MOUNTAINTOP 40L Hiking Backpack Lightweight Travel Backpack for Men&Women Outdoor Camping Backpacking

I didn't expect much out of this pack. I was looking for a cheap, comfortable 40L pack to take as my only bag on a 2-week trip to the Middle East. The pack more than exceeded my expectations. It's comfortable, easy to carry, and has lots of pockets for small goods. If packed correctly it sits up without tipping over, and it fits in most overhead bins.I work 48 hours a week as a paramedic, and I've started using this as my work bag. It's also been on several trips with me since I went to the Middle East, and it's held together well. There aren't any signs of wear or tear on the bag yet. It fits everything I need for a 2-week trip if I pack light and have access to sinks to wash socks and underoos. I plan on using it until it falls to pieces (and then I'll probably buy another one).FIVE-YEAR UPDATE: I took a break from traveling during COVID, of course, but since my last update this backpack has been to Mexico, Canada, and is now on a two-week European trip. I don’t do much backpacking anymore but it’s still a perfect bag for me for two weeks of travel. It’s finally starting to show wear and the zippers are starting to get a little sticky, but I’m planning to do some TLC once I get back home. We’re going to order a second one for my partner.

I bought this backpack originally for a 2 month trip to Asia. I liked that it was simple (not a lot of complicated pockets), small, and came with a waterproof cover. It exceeded my expectations by far!! It is durable and lasted the rough backpacking nature of my entire trip. It is just small enough to use as a carry-on in budget airlines, saving me lots of $$$ on the road. Many of the people I met on the road had big 60 or 70L backpacks they had to check in at airports, not me! I got some many compliments and am so happy I went with this bag. I got it in the orange color, which I love! Some people might say its small for a 2 month trip, but it forced me to pack light and I am so happy I was not lugging around extra weight.It has become my go-to bag, which I have since used on weekend trips or short vacations. I am now getting ready to use it on a 2-month backpacking trip in Europe and I am so happy to have it. I recommend 10000% percent!

Due to COVID all the camping is still not allowed here in California, so I've been having to settle my wanderlust in me by doing very long hikes. For the past three days, I have taken this pack with me on my hikes. One day was easy hiking and the next two were long moderate to strenuous hikes. Here is what I found out >>>The Pros:The pack is lightweight, which is a great thing for any backpack. The comfortability of this pack is superior! I am not a tall guy (5'9") and was able to get the pull cords to fit my frame perfectly. The padding for your back is also top-notch stuff. It isn't that cheap material that I've often experienced in other backpacks. I also found that this pack has plenty of hook areas if you need to add an attachment using a carabiner or pull cord. There is also plenty of room inside the pack. I was able to stuff quite a bit of items in there and still had room left over. There is also multiple zipper compartments that offer great room. Sidenote: There is what they call a hidden compartment area for valuables, which is cool. But probably should have put a zipper in that area. All the other zippers have worked great with no struggling or snag. You can tell they are well made also.The Cons (at least for me):I purchased a pretty expensive 32oz steel water bottle. It fit easily inside the side mesh pocket holder. The problem, the side mesh is wide but not tall, making my water bottle top-heavy. Before my first hike, I loaded up putting the water bottle in the side pocket and placed my pack on. Ultimately the steel water bottle flew out of the pack and actually put a damn ding in my wood floor :-(. And as seen in pics my bottle isn't tall enough to reach the straps that are made. So I did raise it up but the water bottle was too heavy and would fall back out of the strap. On the top of the pack my 32oz water bottle was now too big for these straps as the straps were far too short and couldn't extend any further. See pic. I was bummed. I ended up using my 17oz out bottle (see pic) but be mindful. This thing also fell out because now it was too skinny. Ughhh. I ended up having to stuff my 32oz in my pack.Another small issue is the pack having zero waste pockets. See pics. Even some of my far more cheaper packs had small pockets located in this area. So anytime you need anything small i.e., chapstick, candy, etc. you must literally take off your entire pack. Not always the best thing to do when your on a single track and have folks behind you.Overall:I really do like this pack. I could easily take off multiple stars for the aforementioned things(because there are many) but I chose to only take off one star. Why? OVERALL IT IS A TOP-NOTCH pack that offers superior comfortability and plenty of storage space and has enough clips for attachment items if needed. Therefore, I have no problem recommending it, but just be mindful that you may need to make some adjustments to it. For instance, to solve the water bottle issue, I ended up purchasing several Vapur Eclipse collapsable water bottles and will end up just clipping them on.I hope this info can help someone. Happy hiking and Happy Trails! :-)

Fantastic bag. Keep it on me, in my car or my person, all the time and everywhere I go pretty much.

5 stars because it is a very nice backpack. So far, I have used it several times a week stuffed with school materials (binder and a couple folders) in the slim pocket inside the main bag, clothing and small food containers (shoes,pants, several shirts and a sweater) in front of the slim pocket inside the backpack, and writing materials in the top outside pouch ( several pens,markers, and notepads). On top of that, I carry a 40oz water bottle inside the backpack because the netted pouches on the sides are not big enough to fit it but, any standard size bottle or can will easily fit on either side. I usually fill them with my wallet and phone or fruits. I also clip on my bike lock on the straps on the top outside pouch so overall, it gets pretty heavy but, it feels well fitted on my back and chest. The straps that allow me to wrap it around my chest and belly really help maintain the backpack in place when I commute. I picked up this backpack because I commute riding my bicycle. I have had this backpack for about a month now, and I really do love it. I wish it had a bit more tiny pockets so I could have my pens and markers organized instead of just all bundled together in a big pouch but, this backpack is not made for that purpose. I understand that hence, 5 stars. So far, seems really sturdy and well made. It also came with a different message on the patch. I read reviews about how some backpacks came with a nonsense message on them. This one didn't! Hope this review helps!