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- Verified Buyer
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.The Osprey Transporter 40 Travel Duffel Bag is awesome but you can over stuff it easy which makes for the inside-bottom pocket useless. But that's not Osprey's fault LOL. It is a great bag for a weekend trip or for a few days. It really depends how you pack it. (4-5 days max but maybe more?) I will say, when I use packing cubes ... I'm not sure I can get more clothes in this bag. I may have to try different ways to pack it but I think it works better without using packing cubes. I use the Vasco packing cubes, and I'm able to use a Large, Medium, and Small cube in there along with 2 toiletry bags if I do some TETRIS work. Also can fit a pair (or 2) shoes ... if you put them in a shoe bag and squeeze them in.CARRY-ON:I haven't used it as a carry on yet but I will say for comparison (see photos) I've used my Osprey Tropos Daypack bag for under the seat on Southwest, Delta, American, & Frontier and my backpack has fit under the seat. So I'm assuming, based on the comparison photos, the transporter 40 "should" fit under the seat BUT check with your airline.OUTER STORAGE:If you really over stuff your bag, as I mentioned before then that outer pocket could become useless. You would really have to work some magic to put something bulky in there i.e. your phone or wallet etc. You could use the large pocket though so it wasn't a deal breaker.Also, a creative way to carry an iPad, you could use the top/front large outer pocket (where the backpack straps store) which is pretty cool too. I've put my 9.7inch iPad in that slot (see photo) but just fyi - there's no padding so I wouldn't be tossing it around unless you had a protective case on your device. I'm thinking it could maybe fit a larger iPad but I'm not sure since i don't have a larger one to show as an example. Side note; the more you put in that large pocket, it could get uncomfortable when using it as a backpack as it has no padding so just FYI.COMFORT:The over the shoulder strap is sooooo comfortable when using it "duffel bag style". Also the handles are very well made so 5stars for that. Not to bad when using it as a backpack. The comfort level when using it as a backpack really depends how you pack it.WEATHER: I haven't used it in the rain so I don't know how well it holds up to that but this bag has been tossed around in many different scenarios from day trips, to the ranch, to the beach, to special events. It has taken a beating for sure (see photos)THE ONLY THING I WISH THIS HAD ... was a luggage handle pass through slot but since they have a "Transporter Carry On" already I guess they figured whoever bought this bag wasn't looking for that feature. For me this would be the PERFECT bag my opinion if it had that pass through slot.PS. if you're still reading thisI've had this bag for a year and I kinda wish it also had a mesh pocket outside or a pocket "stretchy" enough for a bottle water or 30 oz tumbler. There are loops all over this bag so you could use a carabiner clip on your water bottle or gear. It would be cool to have that pocket so when you're racing across the airport, it would free up your hands. Also I should've bought the red or blue one.The bag is great. The seams and fabric seem very sturdy. The backpack straps and shoulder strap are all comfortable and easy to rig. The zippers are smooth and substantial and well-designed.The bag is very utilitarian. It's designed to be traveled with and beaten up in a wide range of environments. To this end, there are some trade-offs that you may find vs. a more "stylish" or "urban" duffle. There is only one small zipper pocket on the outside (end) and inside (end), and no other pockets, compartments, etc. For this reason, it's not as effective as a daily duffle because there's no added protection for a laptop, no special pockets for pens, chargers, gym shoes, documents, etc. and it is made of thicker, less comfortable, less "chic" material (it's a stiff, heavy duty, coated shell). I was initially apprehensive about not having two traditional duffle straps that meet on top for hand carry, but you don't need them when you have sturdy handles on the sides of the bag (same method of carry, just no superfluous straps).I wish there were a few more internal pockets for organization (the Northface equivalent has mesh pockets in the top flap and on the internal sidewalls), but on the whole, it's an amazing bag that I highly recommend. I guess Osprey has other lines of bags that might address some of the issues I noticed, but something like additional internal mesh pockets wouldn't degrade this bag--it would just improve it! Osprey seems like an excellent brand with a great guaranty of its materials and construction--I hope this is the last duffle bag I buy (though I won't benefit from improvements of future generations :( ).I’ve got a few different Ospreys including the transporter 60 use this as an over night and a gym bag can’t go wrong it’s brilliant!Looks smarter than the North Face Duffel with similar features. Hope it lasts as long as my own North Face duffel but only time will tell.Very very good I have it from 3 years it’s like new very strongLove this bag. Bought it for general travel. Fly about 6 times a year and a couple of motorbike trips and straps on great. Easy to carry in several ways, especially in crowded planes and ferrys.The shoulder strap for the bag was missing when I received this and there's no clear contact that I can reach out to about getting this resolved. Would switch to a 4/5 start review if I could get this issue fixed.
