I purchased this rucksack a few months ago and I do love it. I think it looks nice and is sturdy and just having the LLBean name and return policy behind it guarantees that you will be happy with your bag. All of that being said, I cannot give it a five star rating. I actually think it deserves more like a 3 1/2 stars. The only flaw that I see in this bag (which is pretty big) is that when the bag is packed to the top, the strap used to secure the top flap is too short. You cannot fill your bag to the top and close it properly. When I called and asked if they had something along the lines of a fix (maybe an exstention belt or something), they told me they had nothing, but I could return it if I wanted.
Again, I do love the bag and think it is worth the hefty price tag for a back pack. The only issue that I have is the strap is too short.
All of that being said, I am still keeping the bag. I think if you will use it and not pack it to the top, then you are safe, however, just be aware of this negative aspect of the product. I hope that this is helpful.
I was excited to recieve the bag before my trip. However, while the waxed canvas material is durable enough and held up well I cannot say the same for the buckles. I could not keep them snapped in place. I had this backpack loaded for a weekend trip, but the spent the entire trip constantly latching down the main flap to keep my stuff from falling out. Thank goodness the two smaller pockets had zippers or I would have lost my car keys! I will be sending this back. Sorry LL Bean, but this one needs work.
I almost returned this item because the latches for the flaps don't stay latched. Every time the leather strap tongues that hang over the metal latches are pressed up against anything, the flaps pop open and you don't realize it until you take it off your back, which might not happen until after you've been walking around in the rain unaware that the contents of the bag are exposed to the elements. In fact, the latches are so unreliable that just picking up the bag usually causes them to pop open. I like the bag so much in every other respect, however, that rather than go through the hassle of returning it and than having to look for something else that wasn't plagued by such a design flaw, I took it upon myself to fix the flaw by bending the metal bars inward just enough so that the spring-loaded catches don't come loose so easily. They still can be unlatched by accident -- just not as easily. So it remains a problem that I don't like because I have to worry about it. Ideally, you would offer to replace the latches with ones that are more like the plastic pinch-on-the-sides latches used on Jansport backpacks where the risk of them accidentally opening is nonexistent and therefore never a concern. I'd be happy to return the bag if you agree to replace the latches with ones that are 100% reliable.
