****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I am a backpacker (in mostly urban settings).I have tried several Osprey bags for this purpose.I started with the Osprey Porter 46. Then I moved onto the Osprey Farpoint 40. And now, I am using this Osprey Transporter.Who am I and what do I need the bag for?I work in different cities, and have free time in between to explore. I typically bounce around in urban areas, i.e. no hiking, no climbing, and commute on cabs/trains/buses/planes. I pack about 7-10 days worth of clothes, gym shoes, a laptop, and a camera. I don't need a deluge of straps or bells and whistles. I need a bag that can hold as much as possible, is sturdy, and has decent padding and support for urban carrying.So that said, here has been my progression:The Porter 46 is way too bulky with the "straightjacket" design. I don't understand what circumstances I would need the bulletproof-esque protection it provides. After 2 trips of lugging around the Porter 46, it just felt too awkward, excessive, and heavy. Compared to my 40L bags, I honestly didn't sense the extra 6L whatsoever, due to it being so rigid, it is hard to really STUFF things in.With these issues, I decided to move onto the well-reviewed and highly recommended Farpoint 40. I did about 4 trips with this bag (PNW USA, Southeast Asia, Central Europe, and Western Europe). And there is good reason why this is such a popular bag. It has a good balance of protection, sturdiness, organizational pockets, and large main compartment. It also sports a very good frame, a good hip strap and outer straps to cinch the bag down.With so many pros, why did I decide to move onto the Transporter 40L?It's because the FP40 had too many pockets that I didn't make use of. It has 1 large bulky & padded outer pocket for a laptop, and little pen slots and a mesh pocket. I only ever use it for my laptop, and it is way too much real estate taken away just for my laptop. The name of the game for my needs is VERSATILITY. I could have used that space to pack at least another 4-5 shirts, when need be.So here I am, moving onto my next trial with the Transporter 40. It has 1 giant compartment, which I am able to make better use of than Porter 46L and the Farpoint 40L. This bag boils down to just being a giant, very sturdy duffel bag with backpack straps.On my most recent trip, I was able to fit about 12 T-shirts, 1 flannel, 1 hoodie, 10 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of underwear, 2 pairs of pants, my toiletry bag, a laptop, a camera. My Porter 46 and FP40 could fit about the same amount, minus the camera. So it definitely has a bit more space.My initial take on this bag when it arrived at my door was.. well.. apprehension. It came rolled up in a little packing cube. I really didn't understand the need for this. At what point would I possibly need to roll up and pack up my main travel bag????Also, it was very soft and malleable, and I thought it meant a lack of structure and a lack of padding. I was VERY close to just returning it because it was absolutely not what I expected.But having already unpacked it, and my flight was the very next day... I decided to just take the plunge and give it a shot.I did 2 months in Europe with this bag, and just got back today.My thoughts on this bag are:Pros:* Duffel bag strap AND backpack strap. This feature is actually a BIG pro for me. For my travel style, I tend to switch back and forth between shoulder carry and backpack carry. With the other bags, I end up holding it with my arms, which sucks. This duffle bag style carry has proven very helpful for me on this past trip, getting on and off planes/buses and into tight spaces was made so much easier.* holds more than the Porter and Farpoint in the main compartment. If you don't have a need for little organizational pockets, this doesn't waste space on that.* on the flip side of that trade-off, it lacks organization, so if you need a laptop slot, a space for little knick knacks, this bag is not good for you. However, the pro is there is ONE pocket on the top and it IS pretty sizable. I was able to fit my wallet, keys, bar of soap, phone, power bank, watch, and 4 clif bars. It is a pretty decently sized pocketCons:* Again, only 1 top pocket and 1 main compartment. you will NOT have organizational pockets.* NO OUTER STRAPS to cinch down your stuff!! Only INTERIOR straps, which works fine. But it really made me miss the Farpoint 40's outer straps. The one thing I would love to see in the next iteration is outer straps.
