Originally Posted by
McNandez
Have you taken your trip yet, happymom2008? I'm eager to hear how your pack held up!
I took a similar trip to the one you mentioned earlier about a month ago: two weeks in the UK and Paris. I used an Osprey Farpoint 55, and it worked out pretty great. The detachable day pack was super convenient.
Packing cubes were a must, but it held everything I needed.
It did feel heavy when we got lost trying to find our hotel in Edinburgh, but overall I was pretty happy with it. I didn't bring a laptop or tablet, but if I had, it would've definitely needed it's own protection.
I hope you've grown to love your pack!
I've had the Farpoint 55 for a couple years. I've been tempted by the Porter 46, but haven't bitten the bullet yet.
The Farpoint 55 is technically 55L in size, but is actually a 40L bag with a 15L detachable daypack. This means that the 40L bag is carry-on volume (in the USA, at least) and the detached 15L bag is your personal item. The 40L bag's 25" length exceeds the 22" limit, but I've never been rejected in the USA with it. You feel like you're gaming the system, but it works.
In Europe, some carriers allow this as a carry-on and some don't. It's a toss-up, but I wouldn't count on it. In fact, my wife and I each boarded the same British Air flight at LHR, each one-after-another by the same gate agent, each with a Farpoint 55. My wife was forced to check her bag, but I was allowed to carry-on.
This is the biggest drawback of the Farpoint 55 (and I imagine the Osprey 46 as well): It lacks durability as a checked-bag. Even after one trip, it may begin to develop small tears. It simply wasn't designed to be tossed-around by baggage handlers.
As McNandez mentioned, the 15L daypack is very convenient once you reach your destination; you can leave your "luggage" in the hotel room and still have a sightseeing bag for your passport, camera/tablet, water/snacks, guidebook, etc.
The other drawback of the Farpoint 55: aesthetics. It is a borderline-hiking bag (with straps for a sleeping bag, and superior hipstraps) that looks out-of-place in modern urban areas and fancy hotels, but is surprisingly adequate for multi-day hikes. The Porter 46 has a more refined look, which of course, makes it appear inadequate for hiking (but it is also functionally inadequate for multi-day hiking).
The Farpoint's aesthetics and wear-and-tear tempts me with purchasing the Porter. However, it remains adequate from a practical perspective, so I am holding-off until it falls apart and then reevaluate when that time comes. It seems silly to own both at the same time.