Great backpack!
I bought this backpack because I was looking for something light-weight, with thinner (but not too flimsy) fabric. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a backpack, because I knew I'd need to make alterations to it. See, I recently received a diagnosis that means I'll be using a wheelchair, so I knew I'd need a backpack to hang on the back of my chair. However, I also knew I'd need to make some alterations to ensure my backpack stays secure on my chair, since it'll be behind me. A backpack with rigid fabric or too much padding would be bulky and difficult to maneuver (especially around my chair). I wanted a bag with a decent number of loose pockets, but not too many, and I needed the interior of the bag to be accessible-- I didn't want the pockets to be too tight or hard to reach into, and I didn't want too many separate compartments taking up all the bag's space. It may seem like I was looking for a needle in a haystack, but really, I just wanted a simple backpack, without a lot of bells and whistles. I discovered that finding a simple backpack was a lot harder than I thought... at least, until I found this one! I LOVE the fabric-- it's not rigid at all, but it's not too soft, it moves and hangs easily, and if anything gets on it, I can usually just wipe it off. If I can't, I can handwash it or just throw the backpack into the washer on the 'Delicate' setting. I've only washed it once and it seemed to hold up just fine, but I can't guarantee it will still be 100% after multiple washes. I sew a bit, so I'm in the process of sewing over the hems that make up the body of the bag, simply as a precaution... and because I just enjoy doing it ;) However, let me STRESS that I haven't seen any fraying or loose threads thus far on this backpack! The size is great, too! There are 3 main pockets-- a medium-sized pocket on the front of the bag (like many backpacks), the main compartment, and a hidden, medium-sized pocket on the back. Inside the main compartment/body of the backpack are 2 mesh pockets that are decently-sized, and a zippered pocket. There is also a padded pocket along the back of that main compartment, so laptops or other electronics have some protection. The back of the backpack is slightly padded, as well, so if you ARE carrying your laptop inside the padded portion of the backpack's main compartment, your laptop will be surrounded by padding. Believe it or not, before I bought this backpack, I saw bags that only had padding on the front side of a pocket, so your laptop would just bang into your back every time you took a step, because there was no padding in the back of the backpack. The hidden pocket in the back of the bag is great for things that really need to be kept secure, like small electronics and compact wallets. Because of the padding in the back of the backpack, there isn't a lot of "give" to that pocket-- it isn't tiny, but it also isn't super spacious. It's a good place to hide the important stuff. Across the back of the backpack is a luggage strap. It's sewn on, so you'd have to lower the backpack over your luggage handles, if you wanted to transport the backpack that way. The zippers on the bag are also great. I unzip the main pocket multiple times a day, and they still don't catch or feel loose. All the zippers feel very secure. I'm really happy with this backpack! It's everything I was looking for! It even has a few things I didn't think of, but I'm glad they were included in the design of this backpack, all the same. So far, the bag has held up really well, and I'm glad I bought it! Read more
