Osprey Porter Sojourn 40: A Closer Look at the New Travel Backpack Update

Introduction

Osprey has been inching closer and closer to making the perfect carry-on travel pack, and the 2023 Sojourn update to the Osprey Porter might be the closest the brand has come yet. The Farpoint and Porter have long been the flagships of Osprey’s carry-on travel backpack lineup. The Farpoint offers a great carry system, but its main compartment can be awkward to pack and the exterior organization is thin. The Porter fixed some of that with a large duffel-style main compartment and big front pockets, but it always carried one notable weakness: a flat, firm back panel with almost no air ventilation.

The new Sojourn update addresses a lot of those issues, most visibly with a soft zigzag foam mesh back panel similar to the one Osprey uses in its 26 Plus 6 expandable pack. Here is a closer look at what changed and who this bag makes sense for.

Size and Carry-On Fit

The dimensions and capacity have not really changed in the new update. Packed the way it comes out of the box, the bag measures roughly 19 by 13 by 8 inches deep, which makes it work as a carry-on for pretty much every airline. In an 18 by 14 by 8 sizer box it is genuinely tight when fully packed, largely because the straps get in the way, but it can fit.

The saving grace is the compression straps. Cinched down well, the bag squishes flat, so as long as you underpack it slightly and compress it properly, you can work it into a personal item or carry-on sizer box. It takes some effort, but the flexibility is there when you need it.

What Has Not Changed

Osprey did not make sweeping design changes here. The new Sojourn still has the large duffel-style main compartment, a big front organizational pocket, and a top slash pocket. If you liked the layout of the older Porter, you will feel at home immediately.

The most obvious updates are to the aesthetics, the general styling, and the fabric. There is also an additional side water bottle pocket, some upgrades to the hardware, and the new back panel, which we will get to below.

New Side Water Bottle Pocket

It is a bit surprising it took Osprey this long to add a side water bottle pocket, but the implementation is solid. It is a large mesh sleeve with stretchy side access, big enough for just about any slim water bottle, and it stretches enough to hold a large one-liter Nalgene-style bottle as well.

Because it is a big stretchy pocket, it can hold more than bottles: wet gear, towels, or sandals would all work thanks to the breathable mesh. Just note that the pocket does not extend the full length of the sleeve and there is no closure, so items can pop out readily and you should not put anything valuable in it.

Fabric and Hardware Upgrades

The fabric changes are easy to appreciate. Osprey used a much thicker 1680 denier polyester on the sides and bottom of the bag, exactly where you want tougher material, and a thinner 460 denier ripstop nylon on the main body of the pack. The side paneling also creates a kind of hinged top panel, which helps squish the bag down, improves compression, and frankly looks better than the old plain blank panel.

The hardware was already decent in the old version, but Osprey increased the size on some buckles, notably the one on the compression straps and the much larger buckle on the hip belt. Small changes, but they add up in daily use.

Carry System and Back Panel

The carry system is the most improved part of the new Porter. The shoulder straps themselves have not changed: you still get the same adjustable sternum strap, the same buckle clip and top adjusters, and the straps detach from the bottom the same way. The shoulder straps tuck into the top pocket and the hip belts tuck into the side pockets, keeping the bag streamlined for checking or stowing.

The big update is the back panel. The old model had a hard, firm foam pad that was flat, smooth, and offered zero air ventilation. The new version uses an Airscape-style softer zigzag foam, nearly identical to the 26 Plus 6 expandable bag. It is medium firmness, covers the entire back panel, offers decent padding, and includes air ventilation channels in the middle. All of this was done without adding much weight or bulk to the bag, which is exactly the right way to improve a simple pack.

Buying Advice

If you have been holding off on the Porter because of the sweaty, unforgiving back panel, the Sojourn 40 finally solves that problem. It keeps everything that made the old bag practical, including the duffel-style main compartment and strong front organization, while adding the finishing touches the lineup always lacked: a water bottle pocket, tougher fabric in the right places, and better compression.

Underpack it slightly, cinch the compression straps, and it remains one of the more airline-friendly carry-on backpacks available. If you want to compare it against the Farpoint or the older Porter model, it is worth doing a side-by-side before committing, since the carry feel is now the biggest differentiator.

Conclusion

The Osprey Porter Sojourn 40 is a meaningful refinement rather than a redesign, and that is precisely what this bag needed. The ventilated zigzag back panel, upgraded 1680D polyester wear zones, larger buckles, and new side water bottle pocket round out a pack that was already close to great. For travelers who want one carry-on bag that packs like a duffel and carries like a proper backpack, the Sojourn 40 finally delivers on both fronts.