Meet the adventurous traveller’s new best mate. The perfectly sized new Osprey Fairview 40 litre rucksack, £100, is roomy enough for all your kit but still small enough to sail through airport security and to work as an excellent hiking backpack.
THE TRAVEL-FRIENDLY OSPREY FAIRVIEW
My Fairview‘s all packed for my surf trip to Sri Lanka next week but in the meantime I’ve been testing it out on hikes and camping trips. I love the roomy compartments, padded laptop sleeve and padlock-compatible zipped pockets – having a place to safely store everything is a big help on the road. As a hiking rucksac, the Fairview ticks all my boxes – the shoulder straps are well-padded and you can tell the lumbar support has been designed with women’s bodies in mind. Want to convert to a shoulder bag? All the straps zip neatly away and there’s a carry strap – great for busy airports – as well as a top and a side handle. The bag feels light and comfortable when trekking, too – it weighs in at 1.44kg and even stuffed with gear, the well-designed straps spread the load on your back and are easy to adjust to your body. I’ve taken a one-man tent, a small sleeping bag and change of clothes on a wild camping trip in mine with no problem.
I also love the sea-green colour of the Fairview. Osprey buck the trend of choosing girly, saccharine colours for their female range, and the Fairview also comes in a smart grey. If you’re after a bigger pack 55 litre (£130) and 70 litre (£140) versions are available too. Like all the Osprey packs I’ve tested, the quality you get for the price is fantastic – absolutely worth the investment if you want just one bag for all your upcoming adventures. Buy the Fairview 40 here