$20 @ 5.1 oz. SUL Recycled Poly (PET) Pack

I think I'll give it a trial run as a pack for one of the kids on the next hike, as the shoulder straps appear to adjust down sufficiently for their smaller torso size.

I really like this idea. Maybe I'll get one for days or just around town. I'd like to hear your thoughts after you use it a bit more.

Interesting "closure system". I wonder if I'd be able to add an extension collar.

Yeah the "closure system" is rather unique – essentially the shoulder straps extend through loops at the top of the back-side of the bag and are anchored on (or are an extension of) the outer fabric of the bag on the opposite side of where it rests against your back.

After reading this thread, I ordered one and it arrived today. Very much worth the money! This is a good day pack for essentials or a combo stuff/day pack when hauling a larger pack. Perfect for a travel day pack or carry on with your larger bag.

Could you add an extension collar? Not really– the back panel wraps over the opening, so adding volume to the pack in this area would distort the shape and would press against the base of your neck. Adding a mesh pocket on the back panel would be the best way to add volume and utility to this design.

But I wouldn't do that either. I like it the way it is– very Spartan and minimal hardware. Craftsmanship is excellent. This pack has tapering panels, so confirming the volume is difficult. It seems larger than 20 liters. Total weight is 5.6oz/165g. The straps are wide and should be comfortable enough, with a light 3D mesh and long enough for bigger people.

The wrap-over design works and the main volume is low down, so this doesn't ride up high on your back like a rabid raccoon. Small packs with short straps fit bigger folk poorly, wobbling to and fro up on your shoulder blades. It seems to me that small packs that are deep let the load ride in the small of your back and at least feel lighter. I think they work better for urban use as you aren't wiping your pack across the face of someone behind you on a bus or subway. Turn around in a crowded subway with a bulky pack and you might get a rather negative lesson in the local language :) On the trail that means easier going under blow downs and branches. This one rides well on one shoulder too– good for "ventilation breaks."

The stretch mesh side pockets are big enough for a bike-style water bottle. If you want liter-sized bottles, they will need to be the tall ones that are bike bottle diameter. A 27oz Kleen Kanteen fits nicely and I'm sure there are all kinds of plastic bottled water containers that will fit. One liter Platypus and Nalgenes don't work.

The side pockets have a 3/4" wide web strap sewn vertically down the pocket and through the side panel of the pack, dividing it into two compartments– one about 4" across the top and the other 2". The narrower pockets could hold a small umbrella, granola bars, or possibly sunglasses, small cell phone, rolled map,etc. It looks like the stitching could be removed with a seam ripper, but I wonder how stable the pocket would be without the webbing. If it could be removed, a one liter Platypus or Nalgene would fit with room to spare—perhaps a little too much. I would stick with the smaller diameter bottles. If you can sew, you might be able to just move the webbing over to make the pocket a good one liter size.

I ordered one of Chico's sternum straps too, and they are a bargain, with ladder slides that have diagonal slots to slip onto 1" webbing. Perfect for replacement on other packs with webbing slides.

Also, I like their micro-biners. They have a decent spring and weigh too little for my scale to measure accurately. Two registered 5g on my scale.

I got a couple Smart Water bottles today and they fit the ChicoBag pockets like it was all custom-made. The full 1 liter bottles are fairly heavy, but fit well. The 700ml bottles are perfect IMHO.