Outdoor Products Cross Breeze 31L Backpack

I really liked this backpack; it was really comfortable and felt great on my back. However, I needed to be able to pack a lot in it for a trip abroad and the internal frame (which is not removable) was arched in towards the main pocket of the backpack and took up a lot of space, making it really awkward to pack. For that reason, I exchanged it.

I am not sure who would find this backpack comfortable. I returned it because the frame poked into my shoulder blades. My husband tried it on and had the same experience. I am 5'5" and my husband is 5"10". I have on idea if this would be more comfortable for a person of a different size.

Lots of pockets and straps. Nice wide waste belt. Seems big for a 31L but still fits the size I was looking for. It's a tad more red than in the picture but definitely has that orange tint to it. My gf who is 5'2" is wearing it. It's a little stiff but it will fit just fine once she breaks it in.
I'm happy with this pack.

Out of the box, this is a nice looking backpack. The navy and gray are well blended and the pockets all blend together well. The material is somewhat thick and it feels tough. The shoulder straps are perfectly padded and the lumbar pad is thick and helps push the pack away from the back. This feature is what keeps your back cooler and the firm plastic frame curves the pack to enhance the air-flow.

In terms of functionality, the medium pocket has a good organizer so this can be used for school or work. The 2 smaller pockets, one in front and the other on top, are useful and perfectly sized for keys & phones/sunglasses respectively. The side mesh "pockets" are perfect for water bottle holders, and they are supported by the side straps.

Now back to the air-flow feature and that plastic frame. It really prevents one from getting anything big into that pocket. At first I tried a size 4 soccer ball, and I realize that's a bit cumbersome, but I was still disappointed it wouldn't fit. Next I tried two pairs of climbing shoes, a harness and a chalk bag, but even that was a squeeze. Overall, the width/depth (not height) of this pocket just doesn't seem to hold as much as it would seem.

Another quirk is the medium organizer pocket's zipper. On the positive side, it has a zip pull and is smooth. However, only having one zipper is a little negative but the biggest problem is that it also starts low on the side. This means that if you're not careful and don't close it all the way, stuff falls out (like my wallet did; no worries as I heard it hit the ground). The best design is a pocket that has two zippers that come together wherever the user sees fit.

Overall, I'm keeping this pack as its positives outweigh the negatives, but do realize the latter may affect your experience with it.

For the price, I was surprised with the durability of the product. Solid zippers. The bottom of the pack is thicker material than the sides, I sweat a lot and love the suspension system that keeps the pack off my back.Much more durable than the camelbak I was looking to replace.