I bought 2 of these a few years ago as bug out bags for my wife and myself.  Since then, they have only traveled in the trunks of our cars, except when I update the contents that have expired or are seasonal.  My wife's load is considerably lighter.  After changing the contents of her bag last night I tried to adjust the waist belt of her bag.  As soon as I tightened the belt and tried to close it, the side with the female receiver tore away from the main compartment.  Had that happened in the field, the bag would still have been functional, but would have made traveling cross country more difficult because the load would be totally born by her shoulders.  Based on experience with packs that don't have waist belts, I'm sure her shoulders would have been hurting within a very short period of time and that she would have fatigued much faster--factors that could prove disastrous in a  time-critical crises.  Now, of course, I don't have confidence in my bag--which carries a heavier load.  That's really unfortunate because the design and capacity of the bag is very good for a short haul (3 days) bag:  1) It's compact enough to keep one (or two) in the trunk of a small car and still have enough room for groceries, 2) It's side and top handles make it very easy to transfer between vehicles, 3) It has a pocket for a water bladder and well thought out side and back pockets that make it a decent "grab and go" bag, 4) Its molle straps and panels are standard size and allow secure attachment of add-on pouches, and 5) The zippers seem sturdy--at least so far, including the zippered expansion option.  All in all, I'm more sad than mad about the waist belt failure (though I might feel differently had the failure occurred in the field).