Just used this pack on a 5-day, 4-night winter hike on the AT in the Southern Appalachians of North Carolina. Perfect size for the way I hike now. The pack is of good quality and a great price. Lots of padding on the shoulder straps and hip belt. Very simple to adjust for your torso. I also like the way they did the stretchy pockets on the sides and back, not to mention the separate entry sleeping bag compartment, into which I stuff a 0 degree down bag with room to spare. The whistle was also nice to have because I was hiking with my kids, and could always give them a toot when they got too far out ahead of me to let them know to slow down for the old guy. Would be a five star, but I almost never give 5 stars to anything. There's always room for improvement, and a thing or two I would tweak. For this pack I would have liked to see just a tiny bit more room in the top pouch. But it's still a great pack, and will be the one I carry for the foreseeable future. Look for my Kelty 5000 ST and 5400 Red Cloud on ebay. I'll never carry a pack that big and heavy again!!! Thanks, North Face, for designing a great pack.