I chose this pack after my friends have always raved about Gregory products....I also looked the Osprey Ariel but found the Gregory to be of superior fabric quality and better features.

I bought this pack before traveling to Papua New Guinea on a 2 month research trip (littered with weekend bush excursions). I used this bag as my carry on luggage and packed it as full as I could possibly carry perhaps 50+lbs. It fit on every domestic and international flight I took, however when getting into Australia they restrict the weight of carry-ons...so it had to be checked for this leg of my 5 flights. During my 48hours of flights I found the extra access pocket on the front and the side stash pockets to be incredibly useful for my ipod, water bottle and constantly changing layers of clothing according to the cabin temperature fluctuation. Lugging 50+lbs was surprisingly easy as the weight was comfortably distributed on my hips

In the country, I hiked Mt. Wilhelm, the highest point in the country, with the Deva and it preformed spectacularly! It comfortably fit my sleeping bag, 3 days of clothing, multiple bottles of water and various other pieces of gear. Plus the many loops were helpful to strap down random pieces of needed gear. The waist band pockets were very handy to keep my digital camera, sunscreen and lip balm with easy access. Only thing I would recommend would be purchasing the rain cover...it poured on our climb to the base camp of the mountain... My sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack was pretty dry, however some of my clothes which had direct contact with the front of the pack got a bit damp. My fault for not preparing for the rain forest weather.

The overall construction of this pack is very well made...on my way back to the states I packed tons of tribal art pieces, an other souvenirs from my trip and checked the bag as luggage. The fabric held up extremely well through all the flight transfers and customs checks! I really can't say enough good things about this pack, definitely worth the money and I look forward to many many more adventures with it!

I am 5'8 and 140 and the medium seems to be the perfect fit for me :-)

After reading the reviews which outlined the odd sizing of this product I decided to order a large. I'm 5'8 140lbs and usually take a medium. The other reviews are correct...the arms are short. However the fabric is wonderful. A wool pullover which isn't itchy, its super soft! The pullover isn't very fashionable but highly practical and comfy! The hat is very nice too (again it doesn't get an A for fashion but its really not too bad), as it is extra deep and will cover down to the back of your neck, and if you find it too big just roll the edges up. Since I walk to work all winter this hat is very practical in the cold, blustery winters of Cleveland--warm and windproof but not too heavy that I'm breaking out into a sweat. I got this at the SAC pricing which made the deal even more fabulous. On Backcountryoutlet.com several reviews comment on the sizing of this product. I would recommend checking these comments out before purchasing in order to get the proper size.