Osprey Transporter 40 Review

Over the last year I’ve been dragging myself all over the place, with and without the bike. During these journeys my constant companion has been the Osprey Transporter 40.

Osprey’s Transporter 40 duffle bag is sized perfectly to qualify as carry-on luggage. Stuffed to the brim, I can relax when heading to the airport. I managed to fit in two weeks clothing – cycling and non-cycling – for a trip to Mallorca.

The Transporter 40 is a simple bag. There’s one large compartment, you fill it up and cinch it all down with the internal straps. This stopped stuff from moving around too much. Anything delicate, like laptops, I wrapped in the centre of the bag.

There is a small mesh pocket at the bottom of the bag, which was handy for keeping paper-work and charger cables. The top of the bag has a zipped pocket which is deep enough for wallet, passport, phone and a kindle. A small clear ID window sits on top of this.

The appearance of Big Blue, as it has been dubbed by the kids, is the signal that dad is off again.

The Transporter 40 came packed in a surprisingly small stuff sack. I immediately re-purposed it as a wash kit, very handy. I’ve not actually put the bag back in yet, maybe something for a quiet day?

When packing it’s worth remembering that the ‘top’ of the pile will be against your back; if you’re going to carry it back-pack style. I didn’t do this the first time, but a quick re-shuffle sorted the bag

There is an optional sling, but I only ever carried the Transporter 40 on my back. While not designed as an all day pack, when fully stuffed I found it very comfortable to carry. The straps have plenty of padding and adjustability. If you choose to not use the straps, they can be packed away into the lid. This is a handy feature and stops them snagging on things. And consequently this means baggage handlers are less likely to rip them off

Constructed from a tough 800D nylon it has stood up to some rough treatment. There are tough grab handles on all four sides, making it easy to pick up in a hurry. While Osprey don’t claim it’s completely waterproof it certainly kept the rain off during a soggy half hour walk.

Conclusion

I can heartily recommend the Osprey Transporter 40 as a carry-on duffel. The Transporter 40 was tough, easy to live with and was never refused on-board .

Osprey Transporter 40