Osprey Sojourn Review – Our Trusty Luggage!

Osprey Sojourn 80L/28″ Wheeled Convertible Luggage

Choosing the right type of luggage for a long trip is quite an art form. You need to think about the size, type, weight and features of the bag. And the cost too – good luggage is not cheap. But investing in a good travel bag is SO important. You don’t want to be that traveler dragging your luggage – complete with sparks and accompanying sound effects – with a missing wheel through the airport. Or the one trying to carry a backpack with a broken strap. What you do want is a bag that’s durable, easy to maneuver around and light – qualities generally not found in cheap bags. Your luggage also needs to fit the type of trip you’re planning to undertake.

We were initially thinking about getting backpacks for our 15-month trip. But since we knew we had to pack quite a decent amount of stuff (see my Tips for Packing: How and What to Pack for Long-term Travel post for all the stuff I have in my bag!) we started leaning towards wheeled luggage as the idea of carrying around heavy backpacks wasn’t that appealing. We did a fair bit of research online, and Osprey seemed to be one of the brands that kept popping up in many travel blogs. We then discovered their wheeled convertible luggage and were intrigued – a wheeled luggage that could be converted into a backpack, as needed? It seemed perfect for us and after seeing the bag ‘in person’ we went ahead and got two identical Osprey Sojourn 80L/28″ bags (in hindsight we probably could have gone for different colors…).

Osprey Sojourn Review

This trip has so far taken us to cities, beaches, jungles, mountains and pretty much everything in between, on all sorts of terrain. There’s been lots of unpacking and repacking throughout the trip, as well as plenty of wheeling around the luggage. But the one thing we actually have not used is the backpack conversion… There have been a couple of times when we were thinking about whipping out the backpack straps, however messing around with your bag in the middle of a street in Paris just didn’t appeal at the time. In hindsight we should have just gone ahead, as converting the bag into a backpack is actually really easy and quick, once you’ve done it once or twice. See my Osprey review video for a demo of how easy it actually is to convert the Sojourn into a backpack.

Size: 

In terms of the size, Osprey Sojourn 80L/28″ has fitted the bill perfectly. Yes, I could have packed a little less and in theory probably could and should be getting away traveling with the 60L version, but the 80L really works for me. The Sojourn has a spacious main compartment that’s easy to keep organized with packing cubes, and a few smaller compartments/pockets to keep your small items organised.

Durability and function:

The bag so far (13 months into the trip as I write this) seems to be super durable. We’ve had quite a few long haul flights and a number of shorter flights as well as a multitude of other modes of transport. The Osprey has come through looking pretty unscathed.

What I really love about the Osprey Sojourn is that the wheels are big enough so that it can be easily wheeled over some pretty rough terrain or cobble stones etc without sparks flying. It rolls really easily and has a retractable handle which is comfortable and sturdy.

Zippers:

The main compartment has dual lockable zippers. The zippers are good quality and zip easily.

Add-ons: 

You can attach an Osprey day-pack to the front of the bag with d-rings, however I don’t have an Osprey daypack so have not used this function. You can also attach random items to the front loops.

Convertible backpack feature:

The Sojourn is a convertible bag that has stow-away backpack straps. If you need to carry the bag on your back rather than wheel it at some point, it can be converted into a backpack easily. As said, we are yet to use this feature, however we have tested it and it works well, and is quick to set up. When the bag is full though it does get kind of bulgy, and I did feel a bit turtle-like when I tested it on my back with all my gear. I’m 167cm, or about 5.6, for reference. I have to say it looked much less comical on Steve (who is 185cm/6.1).

The bag is surprisingly comfortable when on your back. I thought for sure the wheels would dig in your back, but they don’t – they’ve been positioned cleverly so that they don’t come in contact with your back. It has fully adjustable straps as well as Osprey’s ‘trampoline mesh back panel’, and quite a wide hip-belt. So the convertible backpack feature is definitely usable and useful, although we have not needed it yet. The straps are fully removable too, so you can free up some space if you are not going to be using them.

Verdict:

Osprey Sojourn 80L/28″ is spacious, yet pretty streamlined. It comes with some handy compartments, however not too many to add bulk. The Sojourn weighs only 3.65kg (or about 8 pounds) which is not bad for a bag of this size with a solid frame and sturdy material. It’s got foam sidewalls so it’s surprisingly protective for a soft bag and it keeps its shape really well.

So is the Osprey Sojourn 80L/28″ a great bag for long-term travel? Yes it is! The Sojourn in my opinion has the best of both worlds, or rather, all worlds. It’s easy to wheel around, fits lots, is quite light AND converts into a backpack, if needed. Two thumbs up!

Check out my Osprey Sojourn Review on Youtube to see how easy it is to convert into a backpack.

Links:

Osprey Sojourn