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(More customer reviews)I read somewhere that it's important to encase a backpack with a duffel bag when checking it as airline baggage. The duffel bag keeps the pack's various straps and buckles from catching in baggage claim conveyer belts, and helps prevent the loss of items attached to the pack (or that fall from opened pockets). With that in mind, I figured I'd go with the Osprey Airporter for my plane ride to Paris, France, en route to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. It served me well, but was it really necessary?
The Osprey swallowed my 4,300 cubic inch medium-sized Gregory Baltoro with plenty of room to spare. It has a small external pocket for an ID tag, and a bare-bones shoulder strap for grabbing the Airporter off the baggage claim treadmill or hauling it around the airport. When not in use, the Airporter stuffs into a small pouch that is part of the bag, and the whole thing flattens down a little smaller (but thicker) than a Frisbee. The Airporter did its job on my round-trip flight - no pack straps or buckles were damaged, its metal zipper stayed closed without a lock, and I didn't lose any gear. And with a green ribbon tied around the carrying strap, it was easy to spot and snag on the baggage claim treadmill.
However, there are cheaper and easier alternatives to the Osprey Airporter. For example, I noticed that one backpack on the baggage claim treadmill had been wrapped in a clear plastic bag with the airline's logo on it (Continental). I'm not sure I'd count on every airline to provide that service, but it gave me the idea that perhaps all you need is a large heavy-duty garbage bag. It's not pretty, nor does it have a shoulder strap or ID tag holder. But a garbage bag can also double as a pack cover, liner, or poncho in case of rain. And after you've left the airport you can toss the garbage bag - however, you'll have to haul the Osprey around, thus taking up precious pack space and adding weight (to relieve myself of that burden, I eventually mailed the Osprey to a post office in Santiago, where I picked it up after finishing the Camino).
At any rate, if you have a fondness for specialized travel items and don't mind the extra bulk or expense, then go for the Osprey Airporter. It protected my backpack and prevented equipment loss, so I'm grateful. But keep in mind that there's nothing wrong with cheap and easy alternatives - a lesson I learned on the Camino.
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