There are a few different ways to lug around your possessions as you travel the world. But one rules them all – a backpack.
Through the years I have traveled with a suitcase (dinosaur era – I still recall those Paris Metro staircases), a shoulder bag (attempt at swashbuckling look in Morocco – destroyed my gait and killed my shoulder), a rolling hard case (which, after I dragged it across cobblestones, muddy lanes, and littered marketplaces I cursed. Plus it gave me tennis elbow), and a North Face soft plastic model. This last option is seen on a lot on luggage carousels and claims to convert from hand carry to backpack (I took it on perhaps a dozen trips and up Kilimanjaro). Now, I would not take it out for a weekend and assume that all the people I see with one never carry their own bag more than a few metres at a time.
Since my luggage spends a lot of time in intimate proximity to me I felt that it might make sense to do a little research. I read a ton of reviews and watched perhaps way too many ‘packing advice’ videos on YouTube. Ultimately I chose the Osprey Farpoint 40 (the womens version is Fairview 40), which appears to be the most popular choice for nomads of various stripes. Please see the update at the bottom of this page.
I am more than six years into my relationship with this beautiful thing. I have spent nearly every night in close proximity, and I simply love it. It is a 40l pack, which is more than big enough for my ‘three season’ gear list, and weighs less than 1.5kg. Fully loaded it comes in below 8kg – light enough to carry all day. I have never had to check it as baggage on a flight. It is convertible – switching from a backpack to a pretty clean looking suitcase (which I have done exactly three times). Initially I was skeptical of this, having tried products that try to do two different things (see North Face bag rant above) and end up doing neither well. The Farpoint succeeds.
In pack mode it is really well balanced and comfortable to carry, the back panel breathes well, and it has an effective hip belt and well proportioned carry straps. It has proved to be solidly waterproof in quite a number of live tests. It has the Goldilocks ‘just right’ number of independent compartments. Unlike traditional camping packs it opens completely so that you can see all your stuff. I use it with joy on road walks, day trail hikes, and have used it on week long point-to-point hill and mountain excursions (recent long trips were in Ireland, Slovakia and Portugal).
After the first month, having figured out my range of strap settings, I trimmed off excess strap so there is less material swinging around, and cut out the internal stowage straps I never used. Virtually the only critique I have (echoed in many online reviews), is the absence of pockets on the hip belt. I commissioned an expert and alluring seamstress to add a couple of simple fabric pockets – perfect for holding a passport, a phone and a pair of glasses.
Roughly every two months I empty it completely and give a nice warm soapy bath. It cleans up really well.
Update. Osprey ‘updated and improved’ the design a couple of years ago. Many well qualified travelers lauded the evolution. I bought and used one for a year, and cursed every change. Searched the internet for an ‘original’ model and am happily reunited with the design that I love.
