Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I travel regularly for 2-3 weeks at a time and had been using an old Perry Ellis carry-on bag for years for overseas travel. I hate taking too much with me, and rarely take more than one carry-on bag and a small camera bag for my Canon 6D. The old Perry Ellis bag sometimes pushed the limit if it was over-packed for the overhead bin, and did not have the option for backpack carry. My goal was to get a bag that could be carried as luggage, as a backpack, or as a duffel bag with a shoulder strap. I researched a number of bags and eventually narrowed my search to the Porter 46, the Farpoint 40 and 55, and the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45. With regard to the Farpoint models, the 55 was actually very comfortable, and I liked the design of both the primary pack and the zip-on day pack. The ultimate issue I had with the pack, however, was that it was slightly too large to qualify as a carry-on. I had read multiple reviews of travelers having success in making it past the gate as a carry on, but I read quite a few where people were forced the check their luggage as well. Just with the eyeball test, it also appeared slightly too large to me to work as a carry-on. The problem I had with the 40 was that it did not provide me the maximum capacity for a carry-on. I may not always use a full pack, but I wanted the option to have as much carry-on space as possible if I did need to take a full load for some reason. Thus, I eliminated the Farpoint 40 as well and narrowed my search to the Porter 46 and the TB Aeronaut 45. I next moved on to compare the Aeronaut and the Porter. The Aeronaut is a very highly reviewed bag, but comes with a hefty price tag as well ($280.00). I live in Washington, so that would also include sales tax of over 8% and a shipping cost of $10. My price for the bag would have thus been close to $330.00. It also does not come with a shoulder strap, so the total cost with an "absolute strap" would have been closer to $365. I felt as though this was a significant price to pay, but I was willing to consider it to have a long term solution as a reliable carry-on travel bag. I had also heard great things about the Tom Bihn guarantee, but when I reviewed the actual terms of the TB guarantee vs. Osprey's All Mighty Guarantee I was a bit more impressed with how broad Osprey's coverage was on their products (and I could find slightly positive feedback online as to how well Osprey stand's behind their products). Given the Porter 46 (at $130.00, which I could get from a local retailer to avoid shipping costs) was significantly cheaper than the Aeronaut, I decided there would have to be a significant benefit to purchasing the Aeronaut over the Porter 46 to justify the cost. With regard to the Porter 46, it is worth noting that I read a number of reviews about the recent model stating that Osprey had eliminated anchor points for attaching a shoulder strap, as well as complaints about the padding on the waist strap and lack of pockets for storage. When I went to look at the Farpoint at a local retailer, however, I also took a quick look at the Porter 46 and noticed there did seem to be decent (if somewhat minimal) padding on the waist strap, and that it did have anchor points for a shoulder strap. It also had significantly more pockets and storage options than the photos I had seen online. In doing further research, I found that Osprey had updated the model at some point in late 2014, upgrading a number of the major complaint areas of the previous bags. In my opinion, these upgrades constituted major improvements without which I likely would not have purchased the bag (including the addition of more pockets and external storage options, anchor points for a shoulder strap, additional padding on the waist strap, and additional improvements on the back pack strap system to improve comfort). It is also my understanding the improvements led to a price increase from $100 to $130. Something worth noting for people looking for this bag to make sure they get the proper model. I liked how spacious the main compartment was on the Porter 46, and I felt as though the additional exterior pockets were in good locations for my travel preferences, and were the right size for my needs. I filled the Porter up with other items in the store and threw it on my back as a backpack, and it felt very comfortable walking around the store for a brief period of time. I felt as though the amount of available, packable space between the Aeronaut and the Porter was comparable, and the compression system on the Porter was impressive as well. When all was said and done, I did not feel as though there was a justification for paying almost $200.00 more for the Aeronaut pack and purchased the Porter. I also liked the external pockets on the Porter more than the Aeronaut, and felt the quality of workmanship (and guarantee behind the product) was very similar as well on both. As such, I purchased the Porter 46 and have been pleased with the purchase. I will note that the Porter does not come with a shoulder strap if you want the option to carry it over the shoulder as a duffel bag, and my online research led me to conclude that the Tom Bihn shoulder strap is really the class of the market. As such, I did add the $30.00 absolute strap to the Porter so my total cost was approximately $165 all said and done (which is less than half of what the total expense would have been for the Aeronaut with the strap), and would definitely recommend getting a shoulder strap for the Porter to have a third carrying option. UPDATE: I just wanted to write a quick update on this bag as I continue to LOVE IT and use it constantly. I use it not only for travel now but also for day hiking trips. I have found that you can actually stick a water bladder in the pouch on the top of the bag for day hiking and it works relatively well as a hydration pack, although that is obviously not the intended use. This is the only real luggage bag I take with me on overseas trips of 2-4 weeks and it continues to work great for that purpose, and I have never had an issue using it as a carry on in a large number of travels. It is also worth noting that when one of the small clips on the front of the bag broke while traveling (the only issue I have ever had with the bag) I contacted Osprey and they shipped me two clips for repairs that were waiting for me when I arrived home. Top notch product and top notch customer service. I continue to highly recommend this bag. It is one of the best values out there.