I love this pack. I bought it to haul climbing gear to the local runs but I love it so much that I have ended up using it as my school pack. My notebooks fit nicely in the hydration pocket my textbooks, jacket or other larger items fit well in the main compartment. I doubt it would fit a laptop very well though. it is rated for 35lbs if I remember correctly but I have carried 45 with no worries or discomfort. I realize that this pack was not designed for school but it is so versatile, well designed, and constructed that I cant stop using it for all my small loads. I love this pack so much that I bought the Whitney and the Electra, for my wife and I, for our longer adventures. Gregory makes no claims of this pack being water proof, so where heavy rain or snow is a concern the rain cover($20) has been an invaluable purchase. It packs very small and easy to use, plus you don't end up with a bunch of water in the bottom of the pack to ruin your camera(wink wink). Quality pack! Purchase this pack with no worries.

The pack appeared to be what I wanted, but I did question the angle of the vertical zippers when I bought it. It appeared the zipper flaps would catch water running down it. I assumed Gregory had designed it to stay water resistant, so I bought it anyway. The first time I got rained on, I wound up with a 1/2 liter of water in the bottom. Items packed in zip lock bags were submerged and got wet. I wrote Gregory and told them of my experience (camera, which was in a plastic bag, got ruined) - they never responded. I will never buy another Gregory backpack.

My Ekko has never leaked. I hike in Florida and it downpours every time I'm out. It is the best pack I've ever had. I like the slim lines of this pack. My elbows never hit it when I'm scrambling over or around obstacles. It holds everything. I have nothing but good things to say about it.