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- Verified Buyer
I'm giving this bag 4 stars because the shoulder straps are thin and stiff and the pockets on the outside of the bag are small and it is difficult to fit water bottles and other gear that I might want easy access to.That being said, I'm giving this bag 4 stars because although these are some drawbacks I'm still really pleased with this bag. The shoulder straps didn't bother me when I took it on an 18 mile hike and loaded it down with 8 liters of water, plus food and supplies. It held up well through airport travel and it held everything that I needed, plus some. The outside pockets are really tight and don't fit a water bottle when the bag is full, but there is an external pocket for a bladder, which I prefer to use while hiking, so I keep my extra water bottle in the main compartment and put other gear in the smaller outside pockets.There are a ton of straps on this bag, which means you can cinch it down from every angle and adjust it just they way you want it, but it does take time and trial and error to make it fit just right.It is a good bag for the price and I'm looking forward to using it a lot more.We got this pack in small size, and returned it after a home evaluation because the cons outweighed the pros.Pros: tons of room, comfortable fit at home, good design of storage and access, well-padded waist belt, included rain cover, awesome discount.Cons: material felt cheap and thinner than the competition, shoulder straps too narrow, no torso adjustment, padding in shoulder pads is 1/16" thick.This bag was bought to carry 20-40 pound loads on 2-5 day hiking treks (well within the 45lb load range), but I was afraid the pathetic shoulder straps might injure my wife on the long hikes if we hit the higher load range. I was disappointed to see the 1/16" padding and weak feel of the core materials. I would be surprised if it didn't rip trying to carry a 45lb load. The competing Osprey Aura felt much more heavy duty in all the materials, has somehow managed to fit extra comfy padding that is about 3/8" thick in the shoulder straps while maintaining the same pack volume and weight, has length adjustment in the belt and torso, and was only $30 more. The Aura feels like a finely crafted quality product, while I felt like I'd be getting ripped off if I kept the Cairn. The padding in my school Jansport is better than the Cairn, and it wasn't worth gambling my wife's comfort when we are out in the wilderness.I bought this after reading many rave reviews and made sure to buy the right size, but I was sadly disappointed. It's so uncomfortable! I will preface this by saying I've never owned a backpack like this before, but I felt like the back was digging into me and even after adjusting the straps many times, I still felt like they were digging into my shoulders. I love the color and it is quite roomy and had tons of pockets and places to stash things. But it just felt so bulky and uncomfortable (even when it was empty) that I couldn't imagine carrying it around for any period of time, so I decided to return it.I have to start with saying I will have to update this post because I haven't got to use this pack yet. In the meantime though I love it. The features are so nice yet simple. I love how the drawstring on the main pack works. I am used to having a smaller pack for hunting am impressed in the weight difference between the two. This one is so light with so much more room. We are planning some backpacking trips this summer so I will update this once I have gotten some time in with it.Countless amounts of storage, lightweight frame, wonderful adjustable straps and at a very good price! As a plus, this color is very beautiful and looks much like the picture. For those who enjoy overnight hiking and backpacking I would definitely recommend this little gem. Before you buy, though, I strongly recommend you get yourself measured to ensure that the pack is the right fit. If you're near one, REI employees are very helpful with this.I was finally able to use this pack, and I loved every second of it. Well balanced and light weight, this is definitely the perfect pack for 1-3 days of hiking or camping.Nice
