JanSport Merit Backpack

I had been looking for weeks for a bag I could take in place of my 6 pound carry-on when I travel. I wanted something really light weight, easy to carry, that would hold up over time and most importantly, was reasonably priced. I could find many bags that met a few of these demands, but the ones I liked were so expensive.I finally settled on the Jansport Merit. It met all my requirements: less than 2 pounds, looked great, had great reviews and a great price, too. So I ordered and anxiously awaited my new bag, hoping I hadn't made a mistake. I was not disappointed!The Merit is perfect. I did a test pack for an upcoming 6-day trip, using packing cubes (to help everything stay in place) and loved it. The organization is wonderful, there was plenty of room for everything. This bag measures just under regular carry-on size, even the large packing cube went in with no problem, but best of all, with it fully packed, I had no trouble wearing it on my 5'1"; frame. The straps are very comfortable and easily adjusted. The pack sat well even without a waist strap. I will be using this bag for 1-2 week trips. I think climbing stairs, taking trains and just getting around crowded areas will be easier. This bag also will fit in overhead compartments with no problems and if not too full, will easily fit under seat, too.The divided pockets (there are 2 big areas) are perfect for keeping clothes and the extras orderly. They also have dual big zippers that can be locked. The little pockets on the front do not have dual zippers, but I just put my 1-quart liquids bag in one and really didn't need the organizer packet (I carry a purse, too). Really love this bag and Amazon's price. I am looking forward to many trips with it!

This backpack is very large and it fits my books and my lunch bag with some room to spare. My previous backpack was a Teton Bookbag, which was a great backpack but it was much smaller than this one. The laptop sleeve is very nice, but it is too large for my 13 inch mac book.The straps are very stiff, which makes it awkward to put on and take off when it is full. They also kind of cut into my shoulders sometimes, but all I have to do is adjust them.Part of the added volume of the backpack is due to it's height. I'm 5'8" and it fits me fine, but if I was a few inches shorter, it probably wouldn't work for me. Sometimes the added height makes it difficult to reach down into it to find stuff, but I'm much happier having a backpack with plenty of room.I haven't had the backpack long, but it is well constructed and durable.**** UPDATE ****I have had this backpack for a couple of years now and it has held up incredibly well. It got me through the last half of my education, and I had to carry some large heavy books. There are no tears or worn fabric.I got a new computer since writing this. It's a 17 in. Lenovo and it fits the sleeve much better, but it's still kind of roomy.An additional note on the straps...after a while, I got used to adusting the straps when I was putting on/taking off the backpack. It doesn't seem like such a big deal to me, but there are probably some people that will be annoyed by that. I think there is an advantage to the stiff straps and that is that they stay in place nicely.Really good durable bag, worth the money, but then I got it for less than $30.

Know what you are buying before getting this bag. Poor college student? This will work. Need a basic bag? This will work. Don't have a lot of money? This bag is decently priced, but I've seen lower prices on some no name stuff.I purchased this thinking back to the old days of college where JanSport was the prominent bag to own. I needed a low cost, light weight bag. This fits the profile and serves well in that regard. However, don't expect to get high-end features at this price level. I wore the bag for a city excursion for about 8 hours and here are my findings.1 - The back has no padding and due to the warmer temps I wished I had some kind of breathable mesh to keep me cooler. Also, no padding meant lumpy materials in the pack can press into your spine. Again, not the fault of the bag.2 - The sewing quality is somewhat poor. I didn't check it over when I first got it, but during my walk I opened and closed the bag several times only to find the zippers catching on too many loose threads. Over time the bag would unravel, in my opinion. Good thing I caught it early and was able to use a bic lighter to melt some of the threads. I hope that's the end of that problem, at least for now.3 - The lack of sternum straps across the chest makes the bag very uncomfortable for the shoulders. I only had 5 pounds in the bag. Poor design.So given the above, I now know this is not suitable as a hiking bag. I guess it is time to spend about $100 for a more suitable day hike model from Kelty, North Face, REI, or EMS, etc.Update: 6/17/13I recently used the bag as an overnighter. I packed three days worth of clothes and a 15-inch laptop in this thing. It came in at 25 pounds or so. I was ok walking from the train station to the hotel and back for the return trip. Maybe 15-30 minutes walking. The bag held up. Not the most comfortable bag on your back for 20-25 pounds, for sure, but doable.

Very big and very roomy. I can get work stuff and gym stuff in and still have room to spare. Very well made and very light. This is going to make traveling a dream in the summer.

Buon zaino.Anche se i materiali che Jansport utilizzava in passato erano migliori.Non mi spiego perchè abbiano tolto le imbottiture che erano presenti sul fondo dello zaino dove viene posto il laptop. Queste erano molto utili per preservare il laptop da botte ed altro.

Questo zaino è fantastico, di primo impatto mi aveva lasciato perplesso sulla sua robustezza, ma utilizzandolo costantemente a pieno carico posso dire che si tratta di un prodotto davvero robusto.L'ho utilizzato su navi, treni ed aerei ed è sempre come nuovo;inoltre avendo un forma piuttosto squadrata ed una capacità di carico di ben 44 litri può essere utilizzato per quasi tutte le evenienze (campeggio,scuola,viaggi ecc).La spedizione come sempre è stata puntuale e ben fatta.

Je m'en sert tous les jours depuis 3 ans.Tous ok.J'y met mon ordinateur portable DELL M4500 et selon mes besoinstrousse à outil, achats effetués au supermarché, vetements de rechange etc..Robuste, légé et volume conséquant.Prévoir de mettre plastique à bulle ou truc en caoutchou au fond du sac, du coté de l'emplacement de l'ordinateur portable,pour amortir choc.

Muy satisfecha con la compra en Amazon y con el artículo. La mochila tiene una gran capacidad: bolsa acolchada para portátil hasta 17", dos compartimentos grandes, y los dos bolsillos delanteros. Además cuenta con un apartado lateral para llevar una botella de agua. Las asas son cómodas. Las cremalleras de calidad. Por ponerle alguna pega diría que la base de la bolsa no está reforzada, es del mismo tejido que el resto de la bolsa, así que esto le restará durabilidad. Aún así, la relación calidad-precio muy correcta.