I ordered this pack to use as a regular carryon bag and for general hauling of my gear. I'm not a hiker or avid outdoorsman, so I didn't buy this with those activities in mind. I really bought it because it was the largest of the carryon-sized, vintage-looking bags. For my tasks, this performed admirably. While it works as a carryon, it's perhaps just a big large when full for going under the seat in front of you. Afetr carrying it filled with a heavy load for several hours straight (along with putting my little boy on my shoulders for a while with the bag), I found it to be fairly comfortable. I liked the overall build and quality: the waxed cotton material was sturdy, but not stiff; the leather trims and straps seem like they will age pretty well; and the main straps were soft and supportive. The outside compartments were capacious, with the front one having an external zipper in addition to the buckle, as well as an internal zippered mesh compartment. I really appreciated that setup. The side pockets each had elastic-topped mesh divider that weas useful, but these seem designed more for holding large objects like a water bottle. The pockets have a gap between them and the body of the bag, I assume to hold walking poles that are secured by the leather straps/d-rings above them. I used those straps to hold bioncoulars, but otherwise found them superfluous. I was a big fan of the zippered pocket on the underside of the top flap - very handy for those things you might need to access quickly. Quick access is the Achilles' heel of this bag. If you're a parent like me and need to stash kids' supplies inside, you won't get to anything in a hurry, except maybe in that front pocket. This is really made for the leisurely gentleman hiker, not the parent on a plane. My other dislikes were the bag dimensions that made it comparatively long and narrow. Accessing whatever is at the bottom of the bag usually involves removing all of the contents on top of it. A lack of any internal dividers or pockets in the main compartment exacerbated this, as small objects quickly worked their way downward. Finally, the nylon waist strap was pretty useless. It is very thin, so it really offered no support for the bag's weight. I also found it excessively long, as if it were made for a man of Santa's girth who was wearing a bulky parka. I had to tighten it nearly all the way and then tie off about 2 feet of extra strap that was hanging down. These caveats can be dismissed as quirks that come with the territory when using a vintage bag. If you want the most practical setup, venture over to one of LLBean's nylon bags. If you want something that makes some compromises, but really stands out in a crowd, this is your bag. If you like vintage cars, quirks and all, then you'll probably like this bag.
I was loking for several places to get a real nice back pack for the value of my money ( every one like that if u like good things).Im a firts timer online purchaser, and whe i saw this one at llbean for first glance looks like real good stuff, retro durable and couzy, so i ordered, i get nervous in the time to arrive to my hands and finally when i opened the box and that specially smell in decriptible......and finally wear it and it is what i spected. I dont really care about some negative reviews about not to well made it and materials for me it good enough eaven by the time every good things has to shown its battle scars
I bought this back for myself for day hikes and as a bag to pack for short overnight trips. It ended up being smaller that I expected and I thought it was too small for me, being a big guy.
My daughter eyed it when at home from college and loved the retro look. She uses it for a book bag and overnight bag for short trips. She loves it and I am glad to see it being used so much. Being waterproof is a big plus.
It's a very nice bag, with a great feel that I really enjoy. The leather is pliable and has a broken in feel, which is exactly what this bag calls for. My only problem is what the pictures don't show you. The back side of this bag (the part that actually rests on your back) is a padded black nylon mesh panel. The description mentions padded 3D mesh but I didn't expect something that looks so modern on such a vintage looking bag. I'm sure it's more comfortable than waxed cotton against your back, but it sure looks out of place on an otherwise handsome rucksack.
