The North Face Women's Terra 45

I'm a 24 yr old female. 5'6", 116 pounds, 18" torso, 28" waist (where I like my pack to ride). I bought the Terra 45 for backpacking and hunting.

I really like the color (I have the dark green/charcoal), because I can use it while hunting and still have a "cool, classy" pack instead of the traditional camo. I tried on numerous packs in the $100-$150 range, I also wanted one that was an earth tone and under 5 lbs, which this one is about 4 lbs.

This one was the most comfortable to me. The shoulder straps are adjustable in three different areas making it a custom fit. Super comfortable, padded, adjustable waist belt. The back ventilates nicely. The weight of the pack is carried on the hips, so your shoulders don't get tired from being pulled back. It has a compartment for a water bladder inside and the setup on one of the shoulder straps. I've used a 2L bladder and it works pretty well without taking up too much room. Has a good-sized sleeping bag compartment and it has straps on both sides to carry a tent/sleeping pad vertically (no straps on bottom). I like all of the pockets.

Two of my favorite features are the zipper along the one side that allows you to get into the main compartment like a duffel bag, so you can easily grab stuff on the bottom and the outermost pocket on the front has stretchy fabric, so you can really load that little puppy up!

I used it on a 10 day trip in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area in Idaho. I packed around 25lbs all day, everyday. A few days I packed it for about 10-12 hours, with a few breaks of course, and it was surprisingly comfortable for that amount of time. I personally think any pack gets a little tiring after 6-7 hours. I've also used it on a dozen or so day hikes carrying food/clothes/hunting gear and I almost forget I'm wearing it. 

I should also note that I had an accident where I compressed my spine and strained numerous back/neck muscles, and I still have one muscle between my spine and shoulder blade that gets aggravated with most packs, but this pack didn't seem to bother it nearly as much. 

The reason I didn't give a full five stars is due to the water bottle pockets being hard to reach with the pack on (although they're deep and hold most bottles well) and it didn't come with a rain cover. Which, I noticed it can't stand up to too much more than a steady mist or a couple hours of snow before it starts absorbing water, so it would be smart to purchase a cover.

Before I bought this pack, I was looking at videos of packs and the one I watched on the Terra 45 had a little pocket with a rain cover, but for whatever reason it wasn't on the model I have. I don't know if it's a 2009 or 2010, so maybe the newer ones do?

Overall, I love the pack, quality, and the price. I don't expect to be buying a new pack for a long time!