This bag is expensive, and very well made, but was not something that I became very excited about.  Don't get me wrong, it has some nice features, but a couple of issues have me disappointed, and I would not buy this bag for me.

CONS:

1) It is very hard to unzip the bag all the way around, because you first have to remove two awkward straps midway down the sides (with tight hinges that are hard to undo and redo) to do so.  I really don't like this design.  Had this been something that worked better, I'd give the bag another star.

2) The bag is not waterproof.  Some things I was carrying inside got wet, and I was disappointed it wasn't a little more water resistant.  Not sure I would want to carry wet towels or clothes inside...

3) The way the bag deals with straps makes it difficult to adjust, should you need to.  Most backpacks just have loose straps; this bag has them tightly bunched up in a ball and velcroed together.  It really isn't worth the effort to undo them and retie them to adjust the back straps.

PROS:

1) I like the crushproof container.  What a great idea.  You could put sunglasses or small electronic items here.  Nice addition.

2) Rugged.  The material that it is made of seems pretty durable.  I expected that with the high price tag and I was not disappointed.

3) Lots of pockets and zippers.  Also, since it is so square, and has all those compartments, it really feels more like a carry on suitcase than a backpack.  This is not a bad thing, and makes me like it a bit more, as I can fit more into it.  (I would rate this 4 stars as a soft case carry on bag, but only 3 as a walk around backpack).

4) Handles on both ends.  This is a nice feature as you can grab it from anywhere to take it with you.

Overall, the bag is interesting, just not my cup of tea.  If it were 40% cheaper I would give it 4 stars.  As it is I recommend that you see this bag in person and fiddle with it before buying, and you may be very happy you did or didn't buy it.