If you travel a fair amount you’re familiar with the hassle of boarding a full flight or being on a low-priority boarding list. The hassle is made worse if your carry-on bag is too big and has to be gate-checked. That means waiting in a line upon arrival to retrieve the bag, often causing you to miss your connection.

If you want to reduce such hassles while traveling, the Osprey Ozone Duplex travel bag might be for you. I have the blue one designed for women; there is a men’s version that is black and slightly larger. In this post, I’ll review the women’s bag; it’s the only bag I ever need for domestic and international travel.

The Osprey Ozone Duplex

Osprey makes several different bags for hiking, camping, travel, or just heading out for the day. I opted for the Ozone Duplex travel bag because I was planning a two-week trip to Germany. I needed a bag with which I could move quickly through airports and train stations, and I wanted to avoid checking luggage when flying.

The Osprey Ozone Duplex consists of a daypack and a cargo bag that can be used together or separately:

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• The daypack is designed to contain heavier items, such as a laptop, and can be stowed as a personal item on a plane. It also holds items you want quick access to, such as toiletries, money, or your passport.
• The cargo bag holds gear that you don’t need to get to right away, such as clothes or shoes. On the plane, the cargo bag can fit in the overhead compartment. It also stays in your hotel room as you take the daypack with you.

The women’s bag weighs 4 pounds, has 60 liters of capacity, and is 20.1″H x 13.8″W x 9.1″D. You can check the dimensions for the men’s bag here. The Ozone Duplex has other neat features:

• Laptop sleeve in the daypack, which can store a laptop up to 15 inches.
• Discreet storage such as a zippered pocket behind the shoulder harness.
• Shoulder strap that hooks onto the cargo bag, for another carrying option.
• Adjustment straps for the hips, chest, and shoulders to give you the most comfortable fit.
• Organizer pockets for easy organization.
• Padded handles that are more ergonomic and easier on the hands.
• Gender-specific fit for both women’s and men’s bags.
• Dual water bottle pockets on both sides of the daypack.
• Compression straps in the cargo bag to keep items from shifting.
• Mesh zippered pocket inside the flap of the cargo bag.
• Easy-access liquids pocket at the top of the bag for security checks

What I love about the Osprey Ozone Duplex

• It’s ergonomic. The daypack is on the inside. This is different from many dual backpacks, which position theirs on the outside. This means that the Ozone Duplex design allows for better weight distribution.
• It’s durable. I took this bag on a two-week trip to Germany and carried everything in it. The nylon honeycomb fabric and overall construction made the bag hold up under a variety of travel conditions and rough treatment.
• It’s attractive. The color of the women’s bag is Buoyant Blue, and it looks sharp! Dark blue colors are my favorite, so this bag caught my eye right away. I even got compliments from a few fellow travelers during my most recent trip.
• It’s more secure. Pickpockets are always a potential threat when you’re traveling, but there are plenty of hidden pockets that allow you to carry your most personal items without worry.

The Downside

• A bag that an carry so much can also feel heavy at times. If that’s the case, just adjust the straps, starting with the hip belt and working your way up to the chest and shoulder straps.
• At $220, the bag can seem a little costly to some folks. But the convenience of getting on and off a plane quickly, and not being slowed down by suitcases you have to drag around, are worth the cost!
• The dual bags can be difficult to clip together if you have too much stuff in the daypack. But I still always manage to clip the bags together.

My Final Answer

The Osprey Ozone Duplex 60L women’s backpack was one of the smartest purchases I ever made. I’ve taken my bag on international trips and to professional conventions. If you prefer to travel light, and if you like to outsmart the ticket agent who tries to tag your carry-on for gate check, consider making this backpack part of your regular travel.

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