The North Face Skareb 55 Backpack - 3050-3650 cu in

"-= "Skareb 55" For The Minimalist On The Go =- I'm in the military and needed a pack for a five day rendevous / vacation. The Skareb 55 held just the right amount of gear. It has no zipper system for the main compartment which is GREAT b/c you don't have to worry about zippers breaking or not closing easily, always a problem for most of us. The Bungee system is excellent to store a thin tall liter water bottle + dry shirt and map, even when the main compartment is fully packed it still fits! The side compartments located around the hip area, are not fully accessible when the pack is worn, but they are very roomy and is excellent to keep your personal gear such as your passport, keys, pens, phone, GPS, sunglasses, etc. The Skareb 55 is 100% comfortable,and has a full waist support with an added chest strap. You can adjust it to your preference. The X frame really does fight against moisture. Here is a brief story about the compatability for a tough situation with the "55". I was late catching my flight at an International Airport, I had to Haul as fast as I could to the airlines Gate. With the pack fully loaded carrying a good 35-45 Lbs. I ran UP an escalator, Beating out at least three hundred people. The pack didn't weigh me down or feel top heavy, I was ecsatic that it adhered to my back as if it were a part of my body. The pack didn't bounce around, or lose it's adjustments. If I had a square piece of carry on luggage with wheels, none of this would have been possible and I most definately would have missed my flight! I highly rate this for anyone who lives an on the go lifestyle or purely for adventure use. The material is excellent, Thin yet indestructible, I had dragged it on concrete, and it even got snagged on metal hooks that would have torn any other pack/bag. This site sent out the order FAST and I received it by UPS within 3 days, just how I ordered. Overall The Skareb 55, I am Highly Satisfied with it, could not ask for anything more from The NorthFace. I recommend the "55" for all the minimalist users who need that support, flexibility, and agility in a pack for that on the go lifestyle. Thank You!"

" Just got back! Just did three days two nights in the backcountry. Fit tent, sleeping bag, water filter, food, extra clothes, stove & kettle. Felt great. Very happy with the pack. Oh' also had three liter water blatter. Great pack. LOVE IT!"

" Finally a bag without zillions of divisions! Not that I don't appreciate having lots of compartments in a backpack, but I'm using this as a day-pack for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, so I don't need 15 different areas for my lunch, cameras and a change of clothes. I like that it has Nalgene bottle holders on either side. Many of the packs I looked at didn't have these, and I like one for water and one for snacks."

" Skareb 55 L I bought the Large version of this backpack 60L, which was plenty for a 3 week trip to Europe during the winter. I tried on a different pack, the skareb 40, large, at a local outfitter store to test the fit, since the backpanel is the same between the two packs. It arrived and i discovered a neat little whistle on the chest strap. Fully loaded, the pack didn't fit perfectly, but it was comfortable enough. After walking around for a few hours, my shoulders were noticeably fatigued, which probably wouldn't have happened if it fit properly, but I can't blame that entirely on the pack. Upon adjusting it to be a little looser, but with the weight primarily on the hip strap, this problem was reduced, but at the expense of the pack fitting a little loosely. As I said, i used this to backpack around Europe, so it wasn't used to its purpose exactly, but I wanted a pack which could be used for heavy duty hiking if needed. Thus, I found it inconvenient at times to try to reach things at the bottom of the sack, but its a better design for rugged packing, where a broken bottom zipper could prove disabling. The roll-top closure is quite unique, though I can't say it's any better or worse than a conventional zipper. "

" Backpack Europe Used this backpack when packing across Europe for 2 months straight, and then on several 5day - 3 week excursions. Great for holding a few changes of clothes, as well as stuff like passport, camera, and necessities. Very comfortable, and the lack of zipper access to the main compartment keeps prying hands out when you're on a crowded train or bus. I kept my wallet, passport, camera, etc... in the pack rather than in my pockets due to my comfortability with its bizarre but secure "flip and clip" closure - nobody will be able to mess with it without you definitely knowing. The pack itself is essentially one big compartment, with some exterior side pockets and a large mesh quick-stash."