This bag is absolutely fantastic! I've been on a search for a carry-on sized convertible backpack for a couple months now and finally settled on the Farpoint 40 for an upcoming 2 week train based vacation in Spain. I purchased several 35L-40L bags to try out with what I'll be packing and returned the rest. Of the bags I tried...Osprey Farpint 40 (Amazon Prime version is the latest version, other Amazon vendors are selling an older version which I also purchased and returned), the Pacsafe Venturesafe 45, Minaal Travel Pack Carryon, Goruck GR2 34L (already own as a EDC work bag). The first bag I purchased was the Minaal bag after all the great Youtube reviews it gets from "digital nomads". While it's a decent quality bag, I'm convinced all those that review it are getting a small kickback. I loved the sleek, no frills look of it, but with just 17lbs packed in it, my shoulders hurt from the minimal padding they have and the bag was pretty much stuffed to capacity with their 3 packing cubes which I also purchased. They sell waist pads, but they're so minimal as well, that they wouldn't take the weight off the shoulders if used. For $300 plus shipping, I found it overpriced for the average quality and lack of support when packed. Next up is the Pacsafe Venturesafe which could be bought for $134 on Ebags as of 07/10/17. I really wanted this to be the bag for me. I travel quite a bit and the thought of being able to leave it locked up at my train seat while I head to the cafe car for a beer or espresso was very appealing. The locking system is very ingenious, the material is pretty nice and durable, professional looking and very streamlined almost as much as the Minaal. Online reviews only seem to ding the laptop compartment because it's not against your bag, but out front. I couldn't care less about the laptop compartments on any of these bags because, I don't travel with one. The Venturesafe 45 has a 5 year warranty. It also IS NOT a true 45L bag. I don't know where they get that, but it has less space than any of the 34-40 liter bags I've tested. Needless to say, it fit all my items that I take to travel carry-on to Europe and Central America. Some reviewers complained about the fiddly shoulder and hip pads when trying to tuck them in their slots on the back. I didn't find it much of an issue, because I carry these bags as a backpack until I get to the gate and then have plenty of time to tuck them away before boarding. The deal killer for me on the Venturesafe 45 was also the lack of support it provided with my items. It does have a slightly padded hip pad and shoulder pads, a single aluminum bar going down the center spine area of the back (inside) and lightly padded, mesh backpad. If Pacsafe added shoulder compression straps to the bag, i think it would carry much better even with the thinner padded shoulder and hip pads. Without these compression straps, the backpack just pulls away from your body and takes the weight with it. Since the hip pads aren't designed to take the weight off your shoulder like the Osprey Farpoint 40 pads are, it carries the load poorly. The Goruck GR2 34L is also a fantastic bag. The reason it's not going to Spain is that it's a little on the heavy side. I bought it for the lifetime warranty, tough as steel quality/build and minimal design. It doesn't have hip pads, but the shoulder pads are so padded that they distribute the weight very well. The interior zippered pockets allow you to take less packing cubes and the inside holds quite a bit. Other than price, I can't say anything bad about it, but it is a lifetime bag and if you're MIL, LEO or GOV, you'll get a nice 25% discount which is what I did. Now onto the Farpoint 40. While cheaper than most of these bags I've tried, it's also the most comfortable since Osprey designs hiking backpacks first and then tried a run at some travel bags. The Farpoint is actually fairly lightweight considering how plush their hip and shoulder pads are. I think the secret to this bag is that there is a U-shaped rod that's routed through the back panel and connects to the hip belt to allow the bag to transfer the weight as standard backpacking bags do. It also has shoulder strap and hip strap compression straps and the best aerated back panel of any of the bags I've tried out. All my packed items fit in the main compartment and I stick a small bag with charging cords in the larger outer pocket where a laptop would go. The smaller top pocket is perfect for your TSA liquid bag or throwing in the contents of your pants pockets before sending it through the x-ray machine. I do TSA Precheck so I don't have to take out my liquids, but leaving from other countries, liquids do have to come out so this pocket is handy. When leaving the US, put my wallet, cellphone and watch in the pocket so they're not in plain sight to temps any sticky fingers. The current model has more of a low key logo of just the bird and Osprey wording, not what the picture Amazon shows. That logo is the old model being sold by many of the Amazon vendors. Osprey's website shows the current version. The Farpoint 40 also has thickly padded handles on the side and top for carrying without the shoulder straps. I found them about as comfy as all the other bags I tried. The shoulder and hip straps zip up quickly under the roll away panel, but one of the reasons for the 4 stars is the roll up panel is secured in an odd way with velcro which don't see lasting that long. It's in a weird spot where it could catch onto clothes and possibly ruin them if you are wearing delicate fabrics. It's hard to describe without actually seeing it, but if you're careful and take your time rolling the panel up then you'll avoid that from happening. Another reason why I didn't give the Farpoint 40 5 stars is because you're stuck with the hip straps. Unlike the Venturesafe 45 or other bags similar to this one bag carry-on backpack, the Farpoint 40 hip belt doesn't tuck away anywhere. I know I won't always want to use them, especially since the shoulder pads distribute the weight so well. What convinced me to purchase and keep this bag anyways was watching a great Youtube video review by a user named "MarcusBird". He shows the pack actually in use and a great way to tuck away the hip straps out of the way behind the back panel and use just the shoulder pads. Thank you MarcusBird! And then the last reason this bag didn't get 5 stars is the water bottle pockets. These have to be THE single most complaint from users that I've read/watched. The mesh pockets are not stretchy like some other bags have. They fit my Grayl water bottle/purifier just perfect even with my bag packed, but if the bag is packed with a laptop in the front pocket, you're probably going to have a hard time sticking any water bottles in the pockets. Honestly, I'd just use them to stuff liter water bottles purchased at the airport. Those bottles are flexible and most likely will fit much better in a stuffed pack. The Volcanic Grey pack is a very nice, fairly dark grey that looks awesome in person. It's low key, low profile and professional looking. Especially on the current version with minimal logo/branding. I think if Osprey were to get rid of the 2 front water bottle pockets and replace them with one water bottle pocket on the side that doesn't have the carry handle as well as do a slight redesign to their back panel cover that might allow you to tuck the hip pads away, they'd have a real winner in the carry-on convertible backpack market. I know people will complain about laptop compartment, but if they put it against your back then you'd lose the back ventilation and ergonomic back panel. I think their idea behind it being on top is so it's easier to remove from the bag when it's on a TSA X-ray belt. I like to travel light (no laptop) so this feature doesn't bother me.Ya, I have to say.... have been using this to travel for almost three months now. And almost no sign of wear. I even tried some other bags to see if I could find something better. Even tried a 45 liter. But lo and behold, just kept going back to this.Some of the differences I noticed? This bag having a side handle, top handle, and a shoulder strap (as well as being a backpack), just have not found its equal.Most others are missing at least one of those qualities.Also, I am only 5'1". And yes, I got the men's small pack and love it! Fits perfectly! (Yes, afraid I'm a little big around the middle right now, so please take that into consideration. But hey, I'm working on that. Lol)I spent two weeks abroad and this is the only luggage I needed. I could pack loads of clothing in it, including shoes and toiletries. The various compartments are usefully designed and placed where they can be easily accessed. Construction is robust and high quality.This is an excellent backpack for someone who wants to comfortably go through airports and train stations and use carry-on only. (I used Korean Air and there was no question about it being accepted as carry-on).I highly recommend this product!I used it as a carry-on and so much a life saver. Compact enough as a back pack or handcarry. The convenience of hiding the backpack and harness helped to adjust with my change in travel whether walking long distances in the Changi Airport (back pack), SeaTac (shoulder strap), or Clark Int’l Airport (side handles). It did it all and yep banged up full of clothes too. Top it off I used it as a wirk out like free weights!!!Great bag. I use it to carry around my summer workout kit (maxpro) and it all fits perfectly.What I love1) the support and the light frame.2) how it handles the heavy load with a lot of comfort. (although for long hours it still hurts)3) the straps hide away. I actually stuff it with clothes and use it as a leg support pillow during sleep time on my trips and this feature makes that really easyMy only annoyances:1) due to the way the covers go over the zippers and how close each zipper section of the pack is to one another, finding the one you need and opening it quickly can be a pain.2) there's no quick or hidden pockets. Like throw in a pocket on the strap for quick access to cash or cards. Easy win.3) make a waterproof version. It rains where I live a lot and I have to buy additional cover and deal with taking it off and on all the time.My adult son and I used matching Farpoint 40's for a 12-day international trip, going minimalist (since there are two kinds of luggage: carryon, and lost). Stuffed with 30# of gear, went flawlessly; I own other Ospreys and I can't speak highly enough about their products, though did use cheapo packing "cubes" rather than Osprey's odd-sized, small and overpriced (IMHO) set. The pack is sized for overhead on international flights and also worked well on UK train and bus luggage stowage. Top handle great for handling in tight spaces like deplaning, customs lines and London's Tube. Perfect number of pockets. Zippers aren't YKK but they ARE tough and have eyelets for TSA locks (in case of a forced gate check), pack straps stow nicely. Only two things I'd change: move the side carry handle to the opposite side, and include clips in the internal pockets for (a) key ring and (b) Osprey's hydration bladder system (and I know this isn't the pack's primary purpose; the bladder worked fine without, and if it had been a problem I was prepared to use a twist tie through the mesh pocket). Also fit a small Osprey Daylite Cinch hydration/day pack inside for light travel (especially cycling) on day trips when we had a "home base;" this small pack was also a perfect separate "personal item" on flights.Für meine 4wöchige erste Carry-On Panamareise (also nur Handgepäck) hatte ich mir folgende Backpacks bestellt und ausgiebig getestet:- https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B072Q1BQ19/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1- https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07GH4YP1K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1- https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07GH4YP1K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1-https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01N9IRMET/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Und natürlich den Osprey Farpoint 40 M/LManch einer der aufgeführten ist schicker, cooler, leichter, hat vielleicht bessere Features wie versteckte Taschen oder lässt sich angenehmer tragen als der Osprey. Alle sind ungefähr gleich groß und auch Qualitativ vergleichbar. Der EagleCreek wirkt vielleicht etwas weniger wertig, ist aber auch sehr gut verarbeitet und der AEVOR lässt sich auf 45l vergrößern. Der Arcido Akra war optisch mein Favorit. Naises Teil!Ich habe also meine Sachen in PackingCubes gepackt und nacheinander die Rucksäcke befüllt. Dabei zeigte sich das der Osprey am meisten "frisst". Wenn das Hauptfach tight gefüllt ist, ist er der einzige bei welchem man die anderen Fächer wie Laptopfach oder Außentaschen noch nutzen kann. Bei den anderen war das leider nicht mehr wirklich möglich. Außerdem hat er diverse Schlaufen an welchen man zb. mittels Karabiner weitere Sachen (Schuhe, Soundbox..) anhängen kann. Und die Verarbeitungsqualität sowie die Reisverschlüsse sind (auf Kosten des Gewichts 1.4kg - der Leichteste knapp 1kg) die Beste der getesteten.Pro Osprey:- größtes Fassungsvermögen- sehr durchdacht- beste Verarbeitung- beste Reisverschlüsse- super zu tragen da "echter" Rucksack mit Bauch- und Brustgurt- Tragegurte verstaubar (sehr praktisch im Flugzeug)Kontra Osprey- relativ schwer- nicht so schick / ziemlich verbreitetDen Osprey Farpoint 40 kann ich uneingeschränkt empfehlen. Gegebenenfalls werde ich meine Rezension nach der Reise überarbeiten.Update: Nie wieder Gepäck aufgeben, das macht alles so viel einfacher und hilft enorm nur die wirklich wichtigen Sachen mitzunehmen! Der Urlaub liegt 5 Monate zurück und gerade hab ich zufällig den Rucksack im Schrank gefunden. Ich kann kaum glauben das mein ganzes Zeug da reingepasst hat. Klamotten für 1-2 Wochen, Trekkingschuhe, Flipflops, Taucherbrille, iPad, Kindle, Ladegeräte, Kabel, Medikamente uvm...Das funzt natürlich nur wenn man ausschließlich in den Sommer reist. Für verschiedene Klimazonen ist er dann wohl doch zu kleinEigentlich sollte ich von Osprey Provisionen bekommen da sich mittlerweile 5-6 Bekannte auf meinen Rat hin das Teil gekauft haben. Habe bisher nix negatives gehörtI needed a new bag for short work trips and commuting, my old leather bag was starting to hurt my shoulder as it was a single strap bag - it was time for a bag I could carry on both shoulders, and ideally one with a hip strap for bigger journeys.After much research and seeing very expensive kickstarter projects with great designs, I found this. Not stupidly expensive, but seemed to tick all the right boxes for me.The first test - would it fit my 15.6 inch Laptop? Yes, it fits perfectly. You wouldn't be able to get a bigger one in, this is defiantly the maximum size. The Laptop pouch is nicely padded and doesn't waste space. The pouch is in the front section of the bag, so my only complaint there is that with a full main section the weight isn't going to be int he best position, BUT the straps are so comfy and you have waist straps, so I don;t imagine it will matter too much.Carrying - I've never had so many carry options on a bag, top handle, side handle, shoulder straps, waist strap and a single long shoulder strap! The shoulder and waist straps store nicely in a zipped pocket, so you can carry the bag neatly using just the other handles.Overall quality is great, it feels sturdy, the zips work well and feel high quality. The full package just feels well thought out.Room - For basic commuting I haven't even needed to touch the main compartment! The main compartment could easily fir a few days travel wear in it with my laptop and other stuff in the front. this bag is going to be my go to bag for pretty much all trips now.Very pleased with this purchase.I battered the hell out of this rucksack, travelling the globe nonstop last year. It was my only bag. I did hand luggage only the whole time and I got this through on every flight apart from one. (circa 40 flights)Worked perfectly for me. Tough as hell. As you can imagine, travelling hand luggage only for year is quite a challenge. I had packing down to a fine art, but it had to endure serious compression on the straps/zips and didn't miss a beat. My Macbook Air and photography equipment remained unscathed. I'm off hiking / camping up the mountains in Snowdonia tomorrow so it will get used in rucksack mode where its extremely comfortable and fully supportive. Its endured the Rockies in the snow at -30 to the Amazon, tropical beaches, deserts at 45 degrees, motorbike trips across S.E Asia etc etc. I've no idea how but it still looks brand new!I researched rucksacks tirelessly before i left....this is the one to get. I can't imagine it will ever make use of its life time guarantee. 10/10First off, this rucksack is extremely comfortable, thanks to the padded waist strap that sits snugly around the waist and takes weight off the back / shoulder straps (which are also good). The rucksack feels well made and classy (and for this price it has to be).Regarding the compartments, the laptop pouch is insulated, held off the ground, and takes my large Dell Latitude business laptop with protruding battery (although I can't fully close the velcro retainer around it). And the main compartment opens fully to make loading stuff easy.There are however a few silly design flaws in this product, mainly that all compartments take space from each other. You expect a bit of that, but here it's obvious. Worst of all are the bottle holders - your bottle will dig into the outer compartment, which will push back if you have a laptop in there. And the top outer compartment, while initially welcome for keys, phone etc... yes you guessed it, digs into its neighbour.For a premium product, I'm disappointed with the above flaws, which is why I only give it 3/5 overall. However, if you only have a laptop, a few clothes, a book, a bottle, then you're ok. All I'll say is that it's advertised as 40l but it's not always the best managed 40l (to be honest, that's the case for most other 40l backpacks, but often at half the price).But it for the comfort and quality & protective laptop sleeve. But try it out full at home first before deciding whether to send it back - I've kept mine, it just about redeems itself ;-)ps. other features missing include rain cover, better internal organisation for small items, and external hooks / attachments etc. You can't have it all...Brought this on a 3 month backpacking trip that included constant moving from place to place. This bag was very easy to carry and had great supports so did not cause any back problems. Fits into most EU hand luggage requirements, but be wary that in some parts of the world ( southeast asia) the carry on allowance can be smaller and thus the bag may need to be checked in ( usually at a low cost).The different compartments were very helpful and the way the bag opens is ideal for easy access to belongings.3 months of hauling through sometimes difficult conditions caused no visible wear and tear which was a big plus. Would suggest combining packing cubes to maximise space allocation and organisation on this My travelling companions often had larger baggage but I found that it was unnecessary and that the majority of places will have cheap and easy laundry facilities so there's no real need for more than a week of clothes. All in all, would highly recommend.