If you're like me and you travel a lot, a good backpack is an essential thing to own. Suitcases are fine, I've also got a good holdall, but I usually find myself grabbing a backpack because they're so much easier to move around with.
And when the nice people at Go Outdoors offered to lend me an Osprey Farpoint to test I jumped at the chance - largely because Osprey is a brand everyone's talking about. You see videos everywhere, demonstrating how easy it is to pack them up, how much they swallow, and how comfortable they look.
Let me run you through some of the key features. The main compartment works like a suitcase, you unzip a front panel and load it from the face of the backpack. This makes it dead easy to squeeze your clothes and other essentials in.
There's a large "shove it" pocket on the front too, which is handy for waterproofs, and an external pocket for toiletries. Hidden away is a quick-access laptop sleeve that can hold a 16" laptop or a large tablet, and all the main compartments are lockable.
And then there's the way it fits onto your back, it's really impressive. The torso fit is adjustable, and there's a sturdy ribbed panel beneath a breathable mesh that holds it securely to your back. The main shoulder straps and belt are chunky but very comfortable, and these can be tucked away and zipped up to keep everything neat.
This is partly what helps to keep the backpack down to a domestic carry-on size, which is a great attribute for such a capacious backpack. It also has a chunky handle on the side, which means you can carry it in the same way you'd hold a suitcase. That makes it really versatile.
Another thing I like about the Farpoint 40, an attribute across the range, is its durability. The material is waterproof, but it also stands up to the usual wear and tear really well. It makes you feel like being plonked down on a pavement or in a luggage rack won't cause it any problems.
I do wish it had a water bottle holder. I have a smaller Thule backpack I use for work and its side pockets hold my travel bottle securely, without me having to open the bag. It would have been good to see that on the Osprey.
While out and about with the Osprey backpack I did manage to fit a bottle in the shove-it pocket, but it's not the ideal place for it, and I liked having the option of stuffing a waterproof in there.
Another issue people have noticed is the lack of any organisational dividers in the main compartment. This didn't really bother me, I must admit, but perhaps it would have been nice to have a way to keep shoes separate from clothing. Honestly, though, the main compartment is a great space and very flexible, and it's easy to stuff everything in, especially using the straps that compress your items down.
Go Outdoors is selling the Farpoint 40 for £144 at the moment, providing you have a members' card. And I think that's a good price for such a durable and versatile backpack.
It feels built to last and, after a week away with it, plus some time spent lugging it in and out of the car on short trips, it's showing absolutely no signs of wear. The zips work flawlessly, there are no marks, and nothing has gone floppy.
So I can definitely see what the fuss is about. I can see why this has piqued so much interest on social media. It's an ideal travel companion, and I can't wait to take it on more trips.