Great backpack
The plan was to get a backpack that I could take on a cruise/tour of Alaska. Activities would include airline travel, hiking, whale watching, rafting and site-seeing from the ship and train. I needed a pack that would carry two 1 liter water bottles, 7 x 50 binoculars in outside pocket, 15 inch laptop in dedicated interior sleeve, hold raincoat, sweatshirt and one day's clothing, fit under airline seat, outside straps, comfortable carry handle and straps, durable construction, good looks an...d excellent warranty. This pack handily met all of my criteria except one: my binoculars did not fit in the outside rear pocket. Sadly, I had to return the pack because of this shortfall (attempts to verify the dimensions of the pocket prior to purchase were not successful. You just have to try it.) I really wanted this pack to work and I loved everything else about it. If your requirements don't include carrying large binoculars, this may be the pack for you. The material is very durable. The zippers should last forever. The shoulder straps and back pads are excellent and very comfortable (not all packs have such great straps, trust me. You really have to look hard to get really outstanding straps. This pack has them). The main compartment is very open and roomy. It's a top loader so you have to be willing to do a little digging to get to things. The retro look is the best. I don't like the schoolyard backpack look or the seashell look of some hiking day packs. The rucksack layout with it's dedicated exterior pockets are perfect for carrying water bottles, raingear, first aid kits or other items you want to get at quickly and easily. The leather lashdown squares while attractive would not really be very effective. There needs to be two per side or the item you've lashed down will annoyingly swing back and forth as you walk. (The new Kelty Wing is a similar pack with two lash down points per side.) Overall this is a superb pack: outstanding North Face quality materials and construction, awesome retro design, lifetime warranty and super comfortable.
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