Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The reviews for this product were so good that I was sure I would like this bag. I purchased it for a trip to Italy where we were traveling light and taking only a carry-on.The bag is functional and attractive but, for me, very uncomfortable to carry. It weighs 4# empty which doesn't sound like much but in reality, it's a heavy backpack. My husband used an old Jansport we've had for years and in comparison, his was featherweight. Even with the shoulder pads, it dug into my shoulders making it uncomfortable to carry for any length of time. The waist band did not seem to help the shoulder pressure. I could have dealt with those limitations, chalking it up to lack of upper body strength until we arrived in Florence. We had to walk 3 blocks to pick up our rental car and it was raining. Not pouring, but a nice soaking rain. And soak it did. It never occurred to me that the bag wasn't water resistant. I did not expect it to be water proof but I did expect it to shed most of the water. Most backpackers hike in all kinds of weather. Instead, it soaked up every rain drop out there and by the time I was able to open it to unpack, all my clothes were wet as well as my laptop and Kindle. I had another eBag item, the Villa Crossbody Bag in the mesh zipper compartment inside the backpack. That bag also got wet, the dye ran and it stained the mesh on the compartment. I was grateful that no clothing was stained! In comparison, my husbands Jansport shed every drop and all his items were completely dry. I am disappointed in this bag and cannot recommend it. If I had it to do over again, I'd look at a second Jansport.