The Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack, brother to the backpack of women’s the Fairview 55, is a combination of the smaller Farpoint 40 larger Farpoint 70 backpacks.
The Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack is the perfect blend of the smaller 40L and larger 70L packs, sharing great aspects from both.
The construction shares the super handy removable 13L daypack with the larger pack with the bulk-free feel of the Farpoint 40. Whichever way you spin it, it seems the Farpoint 55 has the very best of both worlds.
We’ll start with what we can see on the outside of the Osprey Farpoint 55 travel backpack and there’s plenty to get excited about.
Although we’re yet to get our hands on the 55L pack, we’ve had extensive experience with the larger 70L pack to help fill in the blanks of the pack.
The most interesting feature about these larger Farpoint bags is the detachable daypack and it helps solve the problem of needing a larger and smaller backpack when travelling. The larger main compartment acts like a duffel or a fabric suitcase with the smaller pack clipping/zipping to help with carrying and transport.
There are two configurations to choose from here with a “Piggyback” style as pictured or as “Kangaroo” style where the pack can be secured on the chest with a pair of clips on the main harness. This is great when stuffing valuables into the Farpoint Day’s top pocket meaning you can keep an eye on them in shady places or have access to them when needed (think a storage point to avoiding losing your passport).
Separating the two for a second and looking at the main pack you’ll see that the whole harness section can be zipped away and hidden. This is one of our favourite features of the Farpoint range and keeps all those awkward strappy-bits neatly tucked away. It’s not just great for Instagram pics, but stops your bag getting caught on busses, door handles and of course, anywhere in the world of airport baggage.
Speaking of the harness, taking a closer look and throwing it over your shoulders will be great thanks to a pair of well-padded straps, a waist belt and a sternum harness complete with funky panic whistle. The main bag also features a couple of grab handles, great for manoeuvrability when you need to throw it into an overhead bin or are just in the mood to carry it like a chunky rustic briefcase.
The smaller of the two backpacks, the Farpoint Day, is a simple but effective daypack with a 15L capacity. You’ll find a pair of mesh pockets designed for water bottles, but if you’re looking to fit anything else into the pack, these are rendered somewhat useless. Regardless, a decent harness and a sternum strap make carrying daily goods a breeze.
This makes it easy to carry large amounts of weight in both bags with a single pair of shoulder straps whether trekking up a mountain, hiking to the hostel or just heading through the airport.
Moving inside the backpacks now and there’s plenty to get excited about when looking at the pair.
Again, we’ll start with the main pack and you’ll find that it unzips more like a duffel or a suitcase than a backpack. There’s a couple of compression straps on the bottom to help squeeze as much as you possibly can in and a separate zip pocket perfect for light jackets, towels or dirty laundry.
The daypack is simple too with a single main pocket offering a lightly padded laptop sleeve and a separate top pocket great for any valuables. The main pocket is tight at 15L, but as long as you’re only throwing in essentials, you really can’t complain. The top pocket comes complete with a key hook, helping to prevent losing your hotel key (yet I still seem to manage it) and enough space to pop a pair of sunglasses, a passport and a GoPro.
The bluesign® approved 450D recycled twist dobby polyester is the lightweight material of choice for the Farpoint range and there are nothing but good things to be said.
The Farpoint 55, just like its siblings, holds up to whatever abuse you could think of and looks brand new – even after falling out/off of countless surfaces/vehicles/people. There are currently four colours to choose from – Black, Tunnel Vision grey, Muted Space Blue and my personal favourite, Gopher Green.
Be warned, customisation is recommended as you’re likely to see a lot of the same bag on the road.
As I mentioned a little earlier, we’ve not yet had the chance to test out the Osprey Farpoint 55, however, we are the best of friends with the Farpoint 70 of which we can make assumptions about the two.
First of all, the material and construction of the pack is fantastic with the Ripstop tech, YKK zips and lightweight design forming a fantastic, functional package.
One of the main gripes I had with the 70L pack was its size and it often felt too large for a typical backpacking trip. If I was to do it again as a beginner, my advice would be to go with the 55L or the 40L if you’re feeling particularly brave.
There’s not much we’d change on the backpack pair, however the mesh pockets on the daypack and near use-less and combining the two can feel a little clumsy at times if you’ve optimistically packed the main bag.
Overall, for a beginner or intermediate backpack with the added bonus of an attachable daypack, the Osprey Farpoint 55 is one of the best on the market today.
When testing the larger 70L pack in South East Asia, I would have switched to the 55L in a heartbeat thanks to it’s smaller design without the drawbacks of carting around unnecessary equipment.
The Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack would be a fantastic addition to any beginner or intermediate backpacker with more than enough space to pack all of the travel essentials you need!
Have a question about the Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack? Check out our FAQ below and we’ll (hopefully) be able to get back to you with some useful information!
The Osprey Farpoint 55 Backpack is a 55L backpack with a volume split of 40L in the main pack and 15L in the daypack.
The dimensions of the pack are 55cm (H) x 35cm (W) x 23cm (D) and the total weight sits at 1.9kg.
The Osprey Farpoint 55 comes with four colours to choose from: Black, Gopher Green, Tunnel Vision Grey and Muted Space Blue.
For minimalistic backpackers, the Farpoint 55 will be more than enough space for a couple of months on the road. If, however, you crave a little more room in your main pack, the Farpoint 70 can accommodate those little extras such as hiking boots, etc.
Still have a question about the Farpoint 55 that you’re searching for the answer to? Find us over on our socials and we’ll get back to you with tailored advice and answer all questions to the best of our ability!
Our mailing list offers exclusive deals on adventure gear from Osprey, Blacks, Millets & more!
