I am a retired veteran, and avid outdoorsman. I put my gear through extensive use, and I do equally extensive research on gear before I choose to buy. Yes you can find packs of equal design and capacity for half the price, but you will get half the durability and half the quality control. I’ve put similar packs to the test, and yes they use the same grade material,(i.e. 600-1000 denier rip stop nylon and YKK slide fasteners), but the always lack in quality control and stitching reinforcement, and they fall apart in 3 to 6 months. I prefer the rectangular, modular design because it allows me to “Tetris stack” gear for ease of load distribution and quick access to items; the multiple pocket design is perfect for this. I usually don’t carry more than 40 lbs, but to test this pack I hung it by the center carry handle and did pull-ups with the shoulder straps; I’m 5’10” and 210 lbs. I’ve loaded this pack, several times, with my normal weekend camping gear, about 30 lbs, and hiked about 5k up in the George Washington National Forest to my favorite camp site; it wears well on my back and hangs easy on my shoulders. It’s a very solid and reliable pack, and it has held up well. There are only 2 details about this pack that I don’t like; the lower front pocket has the “admin divider” and it prevents the pocket from opening completely, and the divider takes up space. The other detail I don’t like is the hook and loop fasteners on the side pockets; if you attach any extra pouches to the MOLLE/PALS webbing, the weight of the additional gear pulls the hook and loops open; I remedied this by using short lengths of 550 cord to tie the tabs of the openings to the PALS webbing, senching the openings shut. If you want a durable, comfortable, easy to use pack that won’t break the bank, this is the pack you want.