Lightweight

Inconvenient to pack, Not enough straps

Avid Adventurer

Minimalist

No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I will not recommend it. I wish that the peoples who design it will need to use it in real life for minimum a week… Good – light weight and convenient on your back. But that is all. Extremely inconvenient to pack. If you need to fill it for less then 50% of capacity – forget about. You will not be able to tight your gear in it. If you need to fill it to maximum capacity – also forget about. Because of construction it is very difficult to make a dense packing of your gear. If you need to put small thing easy to loose – be very careful. Because of construction it is very easy for backpack to be opened from the bottom – and you can loose your belongings. You can loose them also from the closed backpack if the thing is small like a knife or spoon. I was able to use it only with two additional internal compression bags. So I please all me equipment in these bags, and after that place them in a backpack.

Comfortable, Easy To Load, Good padding, Large capacity, Lightweight

Backpacking, Hiking

Outdoor Professional

Minimalist

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I have used this product for a wide variety of actvities ranging from international travel to week-long treks. It is very lightweight, yet the tepex frame is strong enough to carry loads from 40-50 pounds. The full zip load system (from both top and bottom) is extremely effective and has a wide variety of benefits. I can access all of my camping gear on a hike without having to dig through a top-loading bag, and when going through customs i can simply open up the entire bag if needed. Also, the removable internal top lid make organization and access to smaller items much easier. The back has also held up better than i expected to harsh treatment and heavier, tightly packed loads. The only drawbacks i can see are that there is no breathability between the pack and your back due to the solid foam layer. Also, for those interested in keeping a good appearance, when the pack is not fully loaded the top does look a bit goofy, and the compression straps make the pack look uneven. (This poses no problems in terms of functionality however) Finally, if one of the front zippers did happen to break, (which i believe would be very difficult to accomplish), the use of the pack would be greatly affected, if not ruined. Overall a great pack that, once you find a system of packing it, is extremely efficient and easy to use.