Comments about The North Face Zealot 70 Pack:

Just bought this backpack but very happy about it. The first time when I've put it on my shoulders I was comfortable and safe.
After several days...It was really pleasure to walk and climb mountain with my backpack !

Comments about The North Face Zealot 70 Pack:

I recently upgraded all of my backpacking gear. I had not been out for several years, and I decided to hike the Georgia section of the AT. We planned on a 5-day hike, so 15 miles per day. I have lower back problems so I needed a comfortable backpack that would be able to take the load off of my shoulders and be comfortable around my hips. This backpack exceeded my expectations. It was very comfortable and I loved the Opti Fit system. It allowed me to dial in the height of the shoulder straps to make sure there was minimal weight on my shoulders. The hip pockets were the right size and easy to get into. The water bottle holder has a clip to allow it to be angled toward the front making pulling the water bottle very easy. It rained one of the days, and the gear inside stayed dry, so no issues with the waterproofing. I liked the access to the main compartment from the side. I do wish it had a zipper on both sides, but only having access to one side didn't limit me. It is on the heavy side, so if you are looking for an ultralight this is not it. So that covers most all of the pros. My one major con for this backpack is that the straps loosen, especially on the downhills. Since I am a novice, I am not sure if this is a general issue, or specific to my backpack, but my fellow hikers with different packs did not seem to have this problem. I would have to tighten the shoulder straps every ten minutes on the downhills. Hip belts loosened much slower, but it still was noticeable. Even with that con, I am still very happy with this purchase.