey.com/user_manuals/OM_Ozone_F15_ENG.pdf
- Osprey Meridian Manual US. Retrieved from https://www.osprey.com/user_manuals/OM_Meridian_F16_ENG.pdf