Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I spent far too much time w/ this product looking at the various competitors: * Eagle Creek Packable Daypack ($27.50) * REI Stuff Travel Daypack ($22-$30) * REI Flash 18 ($32) * Eddie Bauer Rippac Packable Daypack ($16.99 on current big sale -- normally $29) All of these packs are well made, created from nylon-esque "ripstop" material, and extremely packable. The Outlander Packable was the best in show for a variety of reasons. Eagle Creek: this was the one pack I didn't actually personally handle. But the specs state it's a very small pack, much smaller dimension-wise than of those here. For this reason, rejected. If you want a smaller pack like this, dig deeper. REI: These bags were great but they are both top loaders. I.e., they have a cinch style compression closure on the top (much like a compression sack for a sleeping bag). This kills it for me as I don't want to unbuckle a closure, lift it up, loosen the actual compression closure, and finally, dig through the contents of the bag. The upside here is that you can compress things down. But if you want quick access to your goodies it's less than ideal. Eddie Bauer: this was a great bag and at the current sale price of 16.99 I almost bought. The very minor downside??? The colors they come in are too in-your-face. The best was the black bag but it had neon green highlights. No matter where I travel I want something that can disappear... this bag cannot do that. Too much "styling" made it a bad choice for me. So back to the Outlander Packable bag that we are talking about. It's well constructed (I inspected every single seam and only found one "do over" that would result in absolutely zero issues.... just being anal and noting it). It is NOT the less-than-ideal REI compression style sack; it's just a backpack with various zippers. The zippers are a new style with a built in water cover -- not the kind with an obtrusive over seam which protects from water, these seem to zip better. The bag size is ideal. I stashed a 14.1" screen computer, with a padded carrying case inside. It fit no problem and left room for maybe a bottle of water, a sandwich, and a sweater or possibly two inside. That being said this is NOT a big backpack by any means.... but it held those products snugly and properly. Ugh anyways, after looking at all the options till my head nearly exploded I am very happy with this pack. Once I'm back from my travels I can comment on the ruggedness of the pack as well. G'luck shoppers--