I bought this (and another Osprey pack for my wife) when we moved to Europe so we had something better than old rolling suitcases for travelling. We looked at several other bags but liked these for the features and style. In the last 2 years, these bags have been all over Europe, Across the Atlantic several times, parts of N. Africa and the Middle East. They easily carry enough clothes and necessities for a week trip somewhere "normal" and even more when travelling to more austere places. Their shape makes them adequate for overhead compartments on trains and this bag is easy to wear for long walks through old cities.

While I can't speak about this pack from a camping perspective, for travelling, it is great.

Upsides: Lots of cinch ties and the elastic pockets hold gear and small items well.

Downside: the removable top "waist pack" isn't really as useful as it sounds. It is detachable, but a little involved. Better left on the bag.

OK, so I love being barefoot. When I first heard about VFFs a couple years ago, I got into them and I like them very much. However, I found them a little too thin (I wear both the KSO and the Bikila) to wear on packed gravel, unimproved trails and some other rougher terrains without a very deliberate watch on my footing. So then I heard about the Merrills and decided to give them a try.

As soon as I got out of the post office, I put them on to start getting a feel. At first, I did have the feeling of a negative drop form toe to heel as was mentioned in other reviews I have read. However, that sensation has gone away by a couple wears. I have worn them running, both road and gravel (deliberately trying out some of the rockier places) as well a mountain biking, city biking and just wearing around with casual clothes. In all areas, they are great.

They are slightly thicker than a VFF, and thus a little of the tactile feeling is lost. However, they make up for this in the wider variety of applications. I like how they fit snugly from heel toe the ball of my foot, then leave my toes free to move around. Barefoot inside was comfortable, but I found that they are also well paired with some foot-specific socks (I have Keen merino wool socks) while regular "ambi-foot" socks were only OK.

End result is that while I'll still use my VFFs for training, these have become my new favorite everywhere shoe. From gym to driving to biking and walking around town, these are fantastic. Oh, and they are a little easier to blend into the wardrobe for those more fashion-conscious (Not that I am, but it's nice to have a minimalist shoe that is acceptable at work).