Travel Backpack Review: Osprey Farpoint 40

/ November 18, 2014

Ask and it shall be answered! A reader reached out with a request for a review of my Osprey Farpoint 40 travel backpack and I was more than happy to oblige.

So, I’m currently using an Osprey Farpoint 40 in S/M size. Since there were not as many options for a travel backpack in Singapore, my search for my bag can be read in full here.

Osprey Farpoint 40

Me and my backpack.

I’ve only had this backpack for almost a year but being a person of small stature (I’m 1.5m tall), this bag more than suits my travel needs for durability and comfort. I could adjust the shoulder strap to fit my shoulders nicely and quite easily without fumbling around with it. I was also able to utilise the hip straps to keep of the weight off my shoulders so that it wouldn’t be too tedious on me.

The bag weighs 1.19kg on its own. The heaviest that I’ve had the bag was for about 12kg for a two week holiday over two different countries. I was also lugging my laptop around for work purposes then. It made for a very heavy bag but it was still manageable for me to walk around with it

The backpack also fits my small size as any bigger ones would overwhelm me by a lot. I can safely say, people can see past my bag rather than have their view blocked by it.

I loved that the bag is a front loading bag and opens like a suitcase because it makes it easier to fully maximise its space. Just as important was the ability to lock up each compartment so that I can be reassured of its security. This was especially reassuring when I travel with a carry on only up the plane and when my hostel had no lockers for me.

osprey farpoint 40

Small pocket at the top and lockable compartments for security.

For a 38L bag, it is also pretty roomy (at least for me!) as it can be expanded out and has many pockets available in the bag. Of course, if you do that it would add to the size of the bag, making it quite fat and bulky.

osprey farpoint 40

Additional compartment inside.

It’s a matter of preference but I like to pack light so the space provided is sufficient even for a two week travel period. I prefer to avoid adding bulk to the bag because I keep having this image of an overturned turtle. Since I’m small in size, I imagine the slightest push can just overbalance me anytime with a heavier backpack on me and lead to more embarrassing incidents: cue overturned turtle image. (Yes, I have a very vivid imagination.)

I could fit in a half cube and tube packing cube with space for my travel towel, toiletries bag, packable bag and thick sweater.
There are still space available for more items.

What irritated me the most about the bag was only 2 things.

One, putting away the cover to use the straps was a struggle. The cover had to be rolled down and into a small slip at the bottom of the bag. Since the slip was in an awkward position, I had to struggle a bit before the Velcro could catch and close. In fact, I couldn’t find it on my first few tries and in the end just haphazardly stuffed the cover under the slip just so I can keep it away.

osprey farpoint 40

Spot the velcro!

Two, the laptop slip is located in the smaller front compartment of the bag. Call me paranoid but I kept worrying that the weight would imbalance me because of its position and I would end up on my back with my laptop bearing the brunt of the fall. (Pardon my vivid imagination again…:))

osprey farpoint 40

Laptop compartment is at the front of the bag.

It’s worth investing in packing cubes because it was an enormous help in maximising the space within the bag. I could fit as many as 7-10 summer tops or about 3 thick winter tops in my main packing cube. With pants, leggings, skirt and underwear taking up the other packing cube, I narrow down my clothes to only 2 bags, giving me more space to add other items.

eagle creek packing cube

Packing cubes are great! On top of these 4 tops and 2 dresses, I can still fit another 2 – 3 tops on top of this layer.

Original price for the bag was S$219 but it was reduced to S$175 during a sale and I had a further 10% discount then for Passion cardholders.

Osprey Farpoint 40 vs a roller cabin sized luggage

Osprey Farpoint 40 vs a roller cabin sized luggage

My packing cubes are from Eagle Creek and I bought them at The Planet Traveller located at Changi Airport in Singapore. The ones that I use to fit this Osprey Farpoint backpack are the Eagle Creek Pack-It “Clean/Dirty” Half Cube at S$23.90 and Eagle Creek Pack-It Tube Cube at S$19.90. These prices are a steal, considering it is not easy to find Eagle Creek products in Singapore. The outlet at Changi Airport also has quite an extensive range of the Eagle Creek’s packing products.

Hope that helps!

On the other hand, I’m also tempted to put in an order for the Tortuga Air because I have always wanted to get a Tortuga bag but was worried I could not fit the original one. My biggest problem would be the total cost for the bag + shipping. Since it does not have international shipping, I would have to get it shipped through third parties and this would mean the bag would be quite costly and non-returnable. Should I still get it? What do you think?

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37 thoughts on “Travel Backpack Review: Osprey Farpoint 40”

  1. Pingback: Finding a Travel Backpack in Singapore | Lifetomyfullest

  2. Nice. So organized. No turtle would have a shell that organized, lol. You don’t even WANT to see what my suitcase looks like. I sit, squash, zip. Great info!

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    • Hahaha…I doubt any turtle would be that organised internally too…and I happen to think your method is perfect for those overpackers…now if I’m to sit on it though, I worry it would be oversquashed instead! Haha..😄

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    • Yes, do give it a try! I think it’s a good investment to have..I usually do whatever it takes to pack whatever I need..haha..I usually roll them but sometimes I fold it over others if it helps to maximise the space instead…😉

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  4. Whenever I packed a standard backpack it was a mess, nothing really fitted in. Once I had the luck to try out some good backpack for trekking and suddenly I could fit in nearly double!

    Let’s see when I need a good backpack again for an unknown future journey because this one will be then I my top list 🙂

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    • Hahaha…at least australia has more options for travel backpacks though. I always find myself getting such travel products on my trips to Australia cos of its limited options or price in singapore..thanks for the read! 😄

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  7. Thanks for the review Sha! This type of backpack must be very handy and can be put just in the cabin! I like to roll my clothes too. I like the Tortuga air, I think it is a nice product! Is it available in Amazon perhaps? Or just contact their sales if they can make special delivery for you…
    For long vacation which usually I combined with scuba diving, my backpack is full with camera, its lens and its underwater casing plus plus that already weight of more than 10 K 😦 I use Crumpler camera backpack and love it. I think Crumpler has some travel backpacks too..

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    • The tortuga air is currently open for pre-order on its website..not too sure about amazon cos I haven’t made up my mind about it. Just that I go om short trips quite often and this bag would have been awesome to try out.

      Wow, you carry all your camera equipment in your backpack? I think that’s amazing! I’ve carried around 12kg so I can remember what it felt like on my back and it does take some getting used to. But I imagine it’s hard for you not to bring all those along, they are part and parcel of you and it shows in your photos..😄

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      • Perhaps just wait for a while..who knows the price will drop after Xmas period? 😀
        Oh..I blame on all those DSLR gears 😦 but I will use lighter camera on the next trip – yep, I know 12kg feels!! We don’t have to go to the gym during our vacation – carrying heavy backpack feels like exercising already!!

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  10. Hey there! There is definitely, deeeeefinitely an over-the-shoulder strap with this bag, right? I can’t seem to confirm this anywhere! Thanks in advance!

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    • Hello! Yup, there is a shoulder strap that comes with this bag on the side of the bag but I don’t really like to use it because there are no padding on it so it can be quite painful to carry a heavy load on it.
      And also because I’m small sized, the bag is awkwardly positioned and balanced if I try to carry it lengthwise against my side. Hope that helps! 😄

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    • Hi Fred! I think shipping to Asia is not available yet – I’m from Singapore. Would definitely consider it if there is shipping available direct cos it’s a bit too expensive if I use a forwarding service right now. I’ll just wait till you set up shipping instead…or if I ever travel somewhere with direct shipping. 😄

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    • To me, tortuga air bag looks smaller and is probably good for a weekend trip or short trips. I tend to use my osprey when I travel for at least a week or if I need to pack more for a short trip. Even so, it depends on how much you prefer to pack. I’m a light packer so I usually just bring the necessities and will still have a little space left in my osprey bag. Tortuga air is smaller I believe so you may have to limit your packing as well. Hope that helps! Just ask if you still have more enquiries.. 😄

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  13. Did you get the Tortuga Air in the end? I’m considering the original Tortuga, but, like you, am concerned about the price.

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    • Have not gotten it yet as I scaled down my travels this year to save for a big splurge at the end of the year…will have to keep this in mind for now…but I read that they now ship directly to Singapore for a fee so it should be easier to order now then before…:)

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  14. Hi Sha! Thank u for sharing this. I’ve been looking into this bag for quite awhile now to my replace my current Vertikal Orient express. Had for 6 yrs now and the only travel backpack range I could afford at that time (just started working) haha… I love the front loader, easy to find things and truly maximize the space but find that it has way too many straps even after cutting some that I thought was pointless. Few years forward, I think im ready for a new bag. I’m standing at 1.5m too and the bag looks ok on ang mos but I’m afraid it might overwhelm my height. Hahaha… Glad to see a photo of you carrying it so I can gauge. I’m looking for something that looks low key which is what the bag is. Thanks for sharing on where to get it in SG. Saw it a lot online but shopping to SG might kill me. Now I know how much to expect. Well, time for me to window shop and find the best price! This post has been really helpful to another Singaporean girl 🙂 Happy travels!

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    • Thanks for commenting! I was trying to find photos of it online for people of our height too! Haha…glad that this has been of help to you…enjoy and do drop by occasionally! 😄

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  16. Hey Sha! Nice review and humour you got there! 🙂 I am planning to get this bag and would love to hear some opinions from you before getting the Farpoint 40 (S/M)

    – Would you recommend this bag for a one-month summer trip to Europe?

    – You mentioned that you used packing cubes. How many clothes/pants/dresses and shoes were you able to fit in the bag in total? It would be great if you could share with us your packing list 🙂

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    • Hi Vera! Thanks for reading. When will you be going to Europe? As to whether the bag will be sufficient for one month, I had no problem with travelling for 2 weeks with it. I think it’s doable if you don’t mind bringing less clothes and only necessary items with you because the space can be quite limited.
      As for the packing cube, I could fit in comfortably around 4 tops and 2 dresses. I would usually squeeze in another 2 tops into the half cubes. Or I would fit in another 2 skirts and leggings instead of these 2 additional tops. I could fit around 3 – 4 winter tops into this half cube as an alternative. Of course, this all depends on the thickness of the clothes.
      I’m also a pretty minimal packer so I don’t usually bring too much but you know, I think it’s easier if I just post up my packing list cos I know how hard it is to decide…maybe next week perhaps? 🙂

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    • Hi Vera,

      I bought the same bag in SG three weeks ago for my one month travel around South East Asia. I’m a big guy and the bag was able to carry 2 pants, 3 shorts, 5 shirts, 5 face towels, 3 pairs of socks, 4 boxers, travel towel, packable duffle bag, medicine bag, one camera, slippers, rain jacket, selfie stick, and my chargers and cables. I used 1 big packing cube for the clothes, 1 small cube for toiletries, and 1 small cube for chargers and cables.

      I believe the bag will suit any needs of a person smaller than I am. With regards to packing cubes, its better you buy it at the same time with the bag so that you can have an actual/visual idea of spacing/how to manage your things inaide the bag.

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