A solid, sturdy, allbeit slightly heavy bag for massive journeys., 10/13/2008
Reviewer: Luke (Los Angles, CA)
i really looked a lot for backpacks as i planned my 3 month trip around europe. i am glad i returned my first purchase and found the eagle creek explorer lt. it met all of my needs. it was thrown on and off a few planes, countless trains, and even a few cars. it made it camping, being rolled in the dirt, dragged about a bit, and just generally not having any complaints.
the bag empty is too heavy i think, that is one of my only two issues with this bag. even empty it feels like you have stuff in the bag. it is rugged yes, but, i think i would have preferred to sacrifice some of its heft for less weight.
also, the detachable day pack is a good idea and worked well for me. although after months of taking it off and on i have decided it is not worth the hassle. the bag is only 25l and just too shallow to accommodate much more then a few nick nacks. i wanted to put a beach towel, a shirt and different pair of shorts to take to the beach, and it wouldn't fit. kind of pissed me off i had to empty my huge bag, just to take a towel. i would prefer next time to bring my own day pack and just roll it up and stuff it in the bottom and use it when i needed it. but other then that the day pack was quite perfect for most of my needs.
the duffel bag/rain fly/security cover is a good idea. i had a hell of a time fitting the bag into the duffel. i don't know why they designed it the way they did (the length of the bag actually being shorter then the height of the bag) so you have to bend the poles to get it into the duffel, and it didn't seem like these were poles that should be bent. weird. but i did use it, it didn't rip or tear and provided me with the ease of knowing my straps weren't going to be ripped off during transport.
i did like this bag and was glad to have it for my trip. i took it through 7 countries and 20 cities. it made it back in one piece and could probably have done the same trip 3 times over and been fine.
the bag has loads of storage space and the seperate enclosed bottom shoe pocket is huge and allows for a lot of versatility.
one hidden pocket on the very bottom of the bag is nice. the slip for a hydration system (though putting a full hydration bag in and filling it with clothes and gear would be a bit of a hassle, not to mention really heavy) is nice.
it loads like a suitcase which is convient.
not enough external pockets (in fact it only has one). so you will need to use the external day pack if you plan to store anything for easy retrieval.
why not 5 stars? too heavy, no external pockets, duffel bag conversion is a pain in the butt and does not fit comfortably.
it rides just fine on your waist with its hefty strap and the straps are padded and comfortable. not a load of breathability but its still very comfortable and fits snug and has loads of straps to adjust to find the right fit for you.
a solid 4 star pack. and i would recommend it highly and use it in the future.
