This was my first hiking backpack and it has seen me through many an outdoor adventure with only minor setbacks. A few pressure points in the shoulders, perhaps due to the minimalist padding, and no reinforcement for the front zippers. Other than that, a great buy for anyone looking for an affordable, versatile, hearty pack. Just keep in mind that at under 2000 cubic inches withough busting seams, and unless you're an ultralight, you're looking at some pretty creative packing for anything longer than a few days.

By traveler from New Hampshire on 3/28/2007

Just as described and very comfortable

This pack is super light but very expandable; perfect for weekend camping trips, or, if you're roughing it probably a week or so. It's a little large for just a dayhiking pack, but since it's so lightweight, you could do it if you had to. The best part about this pack is that it's front and top loading, which is very convenient since what I need in my pack always seems to be on the bottom. I climb hike and camp with this pack. My petzl helmet even fits in it! Also, it's just BARELY small enough to still qualify as a carry-on bag.