This is one great pack. Would recommend to anyone. I have purchased many packs over the years and they just did not last. The quality is great and everything is as advertized.
I've been very happy with the version of this rucksack I purchased in ~2004; it's taken me -- quite literally -- around the world; across China, Mongolia, and most of Russia. It's hauled my groceries (easily holds five 5lbs bags flour) through six years of getting a PhD, and has soldiered on through my postdoc, doing additional duty as my airline carry-on bag (3 changes of clothes and two laptops: no problem).
And, of course, it's been a perfect bag for walking, biking, stilting, and skating around town.
So, when one of the shoulder straps finally gave way, I was excited to be able to replace it with the same thing. There was a surge of familiarity when I unpacked this new bag, but since then I've been filled with disappointment. The current revision feels like a "cost-cut" version of my older bag. The drawstring is canvas, not leather; and has been thinned. The top handle is narrower and less pleasant to hold (and displays some inner nylon strapping -- not as visually pleasing as the "entirely leather" look of the old handle). Many straps are thinner leather. The straps on the lower front do not extend around the bottom of the pack. And there is no longer an organizer inside the top pocket.
This last omission is critical for me. The top-pocket organizer of my older version of this rucksack has been incredibly useful. Right now, it's holding two pens, an iPod touch (fits the center mini-pocket perfectly), some band-aids, a pair of 3d-glasses (again, the center pocket), some loose change, and a honey nougat candy. With the new version, all these things would likely be hopelessly jumbled.
I would have been pleased to be able to report that I'd purchased another rucksack just like the 2004ish version of this bag that I own [and love]. Instead, I find myself returning a 2012 version that -- in my few days of attempted use -- has simply reminded me of its shortcomings compared to its predecessor.
