Buying Advice: Osprey Porter vs Farpoint vs Waypoint / Wayfarer

10 August, 2015

So you've narrowed down your choice for a travel pack to something offered by Osprey and cannot decide which one is right for you. This is a common question that I get asked, so to help you out with your buying decision I've put together a bit of an overview of the Osprey Porter, Farpoint and Waypoint / Wayfarer series.   

First let's take a look at the Osprey Porter. In essence the Porter is more of a deluxe duffle bag or gear hauler rather than a travel pack. The reason I say this is because the harness system on the pack is very simple with no harness frame, no harness height adjustment, no load stabiliser, and minimal hip belt padding. If you do not intend to be wearing your pack on your back for very long periods of time, and rather for just a quick walk to the taxi rank, airport check-in etc, or will not have too much weight in you pack, then consider the Osprey Porter. The Porter does not include a daypack but on the latest models includes a tablet and laptop sleeve and extra pockets on the outside flap of the bag. The Porter is available in three volumes, 30 litres, 46 litres and 65 litres. The Osprey Porter 30 and 46 litre models are both carry-on size.

Next in the lineup from Osprey is the Farpoint Series of travel packs. The Farpoint series is a lightweight travel pack that has a backpack harness available in two torso lengths and includes a lightwire harness suspension, ventilation and padding on the shoulder straps and hipbelt along with load lifters and stabilising straps. So what this means is the harness on this series of packs will allow you to comfortably carry heavier loads for longer periods of time than the Porter series. The harness can be zipped away when not required or when checking your bag in at the airport. While the Farpoint series is nice and lightweight, they still come with an internal mesh pocket and an internal compression strap to assist with organising your gear. The Farpoint 55, and 70 come with a zip-off daypack as well. A daypack is not available on the Farpoint 80.

The Waypoint and Wayfarer series is Osprey's fully featured series of travel packs and come with a gender specific harness and hipbelt that is fully-adjustable. The harness system is similar to that used in Osprey's Viva and Volt Backpacks, and provides slightly better support and comfort over the Farpoint series. They Waypoint and Wayfarer packs use thicker foam in the shoulder straps, lumbar region and hip belt, which you will find more comfortable if you were carrying a heavier load or wearing your pack on your back for a longer period of time. These packs also have a couple of extra internal pockets for organisation of gear and some padding in the sides of the bag which makes the bag sit up a little more - a bit like a suitcase, which is great when packing your gear. The daypack on the Wayfarer is a little larger and has a port window for a tablet. 

The features of the three series of packs are summarised below. 

I hope this information is useful and aids in your decision making. As always if you need some more information or help feel free to contact us. 

Tim Coles

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