Osprey Porter 46 Review: Is it a Carry-On?

Osprey is one of the best travel backpack companies in North America. For all of its products, customers consistently give very positive reviews. The Osprey Porter 46 was built with the better organization in mind. It has plenty of pockets made for various types of gear.

The top compartment has sleeves for your laptop and another for your tablet. They are also various others for the rest of your gear.

Osprey Porter 46 Specs

Preview
Osprey Porter 46
Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack
Title
Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack
Price
Price not available
Capacity
46L
Dimensions
22" X 14" X 11"
Weight
3.40 lbs
Suspension
Stowaway Harness
Features
Reinforced cord loops | Padded Luggage Handle | StraightJacket Compression
Extra Sleeves
Lockable Laptop Sleeve
More Information
Osprey Porter 46
Preview
Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack
Title
Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack
Price
Price not available
Capacity
46L
Dimensions
22" X 14" X 11"
Weight
3.40 lbs
Suspension
Stowaway Harness
Features
Reinforced cord loops | Padded Luggage Handle | StraightJacket Compression
Extra Sleeves
Lockable Laptop Sleeve
More Information

The Osprey Porter 46 is made of nylon and has a semi-rigid feel to its body. Customers have said that it feels sturdy and durable. The sides of the backpack are made with a rigid padded wall that allows for the easy stuffing of gear.

Uses for the Porter 46 Backpack

While this backpack is not made for hiking per se, it can be used for hiking. We would not recommend it for a 7 day hike, but overnight to 2 days would be fine. It is perfect to store your things while traveling by plane. But it is also a very good multi-purpose backpack. Some customers use this for their school years since they cannot find a better backpack anywhere else.

Osprey Porter 46 Features

Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack, Umber Orange, One Size

Weight: 1.2 pounds

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 9 inches

Fabric: Made of nylon

Front Panel Compartment:

The front of the bag has a panel with several compartments. It has a padded area for a laptop as well as a tablet sleeve, and there is plenty of space left over for extra gear.

Shoulder harness:

Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack, Black, One Size

The built-in shoulder harness is padded and comes with a sternum strap that can be adjusted for your weight. The sternum strap has a rescue whistle buckle as well.

Waist strap:

Apart from the sternum strap that is built into the harness, there is a waist wrap in order to allow for a tight fit.

Padded side walls:

On both sides of the backpack are foam-padded sidewalls that stabilize the contents of the backpack. It has two buckles attached at the top and bottom in order to tighten up the backpack and compress its contents in order to increase protection.

Main Backpack Compartment:

Osprey Porter 46 Travel Backpack, Haybale Green, One Size

Inside the main compartment of the backpack is an internal mesh pocket and a fabric pocket that are both zippered in order to protect your belongings.

Exterior Pockets:

Apart from all of the internal pockets, there are 4 exterior pockets and 3 card slots.

Osprey Porter 46 Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Customers have said that they have never had any issues with the backpack being checked in on a flight
  • The side walls are rigid, which makes it easier to pack a lot of things
  • Looks and feels sturdy
  • The customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive
  • The organization on the Osprey Porter 46 has been enhanced to include laptop and tablet sleeves

Cons

  • This backpack is not made for hiking. Although it will fit all of your items it cannot be carried for several days because that is not what it’s made for.

Where to Buy Osprey Porter 46

Osprey Porter 46L Travel Backpack, Black
  • Zippered top pocket provides easy access to toiletries and liquids

The Verdict

The Porter 46 was made to travel with you in the city and to carry a lot of content. Despite the fact that it is on the bigger side, it is not completely optimized for hiking your excursions. While some customers do take this successfully on hiking trips, this was designed for a couple of days worth of walking around town.

Is the Osprey Porter 46 Carry On?

The Osprey Porter 46 is much lighter than regular hiking backpacks, which makes it ideal to carry around in the city as you do not need to carry as much content. We also like it for the fact that you can carry this into a plane as carry-on luggage.

As airlines do have maximum weight restrictions, is important to ensure that your backpack fits. This backpack definitely does fit, and still has plenty of room for many items. The straightjacket compression system allows you to carry fewer items if needed without the contents shifting while you are walking.

If you are interested in a slightly bigger backpack, Osprey also makes the Porter 65.

The Porter 65 is around 20% larger and has enough room to carry your content for 7 days’ worth of travel. Again, the Porter 65 is not made for hiking, but many customers do use it for that purpose.

Osprey Porter 65 Travel Backpack

The Porter 65 is very similar in design to the Porter 46, complete with straightjacket compression and front loading capabilities for your main compartment. It is not much more expensive than the Porter 46, and it is well worth the price if you are looking for a backpack that has room enough for several days in the city.

But if you are not interested in that much more room, Osprey makes the Stratos 24 backpack. This is simply a day pack that you can replenish at the end of the day back at the hotel. For such a small backpack, its intrinsic design is highly optimized for being a good fit.

You can, of course, use this as a carry-on in an airplane. What is great about it is that it is so light that roaming around the city with it is a breeze. To top it all off, it also has a fully integrated rain cover.

If you have any questions about any of the backpacks above, please leave us a message below.

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