Part of Osprey's growing travel collection, the Farpoint aims to take the best of three worlds and combine them into one cohesive pack to suit world wanderers.
Rucksacks can be a pain to take on planes, trains and boats with multiple straps and buckles ripe for snagging on conveyor belts and baggage handling trucks, but if you're visiting far flung destinations then a wheeled suitcase just won't cut the mustard.
In steps the Farpoint, which combines duffle bag simplicity with backpacking pack comfort and daypack practicality. It achieves this feat by hiding shoulder straps and a hipbelt in a zipped back panel and attaching a daypack to the front. We were initially concerned that adding so much functionality might compromise the main purpose of the pack (hauling gear!) but in use we found it performed admirably.
In backpack mode the padded back panel is surprisingly comfortable on long hauls and although ventilation isn't great it's a worthwhile compromise to have a flat bottom to the main compartment, rather than a concave shape to let air flow. The hipbelt is large and well-padded and the integrated aluminium stays manage to transfer weight away from the shoulders well. The adjustable shoulder straps are also well padded and have sternum straps and load lifters to tweak the fit and secure the bag, which altogether makes for a surprisingly capable and well-balanced backpack, even across tricky terrain.
The removable daypack offers additional storage and useful gear organisation options, not to mention handy carry-on capability when zipped off. As with other zip-off packs in Osprey's travel collection it's much less gimmicky than you might imagine. It offers a laptop/tablet sleeve, top zipped stash pocket and stretch side pockets as well as comfortable shoulder straps and a padded back panel. So, whilst you might not want to use it for the most serious of on foot day missions it's easily capable of carrying gear on everyday hikes and sightseeing trips.
Converting back to streamlined duffle bag mode is a cinch, simply stash the hipbelt and shoulder straps into the back panel and zip up the cover. This makes for a relatively neat luggage option and the cushioned top and side carry handles allow you to hoick the Farpoint off baggage carousels or into overhead lockers (if using the 40-litre version) with ease.
General storage across the pack is plenty, with enough compartments for gear organisation and a long clamshell opening for easy access. The 55 litre version on test is capable of hauling kit on most extended holidays and if you're heading off backpacking for a year then there are also 70 and 80 litre option available.
Overall the Farpoint is a versatile piece of luggage for intrepid adventure travellers and backpackers off on longer jaunts, with the design and build quality to make it a thoroughly worthwhile investment.
