This Osprey Farpoint 40 vs Tortuga review covers the differences in functionality between the two backpacks. Both are made by different companies but are made for very much the same thing. They can be taken with you during a hike, or just for a trip around the city. But they are made to carry a lot of volumes enough for several days of clothing.
Tortuga vs Osprey Farpoint 40
Here are the major specs for both backpacks:
Farpoint 40
Weight: s/m = 3.11 pounds and m/l = 3.17 pounds
Dimensions: s/m = 20 x 14 x 9 inches and m/l = 22 x 14 x 9 inches
Capacity: s/m = 38L and m/l = 40L
Tortuga Setout
Weight: 3.9 pounds
Dimensions: 2 x 14 x 9 inches
Capacity: 45L
Carry-on usage
The Farpoint 40 is far below the maximum limit for carry-on regulations. You can use this on any airplane in the overhead compartment or under your seat. As with the Tortuga, the manufacturer specifically made it the size that it is so that it would be just under the maximum limit for carry-ons. You can fit this into an airplane’s overhead compartment without any issues.
Laptop pocket
The Tortuga has a 17-inch laptop pocket. The bad part about this pocket is that it is flush against your back. This can be rather uncomfortable. But with the Farpoint 40, the laptop pocket is in the front of the backpack, far from any point on your body.
Pocket Reachability
The Farpoint 40 does not have any side pockets or even a hip belt. This means that it does not have any reachable pockets while you are wearing the backpack. The hip belt would have been useful for reaching into it and grabbing your phone or compass.
With side pockets, you can hold water bottles. However, the Tortuga has 4 pockets that you can reach into even while you are wearing your backpack. It has side pockets as well as hip belt pockets. There, you can store your compass, map, cell phone, water bottle, and other items.
Stowaway Back Panel
The Farpoint 40’s backpanel can be stowed away into the back. It has a zipper that you can use to lock it away until further use. But you cannot remove the Tortuga’s back panel. This would make it more difficult to carry around when it is not on your back.
However, both the Farpoint 40 and the Tortuga have top and side padded handles. With these, you can carry them across an aisle in the airplane. Or just throw it in the back of a bus without needing to carry it by the back panel.
Front-loading compartment
Both the Farpoint 40 and the Tortuga can have their main compartments loaded from the front instead of the top. This is due to the fact they have zippers along three sides, so the compartment flap opens completely. This way, you can see all of your gear instead of having to rummage through from the top.
Compression
Both backpacks have a compression system, but the Farpoint 40 has the most advanced one. The Farpoint 40 has a straightjacket compression system with a flap on the sides. This means that when you tighten the straps, the flap that covers the sides get tighter. This helps to strengthen the whole compression process. The Tortuga does have compression straps, but it does not have those side flaps that help to compress the contents.
Tortuga vs Osprey Farpoint 40 Price
If you’d like to compare prices, please see below:
Summary
Between these two backpacks, we do not really have a preference. We feel that both have their merits, and equally so. The Farpoint 40 has a better compression system and is also on the smaller side, which means that it fits better on an airplane. The Tortuga has pockets that you can reach you into even when you are wearing your backpack. The fact that the Tortuga’s laptop pocket is flush against your back makes it more uncomfortable than the Farpoint 40.
Both of these backpacks have excellent customer reviews, and we would not hesitate to recommend either one.
