Tortuga or Osprey

I chose the Osprey Porter 46. I like the cinching side panels and the look. I didn't like the water bottle side pouches on the Tortuga and the square shape. I can't really give you a review though because I am not going anywhere til November.

Thanks! We are heading out in November too!

There are some pretty good you tube videos of people comparing these two bags. I found them helpful.

I can't speak for those particular models, but I love Osprey.

I've had everything from a large 60L Osprey bag (still going strong after 7 years, two of which I spent travelling through Europe) to a small 10L Osprey messenger bag and they've all been great. We currently have Osprey's 40L Farpoint bags as our travel packs and they're awesome.

For what it's worth, I live in London and I see Osprey bags everywhere, especially with commuters.

After reading these comments and some other reviews and watching a handful of comparison videos, we've gone with the Tortuga. It seemed to be the best fit for us, for this and future trips. We shall know soon, they should arrive the end of this week.

A few comments from someone who has spent years looking for (for me) the ideal bag. After 15 years of carry-on experience and working at reducing my packed stuff, 30L would now be a bigger bag than I need for a trip of any length time in Europe.

If you are looking for the maximum volume while still staying within the carry-on limits, a "square shape" (rectangular solid) will give you the maximum volume within the carry-on limits (22 x 14 x 9 in. for US, 55 x 40 x 23 cm for international). That's 2772 cu. in. or 45.5L for US, 50.6L or 3087 cu. in for international).

The Osprey Porter 46 claims to be 2806 cu. in. (46L), slightly over the maximum carry-on volume for US, but considering the non-squarish shape, can't possible be within the 22 x 14 x 9 (LWH) US carry-on limits. Of course, it's not rigid, so if you don't fill it completely, it can fit. Otherwise, plan on checking it.

The Tortuga bag would be more likely to maximize volume while staying within the carry-on limits for most airlines.

i have owned a farpoint 40 for some time and it works very good for me as a carry on size unit. with often very restrictive size and sometimes 7kg weight limit on Carry on luggage, it does the job nicely. have used it for 2 month trips through europe, and shows no real sign of wear.

While the Campmor Essential Carry-on is my bag of choice when traveling, I also own the Osprey Porter. My Osprey is a few years old and has stood the test of time. My Osprey does not have the front panel organization pocket of the current bag. I've had no issues when taking this bag on trips to Europe.

I love my Osprey Porter 46. It has survived numerous trips to Europe with no signs of wear and tear.

So have the Tortugas arrived? ?did you test pack this weekend??

Yes, I received them. We purchased them for $120 for each :-) We haven't packed them up and tried them out yet, but are excited to do so. We think these are going to be perfect!!