I'm really happy with this backpack – though somehow, backpack feels too small a word. I remember my children wearing backpacks to scool, so that's where my brain goes when I hear that word. This… is not the same thing. This is definitely for people who spend a lot of time outdoors – hikers, hunters, fishermen, and I'm sure plenty of others. It would be splendid for a day at the beach, an outdoor barbecue, or some other gathering. I bring up hikers because I can just see them finding a use for every zipper and every pocket.
The fabric is leak-proof and water-resistant, if not fully waterproof. Did I forget to mention that its main job is to be an insulated cooler? The listing says it will hold 40 soda cans, and there are two side holders for wine bottles or water bottles. My goodness, that's a lot of liquid. A load like that would be difficult to carry, which is probably why it has a nice set of padded shoulder straps to help distribute the weight across your shoulders and back.
There are so many pockets on this thing that I got lost looking at them all. In my opinion, the zipper quality is questionable. I don't have a lot of faith that they'll last as long as the bag itself.
There is one little letdown, though it's not a huge problem. There is a place for your lunch or snacks on the very top of the pack – a separate insulated zippered compartment above the sodas. In my opinion, it's a bit small. It just seems like with a backpack this large, they could have made that pouch hold a little more food.
This will be a Christmas gift for my son. He is an avid fisherman and takes his son out on the water with him. No, they don't need 40 sodas, so there will still be plenty of room for their lunch as well. I hope they get lots of use out of it. I guess, if they wanted to, they could even put their catch in the pack on ice.
I have a much smaller cooler pack like this – really just a lunch box. We've had it for at least 20 years. I have thrown that thing in the washing machine countless times. I would presume you could do the same with this one. And once you're done, it folds down to become very compact. To keep it folded, I just use some of the side straps to tie it down.
It's perfect. The price is around $23, and I think that's well worth it. I may even get my son-in-law one. They are always heading off somewhere.
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