Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L Review

Suitcases can be unwieldy to travel with if you're walking long distances, say over the cobblestone streets and bridges in Venice. Duffle bags, though they provide plenty of space for storage, tend to turn the contents into a jumbled mess. Enter the travel backpack. The Sojourn Porter combines the rugged and portable features of a duffle bag with the protection, organization, and access-on-the-go pockets of your favorite carry on suitcase. While the Sojourn may not have been the high scorer in any standalone test metric, it consistently offers above-average performance, proving that if you can cover the basics exceptionally well, you can create a masterpiece. It's our overall favorite travel backpack and can keep up with your travels, no matter where your next trip takes you.

Performance Comparison

Storage & Protection

One of the primary goals of a great piece of luggage is to stow and protect everything you have packed for your trip, and the Sojourn Porter excels in this metric. The cavity-style main compartment and dual compression straps are almost too good at helping you pack more and more items in the bag (hello, overpacking). At the same time, the ripstop nylon fabric, clamshell exterior cinch straps, and strategic padding will keep everything well protected. Some of the larger capacity bags in our lineup failed to keep contents in place while throwing them on our backs and walking around, or they felt over-stuffed and unwieldy when fully packed. While it did feel a bit bulky when fully loaded, the Sojourn Porter excelled at keeping all our items secure without feeling like we had a lumpy sack on our backs.

The main compartment of the Sojourn Porter is similar to a duffel bag or small carry on suitcase. There is room for stacks of folded clothes or large bulky items, depending on the purpose of your trip. During our testing, we found we preferred to pack all our folded clothes first and then use the internal cinch straps to secure them in place, thus freeing up extra space along the edges of the bag for miscellaneous items. The firm exterior fabric held its shape well, and we were able to shove socks and sweatshirts on the outside of the cinch straps. For small items that you want to keep together, the Sojourn Porter has a mesh pouch running the length of the bag.

On the exterior of the Sojourn Porter, a rigid clamshell style compression system made of recycled DWR ripstop nylon further protects your contents from bumps and jostles during travel. The compression straps serve two purposes. First, they are designed to attach a compatible Osprey daypack, which is handy if you don't want to carry around a large backpack for short day trips while on vacation. Second, they compress and protect the contents of the bag even more. If you've ever had to unexpectedly gate-check your bag, you'll understand the terror that comes when you imagine your fragile contents being tossed around willy-nilly in the cargo hold of a plane.

The fabric of this backpack was certainly up to par for weather protection as well. We soaked the Sojourn with a high-pressure hose during our weather protection test. Water beads up and rolls right off the fabric, and at the end of the test, we did not find any leaks through the zippers. Our laptop pouch also stayed completely dry. It might not be waterproof — for totally waterproof bags, check out our review of the best dry bags — but the Sojourn Porter is undoubtedly capable of shedding off an unexpected shower.

The laptop compartment on the Sojourn Porter spans the entire length of the back panel and is accessible via a side zipper. There is adequate padding on both the inside and outside of this pouch, something that not all bags in our lineup could say. We felt comfortable sliding our laptop in and tossing this bag on our back and didn't notice pressure from the laptop. An additional unique protection feature of the Sojourn Porter is the included Travel Sentry ID Registration Tag (TSID). Osprey includes free smart tag registration with the Sojourn Porter, which can help reunite owners with lost gear via a database connecting thousands of lost and founds worldwide. While the TSID tag won't stop you from losing your gear in the first place, it just might help you find it. Lastly, there are also anti-theft zippers to prevent someone from quickly opening your bag.

Ease of Use

The Sojourn Porter is more user-friendly than other bags we have traveled with, which is another reason it is one of our favorites. It has exterior pockets that allow you to quickly stash and access gear on the go, although it is worth noting that you will have to undo the outer compression straps to get full access to some of the pockets. The side pockets are a better choice when you need immediate access. After undoing the outer compression straps, the Sojourn is easy to live out of without having to unpack all your gear and is quick to pick up and carry, whether by shoulder straps or grab handles. While it might not have been the number one choice in many individual tests, it has a balanced, above-average performance that solidifies it as a top-choice travel pack.

When you're rushing from the terminal to the gate and need to grab your ID, boarding pass, and headphones without breaking stride, exterior pockets can be your best friend. We found the amount of grab-and-go pockets on the the Sojourn Porter to be just what we needed for travel. A large front pocket runs the entire length of the bag. We found it to be the perfect place to dump a large headphone case, box of snacks, neck pillow, or even a sweatshirt. Within that pocket is a mesh pouch, a key chain clip, and a small zippered pocket that all helped keep our travel essentials organized. There's an additional small external pocket made of soft material, perfect for sunglasses or a cell phone.

Lastly, we were pleasantly surprised by the water bottle pocket on the left side of the bag. Though it might not look like a typical water bottle pocket, the stretch mesh pouch with slanted side access was great for securing a larger insulated water bottle.

Comfort & Fit

The Osprey Sojourn Porter is one of the more comfortable bags we tested; it fell just behind another Osprey bag in our best travel backpack lineup but still stands out as one of the more cushy options we have worn. It is comfortable to wear and carry under normal use and heavier-than-average weight loads thanks to its system of sturdy straps and padding.

Although there isn't an adjustable torso-length feature on this bag, this didn't bother our testers of different sizes. The foam AirScape back panel and mesh covering provide structure and support for your back, even when the bag is packed with 20+ pounds of bulky gear. The molded hip belt isn't in line with what you'd find on a hiking backpack; however, it transfers the weight to your hips and folds out of the way nicely when not in use. The shoulder straps, chest strap, and load lifter straps allow you to customize the fit and secure the bag for those moments when you find yourself sprinting through the airport to catch a connecting flight. Lastly, we love that the entire harness system zips into a pocket on the back of the bag so that you can keep buckles and straps protected when you prefer a duffel-style carry, or if you need to check the bag.

Versatility

One reason the Sojourn Porter is one of our favorite travel backpacks is because it is designed specifically to function as a specialized piece of wearable carry on luggage. We think it fill this role perfectly, no matter what sort of trip you're going on.

The Sojourn Porter has a sleek yet distinctly rugged design. If you're a weekend adventurer and a weekday business person, this bag can blend your weekend into your weekday style. It's available in four muted color palettes so you won't pop out too much in either scenario. Another feature that gives the Sojourn Porter greater versatility as a travel bag is the ability to attach a daypack to the outside with the clamshell straps. If you have a rolling suitcase, this may not be a big deal, as your back will be free to carry a small daypack as your personal item. But if you are trying to avoid rolling luggage, you may end up frontloading a backpack on your chest with another on your back, which can quickly tire even the most experienced gear hauler. We like the ability to strap our daypack onto the Sojourn Porter for a two-in-one travel experience.

Should You Buy the Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L?

Looking to move fast on your next trip and want your hands free for cameras, not suitcases? The Osprey Sojourn Porter performs well above average in our testing categories of storage, protection, easy access, livability, and comfort. It is a solid choice if your packing list includes large or bulky gear items or if you want the feel of packing in a duffel bag with a more robust and supportive carrying system.

What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?

If you are sold on a travel backpack as the de facto carry on king, but looking for more nuance in your packing precision, there are a few other options to consider. The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is another of our favorite backpacks that takes packing organization to a whole new level thanks to integrated mesh pockets throughout the bag's interior. We also recognize that travel is expensive, and if you want to save some money for souvenirs rather than spending half your budget on a bag, we recommend the Coowoz Essentials backpack. It's a compact travel backpack with many of the same features as the other bags in our lineup at a fraction of the cost. On the other hand, if you want a high-end bag and have a more relaxed budget, the Thule Subterra 34L is a bag that looks sleek slung on both a business suit and a technical shell, and will keep your gear secure during either type of travel. It has some unique packing features like a top-load design and internal charging-cord routing that set it apart from others.