Review on HIKPRO 002 Lightweight Backpack - Water Resistant Backpack for Enhanced Performance by Brandon Mcvey

Despite the good ratings, I was rather skeptical as to whether this package would meet my requirements. However, the price was right, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the light blue 25 liter version as I'm a cheap bum and it's $4 off. Package arrived within 2 days with free super saver standard shipping. The material is high quality lightweight nylon similar to what is used in tents or parachutes. It won't stand up to rough handling or harsh conditions, but I didn't expect that from a sub-$20 backpack. I'm 6 feet, 350 pounds, chest about 60 inches. The straps easily conform to my body and comfortably support the backpack on my shoulders. Though the straps aren't padded, they're soft, with mesh panels that are comfortable and breathable. The zippers are decent quality and have paracord-like drawstrings to make them easier to find. The stitching is surprisingly good for this type of backpack. with some effort to add reinforcement stitches where the handle and straps connect to the bag. More on sewing later. A planned week of certification training in San Francisco, followed by a week of cruising at the Dreamforce convention, and then a few days of easy hiking in nearby state parks, I expected a backpack to survive all of his strides. Deciding I wouldn't need my laptop, I put it on instead of my standard Swiss Gear backpack, which is my EDC when my laptop is chasing me. The inside pocket (the one that the bag fits into for storage) is perfect. for carrying your passport/ID, cash, keys and other items you want to protect from sneaky, prying fingers, and gives you a double layer of waterproof fabric protection. I used the smaller outside pocket for lip balm, cigarettes, BART/bus passes and other items I wanted to keep close at hand. The middle compartment is great for most EDC gadgets such as batteries, chargers, a small multi-tool, a small first aid kit, medication, etc. The large compartment easily holds a fairly large stack of notebooks and study materials on a change of clothes. Water bottle holders are suitable for holding bottles with a capacity of less than one liter. The larger the bottle, the greater the chance that it will fall out when pushed. I had spilled a full 1 liter bottle of water on my escalator while standing to the side to let the others pass. He fell off the ramp over the railing, nearly decapitating several people in the process. You have been warned! :o) While this backpack is suitable for carrying a 12" to 14" laptop or tablet, you can use a neoprene pouch for added protection as this backpack has no padding at all. Almost 2 weeks later this backpack was being used regularly with an average load of 20-25lbs. It never became uncomfortable or out of order regardless of its mission: - Commuter bag on San Francisco public transit and busy streets - My savior when acting as my wife's tourist mule - Carried a sizeable load of study materials in class - Dreamforce-Swag boat - Hiking backpack in several California state parks - Beach backpack while we hopped along the coast. The only potential issue I noticed was that a couple of the stitching next to one of the risers began to unravel. It probably doesn't matter since there are several layers of reinforcement stitching behind it. But I have a bit of OCD, so I attacked the tutu with my sewing machine when I got home. Every seam is now triple stitched, and the handles and shoulder straps are reinforced with multiple square stitches. More for your own mind. I plan to buy another one and pack it in my existing bag if I need extra capacity or if the bag somehow fails. The biggest weakness I see is a sharp object and nylon. Packing material. A little Gorilla Tape or other repair tape will suffice for emergency repairs if less than catastrophic failure occurs. pick one up you will not regret it.