Kelty Women's Redwing 40-Liter Backpack

I did a lot of research before deciding on a pack to bring with me on a college course trip to Peru. We will be living in various hostels and locations for two weeks. When flying, I always have a fear of my checked luggage getting lost, delayed, or damaged, so this time I wanted to bring all my baggage as carry on (and I figured my trip would be much more enjoyable without constantly hassling with a bunch of stuff). I'm planning on bringing this pack as well as an over-the-shoulder bag onto the plane.After receiving my pack, the thing I like the best is the large zipper that opens up the main compartment for such easy accessibility. I will be able to see the majority of all the items packed in my bag by just opening this one zipper. Also, you can't see from the picture, but there are-holes?-in between the two side zip pockets and the main part of the backpack. This is where I plan to keep my microfiber towel in case it is still a little damp when I pack up and move.This will be my first traveling experience with extensive walking and hiking, so I'm curious as to what my experience will be like when I hike around with this on my back for long periods.I will update my review after the trip.Update:Had a great time in Peru! It was also a great feeling to have only carry-on luggage with me. I brought less luggage than anyone in the group and I still felt like I had plenty of things with me.The pack fit onto all of the plane rides although some of the smaller planes I had to push the pack a bit to get into the overhead compartments. On my flight back to the States I had a day-long layover in New York, so I decided to check my pack instead of carrying it around the city for the day. Thankfully my pack didn't suffer any scuffing, tears, or other damage by being checked or during the rest of my Peru trip.I'm so happy with my purchase. The only way I could see the pack being made better would be to have little storage pouches in the waist belt for easy access to a phone or other items.

I got this with the idea to use it both as a travel backpack and as a pack for multi-day hikes. I'll review how it worked on an upcoming 5-day hike in an update, but thought I should first go over some initial impression stuff I'll likely forget later.QUALITY: My ONE issue with an otherwise solid bag is that my bag came with the shoulder strap adjuster buckle installed completely backwards. As a result, the shoulder strap becomes completely extended when ANY weight is put on it. I had to re-thread the nylon strap through backwards as a fix, which works well, except the buckle jabs into my arm a bit. I would've liked to have it replaced, but I need the bag in 5 days AND it was an international order, so I'll make do with my workaround. I'll probably fit a soft loop of cloth around the whole clip to keep it from jabbing into my arm.COMFORT & FIT: I'm 5'3" (~163cm) and quite thin, so I'm not able to carry much weight for a long time comfortably. I got this pack because it's one of the lightest available for the price, thanks to the very minimal suspension. I loaded it up with almost all of the gear for an upcoming 5-day summer hike (minus food, so I threw in another 2kg of random weight), and put it on to adjust and test comfort. My torso length is within the lower half of the fit range and it feels great on after adjusting the straps, especially the ones at the top of the shoulder straps (had to really shorten them to get the chest strap to fit comfortably). I also had to trim all the excess strap lengths, because there was a LOT and the weight added up.SIZE & SPACE: As I said, I loaded it up with MOST of the gear I was bringing on a 5-day trip, plus some of my partner's because I just couldn't figure out what else to put in the huge space left over. Keep in mind I am packing for a summer trip in a notoriously mild part of the world, so I can go pretty light. I had in my sleeping bag, sleeping mat, my partner's sleeping mat, stove, flip flops, a travel watercolor set, clothing (which included the somewhat bulky hoodie, down jacket, windbreaker and flannel shirt), and some random camera gear for weight... and the top 1/3 and front pocket was still empty. I also kept the side zip pockets empty. I'm not sure if I will actually store anything in the size zip pockets, because they seem to make the drink bottle pockets impossible to use. I may have to use a hydration pack if I want to use the side zip pockets.I'll update this review and give some final thoughts after my trip.

I love this backpack. I can't say that enough. I am 5'2, average weight and used this backpack to backpack across Europe for 7 weeks. I literally lived out of this backpack and fit everything in it that I absolutely needed. Many people made comments that is was too small for such a long trip but I never had to check it for a flight. I traveled during the summer so it was easier to fit many pieces of clothing. Filled to capacity, it weighed probably close to 25 pounds. The side pockets and top pocket are SO useful, there is also a pocket in the inside that I used for my ipad and also my boarding passes. I HIGHLY recommend this backpack for the traveler who is okay bringing the bare essentials. It is durable and still to this day has not ripped at all. You won't regret buying this backpack.

I love this bag for all it can fit, its pockets, etc. It has worked well for travel; I have had no issue at all using it, stuffed to the brim, as a carry-on for flights within Asia and between Russia, the Middle East, and Asia. The only issue I have is that this bag is too short for my frame to sit comfortably on my hips and shoulders as it should... I'm 5'9.5" (174 cm) and have a fairly long torso. I really wish I had bought the men's version, even though it only comes in boring / ugly colors. Because of this issue, it has been uncomfortable to carry for long distances no matter how I adjust it. I am a fairly experienced backpacker and have had several different types of packs for different types of trips, so trust me when I say it is the size of the bag, not my adjustment techniques.

Lots of compartments, opens really wide, adjustable for a little torso (I am only 1.59m), not too heavy (though I wish it would be a little more lightweight). I use the compartment for the water bag for my laptop as I don't hike with the backpack but use it for long term travelling as my cabin bag/hand luggage. There are only 2 minus points:It doesn't have compartments in the hip belt (but I bought a pouch that you can slide over the belt so I have a little compartment to store money and a mobile phone in there, so problem is fixed now).The second is: the shoulder straps are well padded and don't hurt when carrying with a pullover or t-shirt on. The fabric used for the shoulder straps is not soft though and carrying the backpack while wearing a summer top (so the straps actually touch the skin) is hurting my skin and I am not sure carrying that around in SE Asia will be a pleasure. Maybe I have to cover the straps with another fabric...

I liked everything about this bag . It looks great. It's well made . Perfect size for a 10 day trip with hand luggage only . Love it !!!!! Very happy.

Using this for 3 months Travel in Norway at the moment (packing lightly).Backpack is a good size, very comfortable and easy to pack. I especially like the side slots and pockets,they aren't very big but good for squeezing in some extra bits.

Si tratta di un ottimo zaino che riesce a contenere una grande quantità di vestiti e accessori senza mai essere ingombrante. Indipendentemente dal peso finale, lo zaino è comodissimo in spalla, grazie allo schienale rigido e alla barra di acciaio centrale che scarica il peso sui fianchi. Per scaricare il peso al meglio è fondamentale fissare lo zaino sia ai fianchi che all'altezza delle spalle.Lo zaino ha un vano centrale molto ampio (che si apre interamente con la zip) con anche una tasca sottile che anche se non è imbottita riesce a contenere comodamente un portatile sottile di 13" oppure una cartellina con fogli A4.Lo zaino ha anche una tasca frontale (per documenti, penna e taccuino, qualche accessorio da viaggio), una tasca superiore capiente che può essere destinata per esempio alla busta con i liquidi, e due tasche laterali per altri oggetti di facile accesso (fazzoletti, occhiali da sole, medicine…). Lateralmente sono anche presenti due classiche taschine di rete con l'elastico per portare una bottiglietta di acqua.

Leggero, comodo, capiente e facile da trasportare. Buona presenza di tasche e fessure.Passa come bagaglio a mano.Usato anche per 3 settimane di viaggio e la misura è perfetta.