I take this bag everywhere I go. The amount of stuff I can put in here, whether it be 2 days worth of clothes and food or 2 six packs for the store 13 blocks away, this bag can handle it. It is light and has no frame, so you can roll it up and stuff it in your bigger bag without sacrificing too much space. I have had mine for year and a half now and it is still going strong.
This is not intended to be a mountaineering pack, nor a daily use gym bag. It was designed to be light and pack small so you can carry a small day bag in your backpack for those short day trips when you do not want to carry your entire kit. It will hold water, poncho, jacket, some food. It packs into a small size if you remove the foam pad which gives it shape and stability (you pack that separately if you use it at all) and is there for when you need it. It weighs nothing.
I have mixed feelings about this pack. If you put anything heavy in it, all the weight is at the bottom and makes it uncomfortable. I wish it had a stronger back panel and shoulder straps. My wife and I had this in Europe for a month and it is super durable, but I just can't get over the flimsy thing. It packs down into its own top which is pretty cool and makes it easy to back if you are going somewhere you only need it for the day. Overall, I wouldn't buy this again because I would rather have something that could hold the weight.
I've had 2 of these. Great summit pack for multiday expeditions. Does not like scraping on rock.It swallows everything I put in it for a long day. Boots, ice axe, jacket,snacks,2liters h2o,lite,extras. I place my rack in a stuff sack to protect the pack from sharp edges. Very lightweight. Kinda uncomfortable when full due to lightweight straps. But strong. I have to buy a new one every season depending on the abuse level. It's pretty gnar. Very lite no,t anything extra.
"Good for what it is.A temporary pack for summit day. Functional but not very durable."
08/22/11
I've had 2 of these light packs. They swallow everything needed for summit day. Axe, boots,jacket,2liters H20,snacks,TP,headlite,knife. The material does not like to be scraped on rocks. My rack needs to be put in a durable stuff sack to protect the pack on aproaches.However, it adds barely any weight to a multi day expedition pack. It can be un comfortable with a lot crammed into it, due to the light weight straps. But it has never failed,even with abuse. Semi bomber.
I love using this bag on simple day hikes. It is very light and big enough to hold everything you need. I just wish it was waterproof. Then it would be perfect.
This pack is definitely not intended for an expedition but is perfectly suited to both backcountry and front-country pursuits. The smartly placed compression straps allow you to pack as little or as much as you need--probably nothing more--and it barely weighs anything on its own. It is probably worth warning that the material used is definitely not completely bomber, but it's also not paper thin either. For $50 the extra features (like the stash pocket on the front and the convenient brain make this a great buy--plus the smart color combos make you look super suave.