REI Saturn Pack

I love this pack. I purchased it 5 or 6 years ago and it's been my primary pack for any overnight-or-longer trip ever since. It's logged probably 70+ nights in the backcountry with me, in conditions ranging from alpine mountains to wet east-coast forests to southwestern desert.

The pack rests comfortably on my back and has never given me any problems with irritation to my shoulders or waist, where it straps on. On-the-fly weight adjustment is easy, with weight transferring from hips to shoulders and vice versa with quick pulls on the appropriate straps.

The bottom of the pack is a perfect size for carrying a bear vault, if you're into that kind of thing, and the zippers are located such that your gear is easy to access even from the bottom of the bag.

The only issue I've had with this pack is the chest strap. It had a tendency to ride up and start pressing uncomfortably close to my neck until it popped entirely off the pack a year or two ago. Losing the strap has actually been a positive. I find I generally don't need it anyway, and when I do, I simply use a piece of cord to rig up an equally effective temporary strap.

My pack is my oldest piece of gear, probably the most beaten up, and among the cheapest. I always think of trading it out for a new, fancier pack, but I just can't seem to justify it. This pack is durable, relatively lightweight, comfortable, and-- with a generally minimalist but not totally so set of gear-- capable of carrying supplies to last me for the duration of long trips into the backcountry.

Too bad they don't make it anymore!