Osprey Porter Sojourn 40: An In-Depth Look at the New Travel Backpack Update

Introduction

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

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

Dimensions and Carry-On Fit

The dimensions and capacity haven’t really changed in the new update. Packed as it comes out of the box, the bag measures approximately 19 by 13 by 8 inches, making it usable as carry-on on virtually every airline. In an 18 by 14 by 8 size checker, it is genuinely tight when fully packed, mainly because the straps get in the way, but it can fit.

The saving grace is the compression straps. If you tighten them well, the bag flattens, so as long as you don’t overpack it and compress it properly, you can fit it into a personal item or carry-on size checker. It takes some effort, but the flexibility is there when you need it.

What Hasn’t Changed

Osprey didn’t make drastic design changes here. The new Sojourn still features the large duffel-style main compartment, a large front organizational pocket, and a top slash pocket. If you liked the layout of the older Porter, you’ll feel right at home right away.

The most visible updates are in the aesthetics, general styling, and fabrics. There’s also an additional side water bottle pocket, some hardware upgrades, and the new back panel, which we’ll discuss below.

New Side Water Bottle Pocket

It’s a bit surprising that it took Osprey so long to add a side water bottle pocket, but the execution is solid. It’s 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.

Since it’s a big, stretchy pocket, it can hold more than bottles: wet gear, towels, or sandals would all work thanks to the breathable mesh. Just keep in mind that the pocket doesn’t extend the full length of the sleeve and there’s no closure, so items can easily come out and you shouldn’t put anything valuable inside.

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 more resistant 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 compress the bag, improves compression, and frankly looks better than the old plain panel.

The hardware was already decent in the previous version, but Osprey increased the size of 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 everyday use.

Carry System and Back Panel

The carry system is the most improved part of the new Porter. The shoulder straps themselves haven’t 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 storing it.

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 that of the 26 Plus 6 expandable bag. It’s of medium firmness, covers the entire back panel, offers decent padding, and includes air ventilation channels in the center. All this was achieved without adding much weight or bulk to the bag, which is exactly the right way to improve a simple pack.

Buying Advice

If you had been putting off the Porter because of its 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 good front organization, while adding the finishing touches the lineup always lacked: a water bottle pocket, sturdier fabrics in the right places, and better compression.

Don’t overpack it, tighten the compression straps, and it remains one of the most airline-friendly carry-on backpacks on the market. If you want to compare it against the Farpoint or the older Porter model, it’s worth doing a side-by-side comparison before deciding, as the carry feel is now the biggest differentiator.

Conclusion

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