REI Co-op  Trail 25 Pack

I'am very happy with the upgrades to this pack. I now have two different versions of Trail 25. REI has made some strong improvements across the board with this pack. Newly designed padded shoulder straps that feel great when loaded. Slimmer bag design that hugs you like a glove. Side compression straps that help control the packs load better without interfering with the water bottle pockets. Much better pocket designs to hold all your essentials. Bottom pack material that is rubberized to handle abuse. REI choose quality materials over all for this pack. With all the new design improvements made.This pack should last years of outdoor abuse.

I use this pack mainly to haul around my EDC items. No, not a bunch of knives and flashlights like some youtube stars. But actual things I use everyday and need handy at work and when I'm out. I have carry lunch, big nalgene bottle, fleece, knife, pen light, multi tool, bulky checklists for my job, gloves, wallet, sunglasses, phone, etc. The different pockets and zippers make it a great versatile pack. The material this pack is make of seems really durable and the zippers are very tough. Im looking forward to years of use out of this product. I exchanged my first one due to the velcro inside the small compartment coming undone. The REI employee was great about it and I had a new one in a minute. I love the REI policy and I've used it when it really matters.

I got this backpack because i was in need of a larger pack for foreign travel/ day hikes. Next to some other packs in the store it looked small, but it holds everything you need and expands to be quite large. IT does have straps to tighten down smaller loads. The bag also has some enough pockets to keep items within reach. One problem is that there is no place i found for the camelback mouth piece to rest. Another negative i noticed is that the side water bottle pocket are pretty useless for plastic bottles but I use a camelback bladder sleeve anyway so its not an issue for me.

I purchased this to fill a gap in my equipment: I have an excellent hiking backpack and a great dump-camping duffel bag, but lacked a small day pack for day hikes and Boy Scout events. This back is packed with loads of great details; you can tell the design team took the time to understand what a day hiker would need for storage and comfort! There are just enough medium and small gear pockets, a generous hydration pouch, mesh pouches that fit wide-mouth bottles, and my favorite detail as a Scoutmaster: the chest buckle has a molded-in rescue whistle! Bravo, REI; this pack is well executed!

I really like this little trail pack. It is large enough to fit everything you need for a day out hiking, but not so large that you stuff it full of junk you don't need. Plus, with the ability to add a hydration pack (which I did) I have used this more than my really nice camping pack. Originally I was concerned about the lack of a real hip belt, but the shoulder straps have plenty of support for a full day as long as you don't start rock collecting on your day hike.

For an everyday backpack this one does the trick fairly well, so long as there is method in the way the pack is being packed. It is comfortable, offering good pockets for storage and water, a nice division for putting things in, and simplicity. What is most challenging is that the largest compartment has a short zipper, making it harder to pack bulkier items. When putting things into the middle compartment, items tend to bulge inwards, taking up space in the larger compartment, due to the thinner more flexible fabric used to separate the compartments. The back overall is comfortable and flexible, however, it does get rounded out rather than remaining straight if packed too full. I think for a simple day hike or general use, this pack would work fine, but for extensive use, or for someone who tends to fill their pack, it is limited.

Used this on a couple day hikes in Sedona and the Grand Canyon so far. It feels very durable and well made with a lot of pockets that make organizing gear easy to do. I carried a lot of water (enough for 3 people) and snacks with me in the Grand Canyon and the bag never once felt too heavy. The only complaint I have is with the bag's inability to ventilate as my tshirt was sopping wet with sweat after using the pack. I'm 5'5" and small framed and I adjusted this easily to fit my frame as well as my 6'2" larger framed partner.

I've used the pack a couple times since purchasing. I love that it fits my 1 liter water bottles in the side pockets. The zippers seem to be of a good quality and I've not had any problems with those as with other day packs I've owned. All the sewing and connections seem to be of high quality. I have no doubt I'll be using this pack for a long time!

Larger capacity pack than you'd think. I feel like I can keep adding stuff to it and it doesn't seem full. Great for work or hiking. Would like if the zipper for the large compartment went a bit further down on each side. Otherwise a great pack.

Perfect day pack for hikes with a friend (i.e. my dog). Enough space for plenty of water, snacks, dog stuff and other essentials for the trail. I tend to pick up all sorts of stuff I find along the way, too, from rocks and gar skulls to flowers and bones and everything always has it's own place in this pack.