REI Co-op  Trail 25 Pack

I really tested this pack by using it as my only bag while backpacking Europe for about 6 weeks. Most fellow travelers had much larger bags but I felt this was sufficient. Fits well on airplane/bus/train under feet, on lap, or overhead. Great variety of pockets/compartments and holds much more than expected. I have no real complaints, but a couple small things include the zippers can be awkward especially as the pack reaches capacity (catching/hard to slide), and secondary compartments tricky to access for quick/small items - again, as bag fills this gets worse. These are very insignificant and picky but FYI. I sprayed it with a waterproofing agent, added the small/20L Duckback and had a great trip! Bottom line, solid bag.

I have found this pack to be perfect size for my day hikes 3-15 mile hikes. No sorness of shoulders (If adjusted correctly). I carry 1/2 to 1 gallon of H20 and all 10 essentials always. Binoculars 8x25's, Para cord, camera, small amount of TP, Layers that have kept me comfy down to 25 deg so far. All fit and feel great in the pack with room to spare. Yes some of the stuff might be overkill to some people, but that only means a lighter pack for them. I also use this when I Fly (about 20 times a year) as my personal carry on. Holds water bottle laptop and cord, mouse, little fruit/granola, ect and feels fine. I bought this back in May 2012 and have put 300 hiking miles on it and about 12 flying trips with no issues at all. I have not tried or used the hydration inserts/tubes to comment on that. Just shy of 6' tall with a stocky build.

The seams that connect the arm strap on the bottom are coming undone. This has made me uneasy because I have not even done any rigorous hiking yet. I am probably going to return it. Other than that problem, its been a good backpack, very comfortable.

I tried to like this pack. For a couple of weeks, I used it for everything. Ultimately, I could not make it comfortable. The shoulder straps are very well-padded, but they attach to the top of the pack at too wide an angle, causing them to lay across the periphery of my shoulders, rather than between my chest and shoulders (where most other packs fit). This restricted movement of my arms and led to fatigued shoulders after a day of walking around. You can bring in the shoulder straps a bit with the sternum strap, but this makes it feel constrictive across my chest. I am fairly skinny, and would not recommend this pack to someone with a slim build. It would work better for someone with a broad chest and wide-set shoulders. Ended up returning it for a Patagonia Refugio 28L, which fits much more comfortably.

I have been backpacking for two years now and have been trying new gear to see what i like. I have never gone wrong with any of the rei brands there a great value. I have used the backpack for mainly day hikes and school. It has plenty of space for food and water and the built in spot for a hyrdation pouch comes in handy. Its a great backpack and i have gotten good use out of it and nothing has broke. I am very pleased with the product does everything i need!

I got this for a 3 week trip to Thailand and Cambodia about a year ago. It would be the vessel for everything I took, no other luggage. I was able to fit my clothing, 10" tablet, DSLR camera and case, chargers, maps, water bottle, sling bag, extra sandals, first aid & toiletries kit, and various other bits and bobs. It performed exceedingly well and I plan to take it on longer trips in the future. My only complaint is that the mesh on one side of the bag ripped on the first or second day with no abnormal use. I figure it might have been a defect, and I will likely try exchanging it soon. That doesn't take away from the rating at all, I love this pack - it exceeded my expectations! I have taken it on a number of short trips since. The colors are also lovely shades and a welcome option compared to all the other boring black, grey, and lusterless blue packs available out there.

Took me 30 min to get my Osprey Hydration pack tube just right on the outside of the pack. Comfort and position are important so I tried several ways. A how to guide would be nice for those who don't want to invest the trial and error time. I rather enjoyed it(; for those that need help, just thread the tube out of the h2o hole then up through the loop you would hang the backpack by. To keep it in place through the first loop on the shoulder strap and magic you are good to go. The backpack is great the osprey makes it more rigid which I like. Plenty of room for what I want to carry around on family adventures. A con I would love see improved for this price point would be a more sturdy waist strap it's pretty much non existent on this pack.

The three reasons I bought this pack is the olive green color, no hip belt and organization pockets. I believe in the price, quality and innovative design of REI products. I try to choose earth tone colored products to blend in with the environment. With this in mind I have purchased many REI products in the color green. For me choosing a backpack is difficult due to my long torso length 24". Most packs are not designed to adjust this long. Unfortunately all of REI's current day packs with hip belts don't fit me. I had passed up looking at this pack on many trips to REI. Then a friend had tried this pack on and I realized it didn't have a hip belt. This pack will work for someone even with a long torso like myself. Finally I found a REI daypack that fits me and the color I wanted with lots of organization pockets. I have been on numerous day hikes with this pack. One trip I was very comfortable carrying a 17 pound load. Even with out a hip belt the pack carried the load just fine. This is due to the well padded shoulder pads. With the organization pockets on this pack. Carrying the ten essentials is easy to find what I need with out dig through the pack. The durability of the material has held up well so far. I'm sure I will be using this pack for many years to come.

The designers clearly looked into how a convenience pack is used and abused. This little day pack has enough pocket options and capacity to cover business travel trappings as well as a day on the trails. The expandable cargo space and 180 zippers make it a viable overnight business garment and toiletry bag. The well padded shoulder straps take the load pretty well while still giving you full shoulder movement - great for running through airports or scrambling through lesser know trails.

My kindergartner decided he wanted this. His Lucky Bums bag that he uses daily for school just wasn't quite big enough to allow papers to lay flat. This however, looked like it'd do the trick. And the mesh pocket inside is perfect for holding those papers against the back if he doesn't have a folder. Unfortunately, this is bigger than it looked. I'm a little sorry I didn't sway him towards something like my old North Face Miwok. But, bottom line, he still loves it and it's working well.