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I own several SBL products and this was my first Mountainback product. I love the backpack! This pack makes me feel connected to another time. An older generation where nothing was synthetic, plastic, or artificial. I have been loading up my pack and taking adventures. Already been into the snow at 12,000 feet, a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada range, across lake Tahoe, scouting a new location to camp, and a couple of picnic adventures. My kids already decided I need to get another so they can both inherit one from me. Ha! The quality of pack is second to none! The ethos of the pack is exactly what I wanted. At a functional level the pack is big enough for a day long adventure and rugged enough for all of the wear and tear you may throw at it. Get yours! Get outside and have fun!
I worked on a ranch with cowboys doing their own leather work and repair on our tack and gear. I knew how to do the rivets and stitching so can recognize heavy wear connections and know what it takes to break down gear and what it looks like to have something that will stand up for the duration of heavy use. I am going to use this pack hard and don't expect to make meaningful wear in the next 20 years. The locking mechanism is elegantly engineered. It comes open with a grasp and will not accidentally open. I would have reinforced the loops that are first at the ties, however. I pull on those a lot. I'm really glad to have found this pack and am pleased there is at least one guy who knows how to build stuff for me.
So basically I'm just going to share some various thoughts and experiences with this pack; first the negative, then the positive and my conclusion for my overall rating: I've ordered two of these Simple Canvas Packs in small. The first one I sent back due to the perimeter stitching around the edge of the bag coming undone (unraveling) in a section of the bag. I had a Large Gear Bag that I sent back that had the same issue (the Large gear bag was never used and came that way from day one; the Canvas Pack was used 2-3 times). I own a Medium Gear Bag as well and that has thankfully not started coming apart (unraveled) on me. When I called Saddleback regarding the perimeter stitching issue, customer service told me I could take a lighter to it... ya right. Not after spending over $700 on two bags... I'm not going to risk further damaging a defective product that in my opinion shouldn't have had those problems to start with. I suggest some quality control measures need to be added due to this repetitive issue I've experienced (unless I just have the worst luck with these bags). Plus, the threading needed to be redone due to a gap being missing where it was coming undone and the material coming apart on the edge on those bags. I received my second Small Simple Canvas Pack in the mail today and found the same issue with a loose thread coming undone. I went ahead and tied off and secured the rogue/loose thread before it got any worst. I haven't noticed any others yet. I don't have this issue on my $50-100 backpacks by Oakley and Jan Sport. I'm irritated that I'm having this concern/problem on $300+ luggage/bags. I hope Saddleback takes note of this issue/review and also finds a better way to tighten down the stitches around the edge of the bag. Some of the perimeter stitching threads around my bag are loosely sewn in as well and I'm concerned something may eventually snag on them while I'm using either of my Mountainback bags. Another negative to this bag is the way the shoulder straps attach to the bag; they just jut out of the back, which is a bit of an eye sore. I'd prefer the pack have something similar to the D-rings used on the leather backpack's Dave offers. My final concern is the use of bull leather for the straps, the leather just doesn't seem as sturdy/substantial as the leather on my other leather backpacks from Saddleback, but time will tell. My concern arises from a bull leather bull belt that I had to return due to the leather pulling/tearing apart. I have to admit that that belt was a Dave's deal and didn't seem right from day one. Not that this bothers me, but it may be something worth considering for some folks considering this bag. It does not stand upright on it's own unlike the leather backpacks... it will fall over if not supported in some fashion. My Square Backpack and Simple Medium Backpacks stand fine on their own when I pack and unpack them. Now for the good stuff. Like my Medium Gear Bag, the open and close mechanism is my favorite feature of the Simple Canvas Pack. I'm not sure why Dave decided to name the small Canvas Pack a small... I think it should be considered a medium; the medium should be called a large. I own the Square Backpack and the Medium Simple Backpack and the Simple Canvas Pack in small ironically has just as much carrying capacity as those two other bags. This is a very spacious pack. The interior pockets on this bag are excellent! My Square Backpack has very shallow pockets on the interior making two of the four nearly useless. The interior pockets on the Canvas pack are deep and spacious. I also like that one of the inside-outside pockets has a flap... a bit of a pain to get to with one hand, but practical for items I don't want to find their way out. The pocket on the opposite as no flaps and is easy to get to with one hand. The outside pocket along the backside of the Canvas Pack is great for my kindle and iPad. I no longer have to worry about them sliding under some heavy textbooks and cracking the screen or damaging the products in any other way. It's also good having the pocket not up against where the pack would rest on a person back. I no longer worry about the contents of the bag crushing my iPad/Kindle Oasis e-reader up against my back possibly causing them to get damage and having undue stress put on them. The canvas material is light, weather resistance and durable. I prefer the collapsible nature of canvas to my leather bags. I like that if I carry a single item, I can use the cinching mechanism to tighten up the loose fabric opposed to my Simple or Square Backpack. It keeps the bag centered on my back and compact. So for the rating and summary, I gave this Simple Canvas Pack a 4 out of 5 stars and I think I'm being generous. If not for the cooperative customer service, design, warranty and overall quality of the materials used, I'd give easily give this bag a 2 out of 5 stars because I am just not confident in the thread along the edges of the bag holding up with time and use. The bag is pretty worthless if the stitching comes undone... the bag is nothing without quality/skilled stitching methods holding it together. However, it's easily one of my favorite bags to date due to the other reasons mentioned and it’s unique. I'm hoping the bag will hold together over time considering it does not seem as substantial as my experiences with the all leather backpacks and Medium Front Pocket Briefcase. The canvas used/supplied is solid, no issues/concerns there. The main issue I'm emphasizing again and again and again is that the brown thread used for the perimeter stitching... I can't say/mention it enough.... As far as the actual thread holding the bag structure together, it's been fine with what limited experience I've had with the Mountainback lineup. Overall, I think Saddleback is headed in the right direction and it looks like fun and exciting company as a whole. As long as they continue to improve and support their customers, I'll be happy to continue to support and recommend them and their products.
No doubt the best backpack money can buy!!! I received my pack as a gift date stamped 2/2016 the quality of this bag is beyond any words can describe. I'm an avid camper and backpacker. This bag will always be my first choice on all my expiditions. I own so many of Saddlebacks leather products I've been a collector for years now. I must say this canvas pack is my favorite to date.
I received my bag (size small) 5/27/16 after a about 30 day wait (more or less). I have to say, this bag is amazing and worth the wait! I have a number of SBL bags and this is by far my favorite! In fact, my mom was with me when I opened the box and she loved it. What's funny is that she's not familiar with SBL products, but when she looked over this backpack she said, "this will be around even after your gone," - that made me laugh because it is so true! I love the simplicity of the bag and the fact that I can tuck my Macbook as well as file folders, and wallet in the roomy main compartment. The inside side pockets are perfect for cords/pens/pencils etc. My flip-flops fit inside the back leather sleeve. I have a number of trips set for this summer with a fairly lengthy trip to Europe in August. Looking forward to using this backpack over the next few months. Hopefully, I can keep my daughter from snagging this one for herself!
