The North Face Seneca

When I bought this backpack I really didn't expect much; I needed a semi-heavy duty day pack for the outdoor education courses I teach; it was on sale and I grabbed it off the shelf without giving it much of an examination.

It does have its good points, like a padded back support and contoured shoulder straps, but this is where the praise stops. The compression strap on the back was looped too many times to fit anything substantial into it, I was constantly filling it to capacity, even on short trips, and the hip belt was puny and ineffective.

All in all, if you need a good bookbag for school, this is a good buy, but for any outdoor usage, leave this pack at home and bring a pillowcase instead.