The New Porter vs. the Original
Earlier this year, Osprey released the new version of the Porter 46 to REI, and now it's available everywhere at the slightly updated retail price of $140 (up $10 from the original version). Osprey has confirmed that while most of the Porter is the same, the internal pockets feature a different organization structure, including an updated laptop compartment. Additionally, Osprey's logo changed this year. Any product made in 2017 will feature the new, clean logo, while any older packs contain the logo with a black circle. This can be seen in a side-by-side comparison of the old and new Porter 46. Below, the new version is seen on the left and the old is on the right. Check out the new look here, and then keep scrolling for all the details on the new organization.
- Laptop Compartment — When we called Osprey about the new pack, they told us that the changes for the new Porter are subtle. The main complaint that they had about the old version was that the laptop compartment was not up against the body but toward the front of the pack. They fixed this issue by creating a full-sized, zippered compartment that lies against the back for laptops. Additionally, there is a smaller, tablet-compatible pouch toward the front of the backpack where the old laptop compartment was. While our testers didn't notice any discomfort with the old laptop configuration, we do think that this is a great change and system that we usually prefer.
Because we haven't yet tested out the new version of the Porter, the rest of this review continues to reflect the original pack. When shopping, remember to look for the new logo to ensure that you have the latest model!
Hands-On Review of the Original Porter
Backpack? Duffel? Carry-on? You choose! The Osprey Porter is versatile and easy to use for a variety of travel styles.
Performance Comparison
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
Comfort
Osprey calls its Porter 46 a rugged duffel bag for trekking and hauling gear, with technical suspension you can deploy to cover more ground. We were quite surprised to see it referred to as a duffel bag because it feels so comfortable and natural as a backpack. (But this does explain why it excels also in the Packing metric, which we'll get to in a minute.) Below, you can see that it did quite well in the Comfort category.
This was one of the most comfortable packs in the review, tied for an impressive 9 out of 10 with the Tortuga Outbreaker and the Osprey Farpoint 55. It has excellent load lifter straps which pull the pack in closer at the shoulders, which helps to center the weight over your hips. The stiff foam back panel contours the back well. The hip belt is not the most generous but was supportive enough for most purposes. The padding seats nicely over your iliac crest if you're hips measure under about 38 inches at your iliac crest (those hip bones), but the webbing of the hip belt is still wide enough that it lends support if the padding isn't perfect.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
The stiff foam back panel, however, is quite thin, so be careful not to pack anything sharp or awkwardly shaped directly next to your pack. We found it quite easy to tuck our clothing into the bottom of the bag, which made the pack gently contour our backs.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
We found the pack to be plenty supportive for the range of loads we could pack into this 46-liter bag. It was comfortable on long walks and hikes. We found this pack to be comfortable and well balanced with loads up to 35 pounds, a hefty comfort rating beat (barely) only by the brand's other pack in this review, the Osprey Farpoint 55.
We typically preferred packs with laptop sleeves close to our backs, as this helps to minimize shoulder strain by bringing heavy, dense items closer to your center of balance, instead of the weight pulling back and away from your center. The Porter 46 has its laptop sleeve on the outside of the pack, which we assumed would be a problem: in our field testing, we did not perceive any discomfort due to the electronics pocket being on the outside of the pack.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
Overall, we thought the Porter's suspension system was a good combination: it is light, compact, and supportive. This pack is a strong performer for most travel purposes and is supportive enough for day hikes and longer treks.
Features
The Porter 46 packs a lot of useful features into a simple, and easy to use design. Though we had our doubts about the wisdom of putting the laptop sleeve on the outside of the pack, it worked out really well. That outer pouch is very handy. It has a collection of useful pocket sizes and excellent padding for your electronics. There is an additional outer pocket for small or thin things you need to keep at the ready during your travels or hike.
The pack opens as a panel loader, into a cavernous main compartment that gobbles up more gear than we would have imagined. It has two zippered pockets along each side, great for shoes, socks, or other things you want to either keep separated or prevent from getting lost in the depths of the pack.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
The "wings" that line the sides of the pack clip to the other side of the pack in two places, allowing you to really compress the pack if it is crammed full to the max, and greatly reduce its volume if you're only carrying a few things.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
The Porter has handles on three sides of the bag, reaffirming the claim that it is also a duffel bag, and making it very easy to pick it up, put it down, and generally move it around, especially in a crowded airport as you try to snag it off the baggage carousel. The Patagonia Headway MLC was similar to the Porter in multiple regards: the panel loading design is easy to pack, and it's easy to move around like a duffel.
The stowable suspension also ensures that you can check this bag in at the airport (even though it is carry on size, so you don't have to) without being stressed about the carousels and conveyor belts ripping the straps off your pack and ending up with an unusable backpack once at your destination. The straps are stowed by stuffing them inside the back panel, like The North Face Overhaul 40, our other award winner.
This is in contrast to the Osprey Farpoint 55 and the Minaal Carry On 2.0 which have a flap that covers and zips closed around the suspension system. There are arguments for either design: the zippered covers definitely look more sleek, professional, and are quick to deploy. But the tucking design means you don't have extra fabric that you have to roll up and stuff away somewhere, making the pack heavier and perhaps adding a tiny bit of bulk to the whole system.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
The Porter 46 also has attachment points for a shoulder strap (not included), which further adds to its versatility as a duffel bag.
Packing & Accessibility
The Porter is an excellent balance of organization, ease of packing, and accessibility. The first thing we noticed was how much more gear we could get into it than we originally thought just by looking at it. It is a panel-loading bag, so it opens up wide to pack things neatly inside, but you can also just unzip the top or the side and stuff things inside.
For airport travel, this makes a great carry on bag. It is easy to slide your laptop out of the outer compartment when you have to run it through the X-Ray machines at security. At first, we didn't like the idea of having our laptop in the panel that opens up wide to access the main compartment, as this seemed like it introduced the risk of jarring our electronics if we mindlessly flopped the bag open; however, the pouch is nicely padded, and the foam sidewalls of the bag help to slow any flopping: that is to say, if you fling that pouch open, the supportive sides of the pack keep it slightly aloft so your computer or tablet doesn't smack the ground or table on which it is sitting.
The capacity of the Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack: all in! (The standard set of gear, top, was packed into each bag to compare capacities with an actual load rather than relying on the company's reported volume numbers.)
We really liked the way the walls of the Porter stood up when empty and open--it made packing fast, easy, and tidy. The Arc'teryx Covert CO also has relatively rigid sidewalls that make it as easy to pack as a hard-sided suitcase.
The Osprey Porter 46 travel backpack.
There are enough pockets to stash your passport in an easy-to-access spot. The compression "wings" on the side of the pack allow you to cinch your load down so it is less bulky as you navigate a crowded airport. They also provide padding for anything fragile inside. Closing those wings can also, arguably, make access more difficult for pickpockets in busy areas. Though, on that same note, closing those wings can also make the main compartment and the accessory pockets more difficult to access for you…
One important packing strategy is to be sure you pack soft items at the bottom of the pack. The back panel is thin, so soft items against your back help make it more comfortable and form fitting.
Durability
The Porter is made of rugged 420 denier nylon, putting it in the mid- to high-durability range for this review. The stitching is sturdy, and the overall design does not introduce unnecessary strain to any of the pack components. Even when we overstuffed the pack, the design allowed us to zip it closed with minimal strain on the zipper. Those zippers are big, burly, and very smooth.
This backpack will stand up through rough trips through airport baggage carousels and conveyor belts when you clip the wings together on the outside of the pack and stow the suspension system. It will also stand up to heavy use on the trail, and numerous adventures throughout your travels. Osprey's other pack, the Osprey Farpoint 55 also adapts well to baggage carousels, with a different technique: the backpack straps are zipped behind a separate flap of fabric instead of tucking them into the back panel to get out of the way.
Weight & Capacity
This pack got a decent score for weight and capacity. It gained a point for its relatively higher capacity but similar weight as two other award winners, The North Face Overhaul 40 and the Minaal Carry On 2.0. Overall, a great balance between light weight and capacity.
Best Applications
The Osprety Porter 46 hauls a wetsuit, trucker's hat, towel, and a change of clothes on a surf trip.
The Porter 46 is a great backpack for travel of all sorts, from hiking, hut to hut trekking, hauling gear like a duffel bag (this was one of easiest bags to pack and access your gear).
Value
The Porter is a great value at only $130. It's on the more affordable side of packs in this review, but it has lots of great features, is very easy to use, quite comfortable, and durable enough for outdoor use.
Conclusion
Our review of travel backpacks took us all over the world. In Santiago, Chile, the Porter 46 is equally at home on bus trips and beaches.
The Best Buy Award winner is a well-balanced travel backpack. It has an assortment of organization options, but it is still relatively simple and streamlined, and very easy to use. If we blended our favorite attributes of the Arc'teryx Covert CO and the Kelty Redwing 44, you would end up with something like the Porter 46.
Osprey really nailed the category of travel pack with the Porter 46: it was, for us, everything we needed and nothing we didn't in a general travel backpack! And it's all wrapped up in an outdoor chic, sleek, and comfortable design, for a very decent price.
