The North Face Akila 40

I bought this pack for my wife. She's a small girl who can't necessarily lug a ton of stuff while backpacking where as I can store enough for the both of us if necessary. This pack gives her enough room to pack clothes, partial tent, food, a sleeping bag, and other essentials she needs. She has to pack lighter than others, but it's do-able. In the end she's happy with the versatility of the bag.

Its major flaw is the lack of hydration pouch. There is a hook and a hole for the tube, but no pouch to place the bag in which means it's kind of rubbing against your gear. At the same time, there's no sleeping bag compartment. It's not a major issue, but it's there. Also, it's only got the top loading access, which is more of a beating sometimes than anything else.

The pros are nice in that it's small with plenty of straps and places to add rings or hook onto. It also comes in pink, my wife's favorite. In all, for petite girls who can't lug a bus this is the pack for them. It's supposed to be a daypack, but they can manage 4 to 5 days if they are savvy packers. And to top it all off it comes with a rain fly!