review

Osprey Farpoint Wheels 65 convertible wheeled luggage backpack

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

When you need to pack heavy for a trip, a bag that gives you the ability to roll it and carry it on your back fits the perfect bill!
The Osprey Farpoint Wheels 65 is a convertible wheeled luggage backpack that literary transforms from rolling luggage to backpack in seconds, thanks to a deployable harness built-in to the bag.
The total weight of the Osprey Farpoint Wheels 65 is just under 3 kilos (2.8 kg), which is pretty lightweight, considering that the Farpoint Wheels 65 integrates a hard frame, comfortable rolling handle and two wheels.
The Farpoint Wheels 65 wheels are low-profile so, they stick out enough without digging on your back when wearing it on your back. There is a couple of inches clearance so, the wheels do not rub against your back at all.
The rubber wheels roll easily over all-terrain (smooth flooring and gravel dirt), thanks their off-road style thread pattern. The wheels are secured via an allen key bolt so, they can be removed. The wheels are built-in to the bottom of the Farpoint Wheels 65, which is completely rigid.
On the bottom of the bag, there is also two supportive rubber feet to keep the Farpoint Wheels 65 upright and prevent it from tipping over.
The feet are raised on a metal frame so have good height on them to the bottom of the bag away from the ground and prevent scuffs. The feet and metal support can actually be replaced entirely by simply undoing the velcro section securing it.
Spare rubber feet, wheels, etc can be obtained by opening a claim with Osprey, which is part of their Lifetime guarantee policy that also includes a 30-day return money back guarantee and replacement buckles repairs arising from manufacturing defects.
Osprey will also repair the bag for a fee if you accidentally damage the bag. To benefit from Lifetime policy, you have to register the Farpoint Wheels 65.
The Farpoint Wheels 65 is made with 210 denier high tenacity nylon yarn, making the bag more durable than conventional nylon yarn because the yarn is heavier and more tightly woven.
Due to the weight of the nylon yarn and weaving, the Farpoint Wheels 65 is naturally water resistant but thanks to an extra  DWR coating added to the bag at the factory, it is more resistant against water (but not waterproof).
A waterproof backpack has a plastic coating (also known as PU coating) that makes the bag 100% waterproof. Since the Farpoint Wheels 65 isn't waterproof, it won't survive under a downpour of torrential rain so, you cannot use the bag in really wet conditions.
If you want to use the Farpoint Wheels 65 in wet conditions, you can get a rain cover for it, use a very thick bin bag to cover the bag, or use drybags to store your gear inside the Farpoint Wheels 65.
While the Farpoint Wheels 65 can't withstand too much rain, it will withstand rough handling from baggage handlers, being dropped off buses and being dragged along the road, thanks to the 210 denier weight and high tenancy of the nylon used on the sides and on the back.
The front of the Farpoint Wheels 65 is not made of 210 denier. It seems to be made of a lighter nylon yarn, which is nice as it gives the bag a different tone, while keeping the weight of the bag down. The front also features two large mesh pockets for two large water bottles.
The front of the Farpoint Wheels 65 wheeled luggage backpack also integrates two compression straps with long webbing that are operated with both hands to tighten the load across the bag. The extra long webbing of the compression straps are also designed to function like "rear loading straps" but vertically. You simply extend out the compression straps so, you can fit things like a camping matt.
The small webbing loops on the front are designed to fit the Osprey daylight travel pack (not included) but can also be used for hanging gear that won't fit inside the backpack.
The front of the Farpoint Wheels 65 has a large zip top pocket that goes all the way down to the bottom, as well as shallow dash zip pocket to stash things and retrieve them easily. On either side of the top zip pockets, there is also a set of daisy chain strips.
The Farpoint Wheels 65 main compartment opens up via dual zips all the way around the bag like a suitcase, making packing  gear much easier than via top-loading access. The volume capacity is approximately 65 litres.
The main compartment features a wing compression system, consisting of fabric flaps and two velcro straps to secure and prevent the load from moving around. This compartment is very spacious and lined with bag fabric.
On the inside of the front cover that reveals the main compartment, there are two separate mesh zip pockets for storing bits and bobs.
The zip seams have a reverse coil design so, the teeth aren't exposed like regular coil zips, making them water resistant. All zips have thumb pull tabs attached to cords. The main compartment zips have eyelets to pass-through a padlock and lock the compartment.
As mentioned earlier, the Farpoint Wheels 65 is a rolling backpack luggage solution so, it integrates a a fully functional rucksack harness that is neatly packed away by a foldable cover, which stows away behind the internal mesh.
The foldable cover features zips on either side, a velcro strip and two buckle clips on the bottom, which you unclip and unzip all the way up to reveal the back system.
The back system consists of shoulder straps and a waist belt designed to fold flat and sit neatly and tidy against an internal elastic suspension mesh, which really does a great job at ventilating your backside, while providing a bouncy support system to suspend the load from your shoulders.
Having the internal mesh suspended between your back and the backside is thoughtful because it creates enough distance so, pointy objects won't dig into your back.
The top section of the shoulder straps integrate strap tensioners that let you adjust the straps high or low to accommodate tall and short users. The shoulder straps are fully padded with closed-cell foam and breathable mesh on the back. Closed-cell foam is comfortable but not as comfy as EVA foam padding, which is more desirable for heavy load backpacks.
dimensions: 70cm long, 41cm wide and 34cm thick
The Farpoint Wheels 65 is still a very comfortable wheeled luggage backpack, thanks to integrating also an adjustable sternum strap, top load lifters and a frame supporting the bag. The frame runs only along the sides of the backpack and has a bit of flex, which allows the bag to move around with you when you are walking with it on your back. 
Having a peripheral frame is also useful because as well as providing plenty of stability for the whole pack, it helps the waist belt transfer the weight down to the hips.
dash zip pocket
The Farpoint Wheels 65 waist belt has enough padding to be able to transfer a decent amount of weight from the shoulders to the waist. But, because the hip belt is slim profile and doesn't have an adjustable torso length, it won't fit longer torsos as comfortable.
When worn on your back, the Farpoint Wheels 65 is very comfy even on long distances (1-2 hours) without discomfort. The shoulder straps are adjustable from the bottom and top, thanks to the top tensioners, which provide more adjustment to get the right fit on your back.
The shoulder straps also feature a female fastex buckle on the front, that is designed to attach the Osprey daylight travel pack (not included) on the front of the Farpoint Wheels 65.
There is an ID pocket sleeve on the top, backside of the Farpoint Wheels 65 where the trolley T handle is located. The trolley T handle is built-in within the backpack and has a telescopic design so, it is retractable but it is not removable nor adjustable in height so, you cannot adjust the height of the handle bar.
There is a button that has to be pressed in order to lift up and push down the T handle bar. As you lift up the handle bar, there is a clicking mechanism, which automatically fixes the handle bar into position. You have to press the button again to unclick the mechanism so, the handle bar can be push down.
The trolley handle bar is made of aluminium and measures 40 cm tall, while the grab handle of the bar measures 15cm wide so, it is wide enough to accommodate large hands.
The padded grab handles, one on top and one on the side, make it easy to lift the bag with two hands. The side grab handle measures 21cm long, while the top grab handle measures 16cm long. Buy it

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