Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This bag is magical. That's the only possible explanation. In the last few years, I had fallen into the habit of way overpacking. I'd go away for a long weekend looking as though I was permanently relocating. On a trip to Europe in 2015, I brought such an enormous, heavy suitcase that I could barely maneuver with it--and that was before I bought any souvenirs. The trip home was worse. I vowed to turn over a new leaf and bought this bag for my next trip abroad. I'm pleased and amazed to report that this little backpack (along with a messenger bag) carried everything I needed for just over two weeks in Ireland and Scotland earlier this month (Aug. 2016). I'm not alone in finding the bag remarkable--when I checked into my Edinburgh Airbnb, the hostess asked where the rest of my luggage was. She was stunned that everything had fit into such a compact case. The pack is incredibly well-planned and -organized, and I found it reasonably comfortable (even when packed TO THE BRIM on my return trip), although I would not recommend it as a true trekking pack. It was an absolute joy to be able to zip off the planes and straight to my next adventure without waiting for luggage, and the backpack straps were easy to stow when I did check the bag on my return flight (because whiskey). For those who are struggling (as I did) to choose between the Jr. and the full-size Mother Lode: I'm 5'2" and found this to be just the right size. I suspect that the full-size would have been too large/unwieldy for my torso. And I honestly didn't lament the reduced packing space. Also, I was allowed to carry this onboard on both legs of a roundtrip flight between Dublin and Edinburgh (Aer Lingus Regional aka Stobart Air), despite the dimensions falling slightly outside their incredibly stringent bag requirements. (And I didn't do anything sneaky--both times I carried it up to the counter prepared to check it, only to be told "Oh, that's fine as a carry-on." But your mileage may vary). Anyway, the Mother Lode Weekender Jr. would have been a steal at twice the price. I'm not sure I'll ever use my fancy rolling suitcase collection again.