A rugged, carry-on-friendly duffel that's built to last and now made with fully recycled, PFAS-free materials for a more sustainable choice in travel gear. Here’s our full review of the Osprey Transporter 40 duffel
Osprey’s Transporter series of duffel bags has been around for years now and they’ve become hugely popular – including amongst the Outdoors Magic gear review team. Now, for 2025, the series has seen some updates, and each product within it now conforms to a very high set of sustainability standards. As such, the Osprey Transporter 40 has been deemed to be worthy enough of inclusion in our Greener Gear Guide.
Osprey Transporter 40: The Top Line
This is a highly durable duffel bag that has a real ‘built to last’ feel about it. It’s not waterproof, but we’ve found it to be very water resistant – well capable of deflecting light rain or keeping moisture from dewey grass out. It’s designed to meet most airline carry-on size requirements.
The warranty it comes with is also worth knowing about. All credit to Osprey, they have their customers well covered if any issues arise or damage occurs.
OM editor Will using the Osprey Transporter 40 for a lake swim in Cumbria. Photos: Dave Macfarlane
The Osprey Transporter 40 stashed away in its stuff sack.
Pros: Very durable, can be used as a carry-on bag, good water resistance, recycled materials. Cons: No internal organiser pocket, valuables pocket hard to access on the fly.
I’ve used this latest version of the Osprey Transporter 40 to haul my camera equipment for photoshoots in the hills. I’ve used it for stowing all of my swimming kit during some adventures in the Lake District (as you can see in the photos here) and I’ve also used it as a carry on bag for a flight from the UK to British Columbia and back.
Details and Performance
This is the kind of duffel that I’ve found strikes a nice balance between volume, durability capability, weight and packability.
It’s got a lot of durability to it; enough that I’ve genuinely felt more than happy to bundle this around without worrying about the fabric snagging or scuffing. I can’t ever really see any issues arising with it and it feels built to last a long, long time. I’ve slung it down, fully loaded, onto gravelly trail head car parks, I’ve lugged it over the Atlantic, had it shuttled in the back of a hi-luxe up a dirt track to the top of a mountain, and I’ve had my border terrier crawling all over it in my car boot – and it’s got barely a blemish on it.
On top of this, however, you’re also backed by Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee, their lifetime warranty that covers repairs for any defects or damage – at no cost to you. That means it’s not just manufacturing faults that are covered; if you snag your bag on a barbed wire fence or a curious bothy mouse chews through it to get at your snacks, Osprey will still sort it out.
Overall, it’s surprisingly light and packable, weighing just 958g and packing up neatly into its little stuff sack, bundling down to about the size of a small camping pillow. I personally like this as it keeps the duffel from taking up too much space in my tiny loft – alongside all of my partner’s giant, hard-sided travel cases!
OM editor Will using the Osprey Transporter 40 for a lake swim in Cumbria. Photos: Dave Macfarlane
Can you use the Osprey Transporter 40 as a carry-on bag? I had no issues getting it onto a British Airways flight to Canada. Its dimensions (around 55 x 36 x 25 cm) fall within standard cabin baggage limits, though it’s always worth checking specific airline rules as they can vary.
One aspect that really elevates this as a bag for travel is its stowable shoulder straps. These tuck away really neatly into a little zipped sleeve and are very easy to attach or detach. I’ve found the carrying comfort is good too, that’s thanks to the wide, padded shoulder straps and the sliding sternum strap, which has a built in emergency whistle. As you’d expect from a duffel, you do just need to make sure that the stuff you’re carrying is organised so that you don’t have sharp stuff prodding into your back.
Other noteworthy details? It has solid, reinforced grab handles on each side, webbing straps for attaching gear or for lashing it down while in transit, and the lockable, chunky main zip glides really nicely – it’s never snagged for me.
There’s one valuables pocket, located at the top of the duffel. This is the perfect size for things like a book, your passport and wallet. There’s also a clip for keeping your keys secure. I personally would’ve preferred if this pocket was located on one of the sides of the duffel, so you could slide it off one shoulder and grab things quickly without having to take it fully off your back.
From my experience, this bag holds up well in wet conditions, but it’s not fully waterproof as it lacks taped seams and waterproof zippers. I wouldn’t leave it out in a heavy downpour or set it down in a puddle, but for things like damp station platforms, wet fields, or rainy car park dashes, it’s performed reliably.
Sustainability
News for 2025 is that Osprey have updated the entire Transporter range to meet impressively high sustainability standards. Every fabric used across the collection is now recycled, PFAS-free, and bluesign-approved, ensuring cleaner chemistry and full traceability throughout the production process. That means no toxic water repellents, better environmental oversight, and higher social standards across the supply chain. Crucially, these changes apply to all Transporter products – from duffels to rollers – regardless of size or style. It’s a significant and commendable shift, and one that has helped the Transporter 40 earn a place in our Greener Gear Guide for 2025.
We used the Transporter Tote for our photoshoot – and for a post shoot dip too!
I also recently tested out the Transporter Tote, which I’ve found to be very nifty for carrying my kit to the lake shore when I’m swimming – I love the dividers that help with keeping wet and dry kit – and muddy and clean kit – separate. It’s been great for car camping trips too as I can bundle my lamps, cook set, flasks and booze into it and then use it to shuttle everything between the car and tent.
Osprey Transporter 40: Verdict
All in all, I’ve been totally impressed by the Osprey Transporter 40. It’s tough, thoughtfully designed, and ideal for everything from long-haul travel to weekend escapes or gear-heavy day trips. I like how it balances ruggedness with a relatively lightweight and packable design, and the carry-on compatibility is a real bonus for regular flyers. Add in the lifetime guarantee and the much-improved sustainability credentials, and this feels like a smart, long-term choice. It’s a duffel I can see myself reaching for again and again.
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