this is a really great pack. there are more than enough places to keep all your trail tools and it wears really well. the pockets around the waist straps are good for keys, mace and anything small you might need to keep close. I like the way the pack felt on my back and it wasn't difficult to move or climb in. the material is tough and doesn't tear. I highly recommend this pack to all hikers and climbers. I use it for travel as well. its just the right size that United considers it a carry on and you don't have to check it. LOVE iT!!!

I bought this before leaving to Wyoming for 6 weeks for course work. The average day involved 8-12 hours of hiking around mountainous terrain regardless of the weather. Everything has held up just perfect. Included rain cover was very handy. The pack was perfectly comfortable too, just make sure to use all of the straps for it. If I left the sternum strap undone, it became uncomfortable, but with all of the buckles and straps on and adjusted properly, it was perfectly comfortable. Held quite a bit of gear but it can compact pretty tight thanks to all of the straps and zippers to secure things. I managed to fit all of my field gear (notes, lunch, 2-4L of water, hammer, rain gear, first aid kit, etc) plus a cheap sleeping bag inside of the pack, and could have fit more. I plan on traveling later in the year and will update how it works as a carryon.

I independently purchased the WASING 50+5 Internal frame for my own adventures.

The reasons why I purchased this bag were (in order of importance): capacity, weight, max height, price, and color. I am 5' and the weight/height were important because it's easy for some of these rucksacks to get really tall and wide (especially for my frame), really fast. The capacity of this bag says 55L---it seems quite generous, however I haven't packed it completely out yet.

Capacity: While packing this bag, I attempted to use the lower compartment for storage of my sleeping bag (which is a youth size, thank you shortness). I blame the bag partially and the sleeping bag partially because the thing would not compress using the front zipper. I tried to stuff it in through the top and use the drawstring as some suggested, and that worked but left my bag bulging and uncomfortable. For future trips with this bag, I will be purchasing a very lightweight, compressible sleeping bag. When I take the sleeping bag out, it fits my tent poles straight from top to bottom without worry, so I believe my trekking poles will also fit well (but I usually do not pack them). I have a pretty easy tent to fold, so that went in without a problem and everything else followed. Plenty of room for me to put three changes of clothes, hygiene items, my tent/poles, cooking gear/pocket stove/kerosene, and bug/sun screen. I usually only backpack in the warm-ish months, so I imagine this bag would not suffice for an extended winter trip.

Weight/Height: The weight of this is excellent for me. It really feels weightless. The height is just right, however the shoulder straps cannot be moved down (only tightened) so they sit two inches off my shoulders, putting stress on my S-spine and weight on my hips. At 5', If I moved them down to support the weight, the bag would be below my bending point. My neck is not super long, so my head seems to hit the brain of this pack at every turn. It will take some finagling to figure out how to wear my hair up with this bag. This also brings me to say: terrible kidney pads (I don't know if that's what civilians call them, but that's what I do). They dig into my lower back without any weight in the pack, so I will be seeking out some new covers or something.

Price: Exactly the bag I expected for under $50.
Color: It is not red, it is hot pink, which I love.

Features: The compression straps on this bag are in all the right places, quite literally. The only thing I cannot stand is that there is no way to clean up the extra strapping while the bag is in use. The flat pocket on the front is perfect for things I need to stay flat without worrying about the squishing of the inside of the pack. The pockets on the side, traditionally used for water bottles are a little on the small side--I have not yet tried but truly doubt my 32oz Nalgene will fit (I ruck with a Camelbak bladder in my bag).

Overall: Once I get some kidney pad covers and figure out how to put my bladder inside and still be able to use it, it should be just "fine" for my use. Nothing exciting about this bag, and I would have gladly paid a little more for adjustable shoulder straps.

Quite nice for the price. Bought this so I could haul rope and quickdraws into the valley tho climb, and it has held up quite well. Use it daily as pack for misc goods. Only real concern is yhe mesh on the water bottle pouches, and the straps help to alleviate such concern. Cant see why this one would deserve any less than 5 stars. Recc'd to a friend and he is picking one up soon.

I purchased this bag for a 2 week international trip hoping that the price did not match the expected quality. I was obviously disappointed. The stitching is exceptionally low quality and began to give half-way through the trip. The rain cover came apart while putting it on the first time. Cinching the straps pulled the stitching away from the bag. The stitching connecting the top fabric to the pack ripped away in several places and the fabric itself began to pull apart. You get what you pay for, but when you are travelling, the thought that all your stuff may end up on the floor of a train station or the airport tarmac is just not worth the price of admission. Luggage is an investment--choose wisely. I returned the pack once I returned and Amazon handled it superbly.