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I am obsessed with travel gear. That might sound pretty strong, but it’s the truth. When I started getting into long term travel, I faced an important question: travel light with hand luggage or travel with a checked bag or two? That’s where the Osprey Farpoint 40L backpack comes in.
Long-haul Travel & Checked Bags
Most round the world trips offer one or two checked bags, a large carry-on and a personal item. Here’s the crux of the question: do you want to get to an airport and stand in a check-in queue or a bag-drop line? Or wait for my bag to arrive (or not) before setting off to see the city? The short answer is no, I prefer to land and get going right away.
Hand-luggage Options
My criteria for good hand luggage include durability, comfort and size. At the time I picked this Osprey 40L, I looked at options from Tortuga, Samsonite, Tumi and Away. You can spend hundreds on any one of these options, but the Osprey 40L comes in under $200 (typically) and has been in the top 3 of its class for years.
Osprey Farpoint 40L
For practicality, I wanted a comfortable bag that had shoulder straps and a waist belt. Secondly, I wanted to be able to use compression packing cubes to maximise the space (and to discourage me from buying trinkets). The Osprey offered me an easy to access layout with its wide-opening main zip compartment, plus room for a larger laptop and the flexibility to hide the straps. You can check it out by clicking here.
To give you an idea of the size of the bag, here it is beside my modest size 9 running shoes!
How much can you fit in the Osprey Farpoint 40L?
The best way to pack the Osprey Farpoint 40L is using compression packing cubes AND the built-in compression straps. This will maximise the amount you can fit in. I can fit in 12 outfits (yes, TWELVE) as well as two jackets. My twelve outfits include some regular tee-shirt and short combos as well as slightly more formal gear for going out in the evenings.
Yes, I travel full-time with just hand luggage!
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