Just a bit too small for my needs

By avr100191980 Ranked #767 - Luggage December 31, 2008

Before the review begins I must say that I honestly tried to make this pack work for me but I had to return it, not for quality but because it was just too small.

Background:
I purchased it for an 8 day urban backpacking trip to Barcelona, Spain, which included a wedding (with the requisite suit and shoes) on the first weekend. The trip also included gear for light hiking (without main pack), train and bus hopping, and long walks to multiple hotels so I wanted a backpack for the convenience.

Construction:
The quality of both main pack and day pack is outstanding, the material is durable and water resistant (even without using the included rain cover), the frame is rigid, and the buckles and zippers are substantial (the zippers include very useable pulls even with gloves). All that is both good and bad because with the heavy duty nature of the materials used, the bag is physically heavy even when empty (8.5 lbs.) when compared with other packs.

Day pack capacity:
One of the requirements for me was to carry a 15 inch MacBook Pro laptop in the removable day pack/carry on. Although the computer technically "fit" into the daypack, it was bulging at the seams, putting a strain on the bag and more importantly the computer. There was also very little room left for the other "essentials" (fleece pullover, Lonely Planet guidebook, passport folder, small digital camera, energy bars). The outside side pockets were adequate for a collapsible umbrella and a thinner 27 oz. aluminum water bottle but I believe they would be tight for a typical 32 oz. Nalgene bottle (although I didn't try one).

Main pack capacity:
Clothing was kept to a minimum and was tightly rolled and packed into multiple stuff sacks. I also purchased and used an Eagle Creek Pack-It folder (HIGHLY recommended) for the suit jacket, pants, dress shirt and sweater. Although I tried for three hours packing and repacking, I just couldn't get what I needed to fit into the main bag. One reason (besides carrying too much stuff ;-) was due to the bottom compartment. It is a typical sleeping bag type compartment, that I was using for shoes, with its own zippered access. However, the bag becomes thinner along the track of bottom zippers so anything placed in the lower compartment is forced in and up into the main compartment. I mention this because the bag I finally used (Eagle Creek Grand Voyage 90L) did not have this same problem. The EC bag got wider rather than thinner and items in the lower compartment went down and out instead of up and in.

The bottom line is this is a very well made, rather small pack. If you can pack lightly, you won't be sorry because this bag will last a long time, has many good qualities, and should carry the load very well.

View Details: The North Face Backtrack 70 Backpack - 4250cu in

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