Patagonia Chacabuco Pack (Black)

Let me start by saying that I am a backpack fanatic. I spend hours a week looking at backpacks.... Osprey, Camelbak, Maxpedition, Mountain Hardware. I own more than I'd like to admit.

I've been looking for the perfect urban EDC bag for sometime, & then I came across this pack. I love this pack! It has all the right features... organization, pockets, space, durability, looks etc. The one thing I do not like about this pack are the straps. I wish Patagonia would have made them a little more thicker & more comfortable. It was almost a deal breaker for me until I figured out how to break these in.

I would do this the day you receive the pack to get the straps to be comfortable: Fill the bag with anything until it's a little heavier that it would be when you normally carry it around. Buy a wooden suit hanger (any Target or Wal Mart). Hang the pack on the hanger, making sure that the shoulder straps bend where your shoulders would be. Tie the pack down so that it will not slip out of place or slide on the hanger. Let it hang there for a day or two and then it will be ready to go. Makes a world of difference.

With the straps broken in, this is hands down my favorite pack to wear around the city. It can go anywhere from an outdoor festival to a nice restaurant. Perfect!

I looked at reviews here and elsewhere for months before I finally replaced a 12 year old EMS bag. Bought the North Face Surge 2. Decent pack but very "stiff" is the only way I can put it. I needed something:

Big enough to take 2 lunches, a change of clothes, a sweater, laptop, cords, kindle and other odds and ends with me to work nearly every day on my 60 mile commute via train bus and subway.

Nice looking enough for the office but rugged and versatile enough to be a hiking day-pack stuffed with everything an over-packer like me can think of.

Comfortable and well balanced to minimize back stress while commuting/hiking.

That protects a laptop very well.

With a waist buckle to shift a lot of the weight to my hips. I know many hate these/think they look dorky. To each their own but it makes a world of difference on the back. I think you can take them off if you want. Me though, I love the waist belt and had a hard time finding a good pack with one.

Check check check and check. Love this bag. Only had it a month so can't speak to longevity but it seems durable, but without the stiffness of some other bags.

It doesn't have the easy airport pocket feature that many bags advertise, but personally I didn't want that as I rarely ever fly and found the extra pocket feature just added bulk and is useless when I'm not travelling with a laptop like on the weekend hiking. The laptop IS very well protected though in the dedicated internal sleeve. Well cushioned on all edges and sides and the bottom of the laptop sleeve is cushioned and "elevated" a bit off the base of the main bag compartment so if you put the bag down hard you're fine. And I dig that when not toting the laptop, the compartment just smooshes flat to allow me to cram more stuff in.

Some people have complained about he straps digging into shoulders or something. Everybody's body is shaped differently but I had zero problems (5-9 guy, average build) and I wear it for hours at a time often overstuffed, and I find the straps very comfortable and the back cushioning is nice as well.

I could see a frequent airport traveller maybe wanting a pack with that easy open sleeve feature but it's not like sliding the laptop out of the sleeve within the main compartment is particularly hard or time consuming.

In sum, highly recommended from someone hard to please with backpacks.

Oh, P.S. you can find this cheaper and in different colors elsewhere online.

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Love how it travels from car to bus to subway, doesn't tip over if

I set it down and is a good width.

Read Best Reviews of Patagonia Chacabuco Pack (Black) Here

I needed a certain size. I needed durability. I won with this purchase. Best item I've ever bought, hands down.

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This is a great overnight/lite weekend backpack. I love everything about it.

The one thing that was missing was ....the whistle. This is a high quality must own bag.

Update: Having used this backpack for 6mos or so...I love it even more!!!

Super fit and finish, strong and can take a beating. I have had several other brands like the Swiss kind...NO COMPARISON.

I am so impressed I will purchace other Patigonia products in the future.