Review on Hynes Eagle Backpack Approved Packing by Ken Reiff

Overall it was a good investment for my 14 day trip to Europe. We stayed in hotels so I only had to lug it around going to/from the airport or train station, but even then it held up well. Packing cubes were a good investment; However, I want them to be double sided. I traveled with the medium to small cases because when using all three you have virtually no space in the main compartment and it felt quite heavy once I had filled and packed all three cubes. Clips and straps on the outer 4 corners of the suitcase were lifesavers; They close the bag and prevent it from feeling like you have a giant, square tortoise shell on your back. There is a chest strap, but it's very cheap and has a lot of stretch so it doesn't help with weight distribution at all. If you have a large chest or broad shoulders, the straps may even be too small for you. I'm an average height woman and even with the strap fully extended it still fit my chest fairly snugly. I decided not to use it. I wish it had a waist belt; it would be a lifesaver for my shoulders. The remaining shoulder straps are easily adjustable even with a backpack. The handle on the side is a handy feature when I wanted to carry it like a suitcase, and it gave me something different to grab when removing it from the top compartments. They really need to do something to strengthen the backpack strap better. clips. The mechanism for attaching the strap to the bag is a combined metal hook that snaps onto a plastic loop. Less than a week into my trip, the plastic portion of the clip buckled so badly that the metal hook would not engage and the strap came loose. Luckily the plastic part didn't break, but I had to spend some time deforming the plastic part to hold the metal hook. I would expect these flaws from something I've been using for years, not a seven day bag! I will definitely use this for other trips; It may be a while before I take it abroad again just to make sure the straps don't snap. Otherwise, it's a solid case for anyone who packs smart and wants their hands free when travelling.