Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Each summer I spend a week volunteering as a youth camp counselor. It's an electronics-free camp where teens get a chance to unplug and swim, do archery, zip lines and handmade crafts. Parents expect that while they are out of touch with their cell phone-less children that the counselors will be well prepared for any accident, injury or unforeseen teen incident. (And believe me, the craziest things happen!) You simply MUST have a good, sturdy bag with you at all times full of the things you're going to need to remedy any situation, which almost always requires band-aids! This bag is surprisingly well thought-out. Inside the main body is a single pouch pocket along the back that is 7.5 inches wide. Great for stashing your guidebook (or a tablet) and keeping it separate from other items. The remainder of the main body (10 x 13 inches) is open and could easily fit a water bottle and sack lunch. Or, in my case, a large first aid kit. The front pocket features an abundance of pockets that are incredibly handy! First there is a 4x4 inch mesh zippered pocket. Behind it is a 5x4 inch open top slip-pocket for a cell phone, bottle of bug spray or sunscreen. Behind that is a large 6 x 5.5 pocket for your largest items. To the right of the mesh pocket are two pencil pockets, large enough to hold a standard Sharpie marker. (For some reason pens and markers are so hard to find when you're at camp yet you always seem to need one!) A red key clip dangles securely in front of the pockets. There is a small mesh cell phone pocket on the side. At first I thought it was a water bottle holder but at only 2 and a half inches wide, it was too narrow for a plastic bottle. That is fine because a bottle hanging off that side of the pack would bump against your side and rub you. Stitched into the side body of the bag, near the mesh cell phone pocket, are two back and reflective silver gear loops. They are large enough to slip a carabiner through to attach additional lightweight objects. On the cross body strap is a 7x3 inch zippered pouch. it's long and deep, ideal for holding anything you need frequent access to. I plan to keep a bug bite stick, a pen, chapstick and travel size essential oils in that pocket. The back of the bag is a black padded mesh which will help keep your own back and shoulders from becoming chaffed and overheated. The pack strap can be disconnected and clipped to a second attachment point on the other side so it becomes a left-handed cross body bag if desired. The body strap can be adjusted, extending to accommodate an estimated 250 pound frame. The material: I opted for the blue bag, which is a gorgeous vibrant aqua. The material is a rip-stop kind of weave and seems to be water resistant. This is perfect because I need a bag that I can spot across the mess hall that will easily shed glitter from crafts and splatters from food fights, all in the same day's work. I'm incredibly pleased with this bag! I was fortunate to be able to buy it at a slight discount (not free) to test out. It is well sewn and feels rugged; surprisingly so for the price. I've had many bags (I typically carry an REI Flash 18) so i know good quality and I know what will hold up under real-life outdoor abuse. I hope my measurements and pictures help you make the best bag purchase for your adventures!