I first bought this backpack in 2013 and soon after moved to Spain for a year with only this in my overhead locker and a guitar on the spare seat next to me.
It has since weathered a lengthy backpacking trip in Southeast Asia, weekend city breaks around Europe, beach holidays, and even a spell as a commuter backpack.
The Farpoint 40 is nothing if not versatile, and if I could only have one bag I would choose this. It is equally suited to round the world trips, or just jaunts round the block.
Organisation
Crucially the backpack is front loading, meaning the zip extends all the way round the side and allows you to pack it like a suitcase. This allows you to pack far more efficiently, and also retrieve items from anywhere within the backpack without having to take all the stuff out from the top first.
There are a multitude of pockets in a range of sizes. Including a decent-sized padded laptop sleeve, and bottle nets on the back that are big enough to jam a large water bottle into.
However, for the main compartment I recommend purchasing some packing cubes to divide the space. This makes packing alot easier.
Sizing
Instead of walking around like a fully-loaded donkey like many travellers do with 60+ litre backpacks, this is a more manageable size that will fit into hand luggage space on all the airlines I have travelled with, and can be used as a passable daysack.
It is also quite spacious inside, and deep, which does mean it protrudes quite far from the back when fully loaded so you need to be careful you don’t bash small children when turning around on crowded public transport! It also has handy side straps to carry as a hold all.
Durability
I think the weakest point of most backpacks is the zip, which with some packs can jam or break at the worst possible moment.
The Zips on the farpoint 40 are quite strong, I have been surprised by how sturdy and resilient they have been, especially when forcing them shut after cramming the backpack full.
Purchase Recommendations
Pacsafe Travelsafe
This fits snugly into the rucksack, and is great for anyone worried about securing their valuables while travelling. It is essentially a reinforced wallet that comes with a metal wire that you can loop around any fixtures in the room to keep your valuables safe. I have written a full review on this, but suffice to say it is indispensable for travellers mindful of theft.
Padlock
A couple of the zips on the small front pockets on the front of the pack are loose, so I sometimes worry these could be accessible to pickpockets on public transport etc. I think it is better to stay safe by looping the zips together with a padlock. You could use the padlock provided with the Pacsafe.
Packing cubes
Whether you roll or fold your clothes – packing cubes allow you to organise your luggage and use the space effectively.
Rain cover
I would say the bag is showerproof as opposed to completely waterproof. I have been caught out a few times and my things have remained dry, but I wouldn’t recommend spending prolonged periods in the wet without some kind of protection.
