By: Jenn K.
The Osprey Transporter 46 was provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review.
The Osprey Transporter 46 is part of Osprey’s Travel Trek line of packs and bags. The bag is available in sizes 95, 75, 60, and 46 liters. The Transporter 46 is the smallest Transporter bag and is available in Black, Alpine (blue), or Pepper (red). It is designed to carry 2,800 cubic inches/46 liters and weighs 1 pound 9 ounces. What is nice about the Transporter 46 is that it meets the maximal legal carry-on size for airline travel. The dimensions are 22 in high, 14 inches wide and 9 inches deep. The bag is made of 210x330D Nylon Shadow Box and 420D Nylon Pack Cloth material. The base is reinforced and padded to protect the inside contents.
Osprey Transporter 46 Stored
This bag is simple in design, but looks durable. It has a removable and adjustable shoulder strap that secures to the top of the bag on the sides of the main compartment lid. There is one side exterior zippered (single zipper pull) storage pocket; that also serves as a storage sack with a handle for when the bag not being used. The main compartment is designed like a lid that opens ¾ of the way around, with dual zippers (locking zipper pulls) and a hook and loop closure. The top of the main compartment has a zippered pocket with a key clip on the inside. This pocket is flat in design and is ideal for storing small items and papers. On each end of the bag and on the top of the main compartment lid there are padded fabric handles; ideal for grasping the bag for transport. And lastly the bag compresses with two compression straps that are designed with additional webbing pieces to serve as a strap keeper.
This bag can hold an abundance of my biking gear! I packed it up for the first time the night before my century (100 mile) ride. I was able to pack my helmet, cycling shoes, extra clothes, cycling layers, food, sunscreen, creams, and other necessities with extra room to spare. The zippers were easy to open and the main compartment was easily accessible. I did not use the shoulder strap for the first outing as the bag was not too heavy for me to carry in my hand and I only had to carry the bag to my car and then use it just outside of my car at the event. The compression straps were easy to tighten/loosen and the extra webbing was routed through the strap keeper webbing (so the straps were not dangling all over the place). I was happy that all my gear for my event could be stored in one bag instead of me taking three separate bags as I usually do.
Update: 11/20/11
The Osprey Transporter has been used for the past month to tote around my biking gear and clothing while traveling. I love this bag! It is the perfect size to store my biking gear for a weekend away from home or for my after work or local weekend rides. The bag fits in my work locker or under my desk without any hassles.
This is one roomy bag! In the main compartment I can fit extra water bottles, helmet, shoes, clothing for biking, jackets, after biking clothes, lights, sunglasses, food, drink powder, etc. I have yet to stuff the bag completely full that it did not zip. The main compartment is so roomy that many times I have to take items out to find what I am looking for. Small items seem to get lost in the main compartment (not literally lost, just hard to find). It would be nice to have an extra pocket outside the main compartment (running lengthwise) or a divider to separate the items more. I wish there were side pockets on both ends of the bag. This may eliminate my wish for a main compartment divider. The one side pocket is large and I like that I can stuff it with my miscellaneous supplies. I store my MP3 player, sunscreens, creams, lights, contact lens solution, identification bracelets, and gloves in the side pocket. I also wish the lid pocket expanded with some height, giving me more storage options. Currently I can only store flat items inside of it (maps, papers, badges, etc.).
The bottom of the bag and the bag material I would call “indestructible”. Well maybe not indestructible, but there are no signs of wear on the fabric or the sturdy bottom of the Transporter. This is even after tossing the bag down to floors, asphalt, and the back of my car. The handles are sturdy and are padded. Thus carrying the Transporter (even when mostly full) is not uncomfortable in my hand. I mostly carry the Transporter by the lid handle. I have used the shoulder strap; it does not become unclipped under load and serves its purpose well. I prefer to not carry this type of bag on my shoulder; as there is too much weight placed on one shoulder. I keep the shoulder strap attached to the bag just in case I am in a pinch and need to carry the Transporter and have my hands free at the same time.
This bag is a keeper and I get many complements on it. Many people know the Osprey name from backpacks and they are surprised to learn that the Transporter is an Osprey bag.
Update: 1/2/12
The Transporter 46 has been used for the past three months to tote around my cycling gear. I absolutely love this bag! It has proven to be very durable, roomy, and comfortable to carry. I still would like to see a divider in the main compartment or pockets on both ends and on the front of the bag.
The Transporter 46 is now my only cycling gear transport and storage bag. It fits my gear and accessories with room to spare. The Transporter 46 is the perfect size to carry everything I need for cycling. In this bag I can cram my cycling clothing (plus some extra layers), shoes, helmet, lights, lotions, food, water bottles, and miscellaneous items.
The bag is comfortable to carry on my shoulder or in my hand. I can carry it fully loaded on my shoulder comfortably (as comfortable as it gets when carrying a bag on a shoulder). There is a squeak from the clips on the shoulder strap when the bag is loaded down. This squeak is trivial, but I thought I would mention it. Depending on the load of the bag and or how far I have to carry it, I will at times use the lid handle or the side handle to hold it. Either padded handle works great, which one I use just depends on the type of load and where I have to carry it.
This bag has been tossed in my car, on asphalt, in dirt and it still looks great. It comes clean nicely with a damp cloth. There are no scuffs on the bottom of the bag, rips in the fabric, and the zippers work perfectly fine.
I get lots of complements on this bag! Many people are still amazed that Osprey makes travel type bags as they are most familiar with Osprey packs. This bag is a keeper and I will be using it for my cycling adventures in 2012.
The Transporter 46 retails for $69.00 and can be viewed or purchased at www.ospreypacks.com. The Transported is backed by Osprey’s Guarantee; for more information please view the manufacturer’s website.
[...] Osprey Transporter 46 [...]