Osprey Sojourn Porter Travel Backpack Reviewed in 2025

A Newly Designed Osprey Travel Backpack

The Sojourn Porter Travel Backpack is Osprey’s latest design in their Porter travel backpack line. They upgraded the outer fabric to durable nylon made 100% from recycled materials and now use a PFAS-free (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or forever chemicals) DWR coating (durable water repellent). Both are great upgrades.

Osprey added a breathable and padded back panel, their AirScape™ back panel. They also added more durable fabrics for their StraighJacket compression system, making it feel very strong with little worry when you yank those compression straps to reduce your packed bulk and secure your packed items.

A Great Travel Backpack Build

The Osprey Sojourn Porter has a large main compartment that opens up completely with a u-shaped zipper, kind of like a duffel bag. There are side pockets for extra organization in the main compartment, plus internal compression straps to keep your items separated and secure. No messy bag when you arrive!

There is also a front organizational compartment for those smaller items or things you want to organize. And for anything you may want to grab quickly, there is a convenient top stash pocket.

There is a back laptop sleeve, which we always prefer for laptop protection and bag stability. This bag is shaped well and stands up nicely when placed on the ground. Only when it was seriously overpacked did it wobble forward when placed down.

The key features of the Osprey Sojourn Porter:

• Heavy-duty bluesign® approved, recycled high tenacity and ballistic materials
• Comfortable AirScape backpanel with tuckaway harness and hipbelt
• Unique StraightJacket compression provides extra protection and load control
• TSID luggage registration included with each piece
• Interior mesh and liner pockets for organisation

Sojourn Porter Put To The Test

We managed to fit 10 days worth of clothes into the main bag compartment. Our writer was packing for a winter getaway and was so happy to be able to pack a lot of options for what to wear. She packed at least 3 pairs of trousers, a few sweaters, long-sleeve shirts, a week’s worth of socks, underwear, pajamas, and more.

You name it, she fit it in. The firm sides of the bag, with the nice new angled design from Osprey, made it so that regardless of how full the bag was, it retained its compact shape.

While we had to squeeze to get everything we wanted in, the zippers stayed strong,  and there was no bulging. The added internal straps helped keep the items in the bag even more secure, helping to squeeze items into a compact space.

We do feel it was an easier packing experience – mainly because of all the compression straps – than the Peak Design Travel Backpack. With the Peak Design’s just one large space, it feels like you need packing cubes to get the compact, organized packing that comes ready-made with the Sojourn Porter.

Osprey Travel Backpack Carry and Convenience

The Osprey Sojourn Porter Travel Backpack has the added ability to switch into different carrying modes, meaning there are many ways to comfortably carry this bag. The easiest way, of course, is as a backpack. But then you are also able to stow the straps and carry it by one of the handles. And the Osprey Sojourn Porter has our favorite option for travel backpacks – attaching it to other rolling luggage you may be traveling with.

Given how easy it was to overpack this bag, we were concerned about how the weight would feel on our shoulders. It definitely was not as comfortable to carry as Osprey’s Farpoint or Fairview travel backpacks. While the Sojourn Porter shoulder straps are slightly narrower, it did feel like their position spread the weight out across the upper back nicely, and the load lifters provided a good adjustment.

The AirScape™ back panel also provided the right balance of support and cushion to help with the heavier load. The Sojourn Porter comes with a waist belt as well to help support some of the weight on your hips. It is a simple waist belt as it also can be stowed away, but it helped with carrying the load through 2 major airports across 2 continents.

Sojourn Porter Waterproofness and Durability

We left this bag on the ground in the snow, shoved it between massive suitcases in the car, and walked around wet cities. All our items in the bag remained dry, secure, and undamaged. We don’t mess around with product testing. We are out and about, and the Sojourn Porter went with us.

In the rain, we could see the water beading on the outer fabric. We found no leaks with everything dry inside. If you are going to be somewhere extra wet, though, we would recommend grabbing some waterproof dry bags to protect any delicate electronics or clothes you need to stay dry.

Shoving this travel backpack between snowy ski equipment and suitcases in the car left no scuffs or damage to the Sojourn Porter fabric. We didn’t even see any black marks on the light purple colored fabric. But if you will be using this bag in dirty environments, while the bag can definitely handle it, you may want to opt for a darker fabric.

Did The Sojourn Porter Live Up to Expectations?

As frequent travelers of international long-haul flights, when we travel, we opt to fit as much into our carry-on as we can. Who knows how long you may be stuck if anything is delayed? Plus, with all the changes to whether you have to pay extra for checked baggage, having a carry-on that can fit a short getaway worth of stuff is worth having around!

As a carry-on-only luggage option, this bag is perfect for shorter journeys, a week or under. Like any bag, while it can fit a lot in, there comes to a point where the more you try to fit in, the less easy is to access in quick circumstances, for example, security.

While our team is often traveling for adventure, and we do not feel this bag can pull double weight as a travel and hiking backpack, it has Osprey daybag compatibility. So if you love squeezing in hikes on your trips, again, this bag is perfect. Just strap an Osprey daypack to it, and you can take that out for your adventures where you want a light carry.

Osprey has our favorite travel backpack innovation so far – their StraighJacket compression system. The firm sides of this system provide two exciting features:

1. The items in your bag are protected more than they usually are. With how packed planes are nowadays, with flight attendants shoving as many bags in the overhead lockers as possible, you can rest assured that your laptop has extra protection between it and whatever it is being shoved against.
2. The other is the extra durability this provides the Sojourn Porter Travel Backpack. Because of the extra durability of the fabric used on the compression system, it feels more protected against normal travel wear and tear. Even if snags or rips show on the outer layer, it is designed to compensate for that and won’t impact the space-saving aspects that make this bag stand out.

Value of the Osprey Sojourn Porter Travel Backpack

We think the Osprey Sojourn Porter comes in at a very fair price! The bag we feel comes closest to its function, the Stubble & Co Adventure, is almost double the price. And really straight across the board of our top picks, the other bags that feel as strong and durable as the Sojourn Porter are priced much higher.

Osprey’s new design is very well made and very well priced for the function, strength, and longevity you will get in this travel backpack.

Do We Recommend It?

Yes! We highly recommend the Osprey Sojourn Porter.

Osprey’s new design to the perfect airline compliant carry-on ticks all the boxes. It has great organization, durable 100% recycled material fabrics, no forever chemical DWR, seamless compression to keep things safe and compact, different carrying options, and an affordable price.

The Sojourn Porter is our new go-to travel backpack. You just feel no matter where you will be going it will fit what you need.