Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm a serious backpacker, so when my teens wanted to go on a backpacking trip with me, I immediately began looking for gear for them. This pack jumped out at me because of the features for the price, and I have say that I am pleasantly surprised! As soon as I received the pack, I emptied my $250, big name high-end pack, and transferred all the gear to this one: In the pack- -cookset -alcohol stove -food -headlamp, lantern -map and compass -3lb sleeping bag (30degree) -hammock with bugnet and straps -hammock underquilt (25 degree) -9'6" x 12' silnylon tarp On outside of pack -2 water bottles -hatchet -extra sleeping pad (I did not need this extra pad, but I wanted to test all the gear straps) All of this only filled the pack about 3 quarters of the way, there was more than enough room for a lot more gear, but this is all I usually take. First of all, this pack is very light at 3.5lbs. -Starting from the top of the pack, there is a two pocket lid. The top pocket is huge, and small inner pocket is great for flatter items. On top of the lid there are 2 buckled straps to secure gear on the outside. Where the lid connects to the body, the straps are surrounded by sewn in elastic, so you can really stuff the lid full and strap it down tight without fearing that you will rip anything. -Slightly below and to the sides of the lid was a nice surprise: 2 zippered and very DEEP pockets on the outside of the pack. You could really store a good bit of gear here. In between those is the center vertical zippered pocket. This pocket is a little flatter, but you could easily shove your poncho or rain jacket here. This pocket is covered by two buckled straps that could secure other gear. -There are 2 tool attachments on the outside of the pack with gear loops at the bottom and heavy duty velcro at the top. I put my hatchet in one, and it was secured very well, I have no fear of the velcro coming undone. -At the bottom, there is a sleeping bag compartment. This thing is massive. My 3lb, 30 degree bag went in here, in its compression sack but uncompressed with a ton of room to spare. This space is separated from the main compartment of the bag by a drawstring and toggle (not a zipper like it says in the description). You can open this all the way if you do not want a separate compartment. -On the sides, there are 2 very deep mesh pockets with elastic collars for holding your water bottels. These are very roomy and secure. -Moving to the front of the pack (or back, whichever way you look at it) the shoulder straps are nicely padded and covered with a very comfortable mesh. At the top of the shoulder straps are load lifters, which was another nice surprise. Unfortunately, the shoulder straps are not adjustable height, they are sewn in. I have told the seller about this since adjustability was stated in the description. -The back panel is a trampoline mesh, and does a good job letting air through to your back, though it does not hold the pack completely away from your back. There are two aluminum stays here, but I could not figure out how to remove them as they seem to be riveted to the frame. They add really nice stability, and the pack is very comfortable here. -The hipbelt has very thick lightweight padding, and is contoured well. This is also covered by the same mesh that is on the shoulder straps, and does not chafe. Each hipbelt has a zippered pocket large enough for a cell phone, camera, keys, snacks, or whatever small item you generally like to have easily accessible. There is an area behind each pocket to stuff extra straps. -The sternum strap is elastisized on the back, so it's not stiff and moves with you nicely. The sternum buckle has an integrated whitle that is VERY loud. Nice touch. There is a D-ring on each shoulder strap for hanging gear. -Going inside the top loading compartment, there is a drawstring and toggle. This compartment opens up huge! There is a generous sized sleeve for a water bladder, with the exit for the tube placed at the top right of the pack. -As far as durability, I have to say I'm impressed with this first look. The buckles are lightweight and sturdy, with a satisfying 'click' when you close them, they don't wiggle or slip when closed. The stitching seems excellent, I have found no pulled threads or loose seams, and I was very rough with it when loading this pack. The zippers are good, none stick or catch on material, and none have come off-track, even with overloading a compartment to test construction. Each zipper has paracord with rubberized pulls, also a nice touch. The bag material, while not quite as nice as my high-end pack, is extremely nice for a pack in this price range. -Fit: I am 5'4" 140lbs, this pack fits perfectly. The hip belt is on the hip, where it should be, and transfers weight exactly as it should. My teen, who will be using this pack, is 5'1" and 100lbs. This adjusted down great, and she was very comfortable in it. Out of curiosity, my hiking buddy who is 6'0", 230lbs put this pack on. Amazingly, there was enough strap to fit her much larger waist, chest, and shoulders. However, I would not recommend this particular pack for larger people because the hipbelt pockets end up too far back to be useful, and the water bottle holders difficult to access. On both me and my teen, this pack put everything in perfect reach. -Overall, this is an absolute steal. This is not a $250 high-end pack, but for $45 at the time of this review, it is more than worth the money. The features on this pack simply can't be found on most packs in this price range. We are taking this pack out for a test hike this weekend, and will be doing a video review, so please check back for that. In a few weeks, this will be going on a multi-day hike in Pisgah National Forest, so there will be an update then as well. -I received this pack free in exchange for an honest review. However, I am so impressed by it, I've put my money where my mouth is and ordered a second pack at my cost for my other teen. Again, check back for updates, I'm interested to see if the quality of the second pack will be as impressive as the first. Edit: We ended up doing a 2 night trek in panthertown valley with FIVE of these! Yes, 5, all on teenagers who aren't gentle with their gear at all. Not one buckle broken, zipper off track, strap frayed, nothing. They did great, and all but one of the kids had no complaints whatsoever. One did complain about the bottom of the suspension digging into her lower back, so we shoved a rolled-up shirt under her lower back, and that helped. She was also the smallest of the group at 4'11" and 90 lbs, so please keep that in mind if you are in the market for the pack. Otherwise, I truely do highly recommend this pack, you really can't beat it for the price! Editing once again to mention the torrential downpour we have now experienced with the packs. I really didn't expect much out of the rain cover, but their gear stayed dry with the exception of the hip belt pockets that are not covered by the rain fly. Don't keep important items in the hip belt pockets duting a deluge, but the rain flu actually did keep the body of the packs dry. Win!