I bought one of these bags during a sale at our college bookstore. My faithful REI backpack, which lasted me nearly ten years, is finally developing zipper problems and so when I saw this bag for $20, I figured it was a good replacement for my current pack. Unfortunately, this backpack went to pieces pretty quickly. In particular, the straps on both sides began to fray badly at the lower joint, within a month of purchase. I haven't done anything with this bag but carry books in it, but it's literally coming apart at the seams. My old REI pack, on the other hand, is still in pretty decent condition despite having been used on camping trips as well as for school. On top of everything else, the bookstore refused to give me a refund since this was a clearance item... so I'm out twenty bucks and I need a new backpack again. Now I know why they had extras left over. Buyer beware.
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