Farpoint Trek 55-Liter Backpack Luggage

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We took the Farpoint Trek 55 and a Fairview 55 on a backpacking trip to Thailand and Singapore. I highly recommend the trek 55 for its comfort when walking long distances, especially in hot climates. I was able to shove a LOT of stuff in this pack, and it was still skinny enough for the tightest street markets. The air cover/rain cover was a lifesaver, especially because I’ve had an airport conveyor eat one of my osprey bags last year. If you are going to travel and walk a lot, you can’t go wrong with the Farpoint Trek vs the Farpoint. Only downside between the two is that you may not always be able to carry on the Trek, as it’s taller than the regular Farpoint!

Positives: - Great feeling material - Comfortable fit with the backpanel - The grab handles on the bag are soft and nicely padded Negatives: - The travel cover is awful. It's just a loose fitting bag with a single handle. If your bag is fully packed and you're using the travel cover, it's a pain to carry with just that handle. No idea why they didn't put a handle on both sides instead of just the one. - As mentioned in the other review, the hip belt pockets are tiny. They can store a small object like a pack of gum or keys, but you're not fitting much else in there. - The internal compression straps don't stretch across the width of the interior compartment, leaving awkward space around the sides - The hydration bladder is nestled in the back of the main compartment. If you're bag is packed full, then all that gear and clothing is going to be pressing right up against the bladder (hope your bladder doesn't leak!). This is really a problem with most Osprey bags of this size but still a frustrating feature. I was hoping this bag would convince me that the praise Osprey gets is worth it but it was a poorly designed dud. Who is this bag for? It's features aren't very hiking friendly (no trekking pole attachments, the travel cover makes a poor raincover). For backpacking and travel, it's too cumbersome - it's not carry-on friendly and the bulky hip belts don't make it good for luggage/walking around an airport. I'd recommend

The Farpoint Trek is a comfortable travel pack that is sorely in need of more organization options The reason I bought it was the front loading clamshell design and the typical comfort of an Osprey back panel. However, I noticed some major drawbacks upon examining the pack. First, the hip-belt pockets are tiny. At best, you can use them to store keys or a small wallet but forget about storing any smartphone in them Second, despite the pack being heated toward travel, the inside is missing a lot of organization. The main compartment has a water bladder sleeve and compression straps. The compression straps are awkwardly designed. They are located in the center and designed to wrap around bulky items. The problem is once the compression straps are located in the center of the main compartment but only take up a small portion of the compartment. When it's used, you have awkward excess space for packing around the center compressed area. I think would have been much better if they simply made the design like luggage and utilized some kind of mesh flap divider in the main compartment or made the compression straps stretch across the width of the main compartment. Third, there is one zippered pocket on the front of the pack's body. It is a large pocket with no organization inside, it's just a big pocket that can be zipped up. I thought it was meant to store a jacket, but it's missing drainage holes so if you stuff a jacket inside it better be dry Fourth, the main compartment is very shallow and narrow. This didn't seem like it hold 55 L and I would be reluctant to take it on a trip for more than a few days given the minimal storage capacity. Overall, I may return this pack and opt for the Aether instead. It has more storage options and is front loading. Plus, the hip belt pockets are sizeable.