This pack has the most UNCOMFORTABLE STRAPS I have ever felt in my entire life. The straps are made out of very stiff, rough fabric that rubs horribly along my neck. Even when empty, I felt the urge to rip this thing off as soon as I put it on. I found I could adjust it so it would fit lower on my back and not rub my neck as much, but then the straps didn't lay flat on top of my shoulders. Perhaps this would get better with wear, but I have no intention of keeping it long enough to find out.

Straps aside, the backpack seems well made. The pockets are strategically placed. There is tons of room, but the bag doesn't poke out too much when empty. The rain cover seems like it would work well and tucks away easily into the bottom of the bag. This does mean that the bottom of the bag is not flat which I could see being bothersome. Also, this backpack is heavier than most when empty - so if weight is a big concern you might look elsewhere.

Overall, for me the straps made it unusable but based on the positive reviews, clearly the strap setup works okay for most people and might even work for me if I was dedicated enough to try to break them in.  So despite my returning it, I gave it 3 stars since I believe this could be a great backpack for someone else.