I purchased this pack to take with me, basically everywhere. I wanted to put together a modular pack system that held items that could get me through a night or a month. I knew that the pack was not large, but since I was putting together a modular system, I thought it would be about the right size. The main pack carries quite a bit of gear. I do have a few pouches attached to the outside of the pack, which allows me to quickly take what I need if I do not need the entire pack. I have a first aid pouch. A water bottle pouch (where I keep a stainless steel bottle with nested stainless steel cup & my eating flatware , and an utility pouch (where I keep my fire starting kit). In the main pack I Have 8 x 10 tarp, two heavy duty reflective survival blankets, roll of plastic sheeting attached to bottom of pack with the packs bed roll loops), file, knife sharpener, two knives, Kukri machete, carpenters ax (ax and machete attach to molly loops), hand saw, fishing pole W/reel, fishing kit, sling shot, water filter, stainless steel backpacking cook kit, flash light, whistle, 300' of para cord, two rolls of tarred line, compass, three bandannas, two 50 gal trash bags, wetfire tender, candle lantern w/3 candles. one #5 & one #10 sealine dry bags, shammy towel, hand & dish soap, heat sheet, 12 cotton candles, needle nose vice grips,.22 pistol, 20 snares, 12 carabiners, three bungee cords, cable ties, hydration bladder, two days of food and a change of clothes. Add that with the first aid, water bottle, & fire kit pouches and I have a great system & weighs about 32 pounds (with no water in bladder). As you can see this pack holds quite a bit. I keep hearing people say that this is a "DAY" pack. I can tell you that if it is set up right it can be more than a day pack. The pack is well made and is comfortable, for people with normal or short torso's. If you have a long torso the waist belt will not take the weight of the pack off of your shoulders and makes the pack unbearable after a short time (if you are over 6'tall, this may not be the pack you want). The pack has molly loops all over it making it easy to attach most pouches & accessories. The pack is not water proof, you do get some moisture making its way through the zippers (reason for the 4 stars), but it is a minimal amount. The nylon sheds water well and so far my gear has stayed dry. (I always put a dry bag in at the top of the bag to help keep the moisture from the zippers away from the rest of the gear). The longest trip I have done with this set up is 6 days, I added a ultra light sleeping bag, and another set of cloths to the pack for that trip. It so far I am pleased with the performance of this pack. Over all this pack is a great base for my system. UPDATE: I Have given this pack to the wife and she loves it, and I have to admit that is seems to fit her better than it did me. It was for the most part comfortable, but the longer I had it the less I liked the fit. It seems that maybe 5'10" is at the tall end of this bag. I still stand behind the construction, it is a great pack.