Osprey Daylite Duffel Bag 45

Seems like a sturdy product. I used it to transport a wicked edge knife sharpener and several GUARDED knives. Transporting them after sharpening was a problem as one knife cut right through the side of the bag and into my leg. Use some common sense when packing this bag and it should last you a very long time. The bag has no form of its own so it will take whatever shape you pack it with. This aspect makes for a very compact fold-up but it will be lacking if partially packed with heavy items.

I am an experienced traveler who used to travel internationally for work frequently. If there is a one bag product out there - including other designs by Osprey - Ive tried them, and likely hauled them to places as far away as India or Australia. The older I get, the more I value a lightweight bag without a lot of bells and whistles. Using that criteria, this bag exceeds expectations. If you are a true one bag advocate, this is likely not the bag for you. There is no place to put a laptop, and few pockets to store other items. Having said that, every airline Ive ever flown on has allowed a second personal bag. When I travel for work that means a messenger bag to hold my laptop and other work items, and when I travel for pleasure I carry a small, lightweight pack (usually the Osprey Ultralight Stuff pack) with my iPad and other personal items. So this should be a non-issue, unless you are traveling internationally through Heathrow and the security people are being unreasonable (which they usually are). For everyone else, this bag is near perfect. Its lightweight, seems durable, and isnt over-engineered. The Porter 30 is a lovely bag, but far too small for more than a couple days of travel (forget about packing a change of shoes...). The Farpoint 40 has great support, but at the expense of packing space (its really closer to 35l) and accessibility. This bag, the Daylite Duffel, manages to be international travel size but lets you use the full 45l of space, and getting to items in the bag couldnt be easier. With packing cubes I was able to overpack for a 10-day trip carrying only my Osprey Ultralight as an additional personal bag (disclaimer: I did a load of laundry halfway through the trip for socks/underwear). For a weeklong trip or less this bag has you covered nicely. The Daylite Duffel is suprisingly comfortable as a backpack. Not as sturdy as the Farpoint but certainly comfortable enough for getting through airports and to your hotel. The two side pockets are small, but functional. The smaller pocket held a pair of glasses and sunglasses on my latest trip, which was very useful. The only nit I would pick - and its something Ive read in other reviews - is that if the bag isnt fully packed it sort of folds into itself in the middle when you are using the duffle handles. This doesnt really affect... anything... but it feels a little awkward when you are carrying it. Highly recommend.

The Osprey 45L Duffle offers nice versatility between a duffle and a backpack. The top of the duffle bag is slightly padded to provide some cushion to your back when using it as a backpack. All the extra pockets are on the outside of the bag, leaving the inside roomy and ready to you to pack in all your stuff. The zipper pull tabs are a good size to aid in easy access and the water bottle pocket is good for a medium size bottle. Anything bigger than about 24 oz would likely be too wide. The duffle straps have a comfortable padded feel and there is a sturdy handle at the top of a bag when used as a backpack giving you many ways to carry the bag.

Top quality duffel bag with great design.

Here’s a picture of Duffel 30 next to Duffel 45, also next to a 17” laptop bag to get an idea of the relative size. Size 30 is great as a gym bag and as an airline carry-on that easily fits under the seat in front. This Size 40 is better for a weekend trip and to replace a small travel suitcase. What I love about these duffel bags is the versatility while at the same time they are light weight. The bags can be used as a backpack, and folded up nice and compact. While this series is not officially weatherproof, the fabric is pretty good at shedding rain, so I’m not worried about carrying this around during a rain storm. The 40 size bag is going to be useful to pack inside my main airplane luggage just in case I bring home more items from the trip and need more space on the return home. Since it folds so compact, I will throw it in my main luggage all the time “just in case.” The backpack straps also make it easier to get around the airport with lots of luggage.

Okay, the colors not the greatest, but its built with care, and built like a tank. Plenty of room for a weekend away. It should last a couple decades and if it doesnt Osprey has the best warranty of any of the outdoor gear merchants.

Here’s a picture of Duffel 30 next to Duffel 45, also next to a 17” laptop bag to get an idea of the relative size. Size 30 is great as a gym bag and as an airline carry-on that easily fits under the seat in front. This Size 40 is better for a weekend trip and to replace a small travel suitcase. What I love about these duffel bags is the versatility while at the same time they are light weight. The bags can be used as a backpack, and folded up nice and compact. While this series is not officially weatherproof, the fabric is pretty good at shedding rain, so I’m not worried about carrying this around during a rain storm. The 40 size bag is going to be useful to pack inside my main airplane luggage just in case I bring home more items from the trip and need more space on the return home. Since it folds so compact, I will throw it in my main luggage all the time “just in case.” The backpack straps also make it easier to get around the airport with lots of luggage.

This fits withing most major airlines carry-on specs, so you can easily use it as your carryon. If traveling without kids, my husband I have found that its much easier to travel with big backpacks vs. wheeled luggage....you can get through the airport more easily without trying to wheel around people. I like that it has the option of backpack or carrying straps if you have another backpack you wanted to carry for your personal item. Easy to stuff with clothes for a week long trip if you roll them. Also has a good amount of exterior organizing pockets for your liquids ziplock, passports, etc. that you would need quick access to.

This bag seems to be made of sturdy materials. It has a couple of basic pockets. A mesh pocket for a water bottle would have been nice. The real problem with this bag is that it has no shoulder strap. You HAVE TO hand carry it. You cant put it over your shoulder. Well, you can wear it as a backpack, but then it becomes awkward to carry.

I gave up on Osprey after buying enough products that didnt match up to the image they were selling, whether because of false (AND STUPID!) color choices--like blue for black and green for grey--or material quality--the appearance of thick padded nylon coming back as this scrunchy wad of a bag, some of which I put holes in with there FIRST USE! I can confirm this bag is BLACK(!) as advertised and made with a good solid cushion, much like the porter series (which is a solid product). Really stands out from what, in my opinion, is the horrible design of other bags in the daylite series.