Osprey Porter 46 Review - Why I Returned It

Like most people, I bought this bag as a carry on. It's a big larger than the other carry on type packs which normally max out at 40L. This bag is big, and the space is usable. It feels like a big pack because the space goes all the way to both ends.

I was a little confused by the padding that seems to go all the way around it. It's supposed to protect the contents, but I'm not sure that's necessary. I've never had an issue with anything getting damaged, and I think this feature is superfluous.

Straps are the Dealbreaker

Once you load this pack, and it's pretty heavy, the straps are angled in such a way that they did into your shoulders at the top. The edge of the strap dug in on one side, and I just couldn't wear it for very long. A lot of these travel bags have straps that pack into the bag, and therefore the straps and hip belt are smaller than they should be. I think that's what is happening here. It's just really hard to build a backpack that's designed to be worn and also one that packs down into streamlined luggage with no straps and buckles hanging everywhere.

Hip Belt Too Small

Like many of these carry on packs, the hip belts are too small to be useful. They do help, but with any amount of weight in the pack, it's going to get uncomfortable fast. I wouldn't walk with this backpack for more than 20 minutes. Just look at the size of the hip belt, it's too small an flimsy.

I Did Several Trips with this Bag

I took this bag out west on a couple of ski trips. It holds all my gear really well, and it fits in the overhead bins. I would say it's pretty well made. I also bought the 30 liter version of this bag, and I still have it. I think that one is okay, but I don't really use it. The 46 just had those problems with the straps. The 30 is just a big small, and that's why I also purchase the 46, but ended up returning that one. I was past the return window for the 30 so I just kept it.

Luggage with Straps

The Osprey Porter packs are luggage with straps. They aren't really backpacks. If you need to carry them on your back for short distances, they can do that. But they are not designed for carrying long distances. This bag is perfect for someone that wants a bag they can check and also carry on their back. This isn't my use case, and that's why I sent it back. This kind of negates the purpose of buying a backpack. If your pack can't be carried for long distances on your back, it's pointless to me. If you need luggage just buy rolling luggage. If you need a backpack, then buy a backpack. But don't buy something that's trying to be both and isn't good at either.

Straitjacket System

I'll talk about the padded compression system for a moment. In theory, it seems like a good idea, but I found it completely useless. Watch this guy demonstrate it in this youtube video. The bag is basically empty when he cinches everything down. I don't carry a mostly empty bag around on trips. The only thing I can see it protecting is a laptop. Most people will have clothes and stuff that acts as padding anyway, and you don't need padding to protect clothes. This features is more of a marketing gimmick that doesn't translate to real value.

Note: I did buy the older version when it was called just Porter 46, and now it's called the Sojourn Porter 46. It seems very similar to the older version and more of an evolution of the design instead of a new pack.