Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I read the earlier review about the sleeping bag pocket being too small, but bought this backpack anyway. Sure enough, you weren't lying! As soon as I took the backpack out of the box, I grabbed my sleeping bag and tried to stuff it in there. After about 5 minutes of jockying it around, I did manage to BARELY get the thing zipped up. However, the sleeping bag I used is my summer bag. If I tried to stuff my winter bag in there, with bivy sack and stuff sack, there's no way it would all fit. This can be a problem if you're intending on doing a legitimate backpacking trip in high altitudes with cold weather. All this being said, I'm in the Army and I take a different approach to this issue than most civilian hikers probably do. In my opinion, you don't need to have your sleeping bag available for quick access. The only time you use it is at night, when you'll have time to dig in your bag and get it anyway. Since the sleeping bag pocket is too small, just throw your sleeping bag in the big compartment...this compartment is large enough to easily hold a winter bag. Use the sleeping bag compartment for more important items that you might actually need to access quickly (medical kit, rain gear, flashlight, signaling device, GPS, knife, etc.) Therefore, problem solved. No need to return the bag. Another negative I saw mentioned in a previous review is all the excess straps that hang loose. Not a problem...just get some 100mph tape and tie it all down. Too easy. The rest of the pack seems to be quality. The material seems durable and there is a good deal of padding along the back and straps for a comfortable fit. Everything is adjustable so you won't have any problems getting this backpack to fit all shapes and sizes of hikers. It also has a quickly accessible rain cover which will definitely come in handy during those suprise thunderstorms. All in all, this pack seems to be pretty reasonable for the price you pay. I'm going to Colorado for a 3 day hike soon and will be taking this pack with me. I'll update this review upon return to let you know how it holds up in the elements.