High Sierra 75L Appalachian Backpack - Black

The chest strap goes right across my boobs. It is adjustable, but only to go below them, which looks silly and uncomfortable. I don't think it will make the bag non-functional to me once I have on several layers and a sports bra, mostly because I am not top-heavy and it does hit above my nipples, just on cleavage. The straps have space where they could have made the up and down adjustment go higher, it just doesn't. The waist strap has to be cinched almost as far as it will go, which is hard to get it to cinch that far. I emailed quite a bit with the company and they assured me that this was a unisex bag, and by unisex they meant it is a man's bag. This is a pity, because I love their women's bag that is 50 liters. I just need a bigger bag than that. I am 5'9 and 160 lbs. I am going to take it out in a few days fully loaded, and will try to remember to report back how it functions out in the wild. I do like that there are two separate compartments on the very top of the bag. This is great because now I have separate slot for my funnel and toilet paper. Finding a place for funnel storage away from food while keeping everything easily accessible can be difficult. This bag has lots of great compartments. The bag seems to be built well for the price, and I like the compartments on the front as well, perfect for navigation gear. My goal is to find a cheap bag for off-trail search and rescue training to last me until I graduate in about 4 months and can get prodeals. Honestly though, the 50 liter women's bag I really like, and plan to use it for a very long time. It is very comfortable, and other than the laughable rain cover is great. I will probably just use this bag to graduation, then give it to a man. UPDATE: I took the bag up McClellan's Butte and Mount Si this past weekend and am upping it to 4 stars. The bag turned out better than expected. Yes the chest strap was annoyingly too low. It wasn't however annoying to the extent I had suspected it might be when I initially tried it on and realized it didn't go up high enough. The hip straps were difficult to get cinched, since I had to cinch them almost all the way, however, once I got a system down for getting them cinched super-dooper tight and got rolling with my ridiculously heavy bag, the hip straps became a redeemer for this bag. They were very large and cushy, well worth any extra weight they added to the bag. Also, the weight seemed to be more on the sides of my hips than across my abdomen, which was GREAT. It was easy to stand up straight with the bag on once I got the straps that pull the bag to my body adjusted right. I am very particular about how bags fit to my back, since I have a reverse curve in my neck and a curve in my upper spine, and the many adjustments on the bag got the bag to where I wanted it. I also realized the opening on the front to access the main compartment from the top and front was very helpful. I am annoyed that the side compartments are just a little too small to stuff my midlayer or softshell. Just the tiniest bit too small. My hardshell fit, but as it is winter I rarely take it off now. The shoulder straps didn't annoy me, they were bulky, and I don't know why, but they didn't bother me. The clip I put my water bottle on worked out well. It was to the side enough so that the bottle wasn't swinging into my stomach very often. The bag was also easy to get on and off, remarkably so. Once I had this sucker full to the brim I was wondering how easy it would be to swing on and off, and it slid on very easily. It would be nice if it was a little wider and a little shorter. I went off trail a few times, and kept having issues getting stuck on branches. I am not sure how much this is going to hinder me for search and rescue training since I will have a sighting pole anyways getting tangled in everything. After this weekend, I was very pleased with how sore I wasn't, so I believe the bag is distributing weight as expected. One of the great things about this bag is that the back adjusts up and down, so you can buy it without trying to figure out what size you are for this brand. For the price this is an excellent deal. UPDATE: I have now had this bag for over a month. I have decided that the more I wear this bag the more I like it and am upping the review to 5 stars. Having worn this bag and switched in-between the women's 50 liter explorer bag that they make, I must say I feel like the women's bag doesn't adjust to as high as I want it to. Again I am 5'9", and the manly man bag is definitely tall enough for me. The more I wear the women's one now it just doesn't feel like it adjusts tall enough. I think I liked the pink bag when I started wearing it because it was more comfortable than the previous bag I was using, but the black bag adjusting high enough makes this now my favorite bag. It is still annoying that I have to cinch the waist straps almost all the way in, and it is hard to do, but the added padding on the hips is great for wearing the bad ALL DAY. Plus the opening on the front that let's me have access to the main part of the bag is proving great since I am not very good at taking things out and getting them back in. It is like once I pack the bag if I unpack it everything doubles in size or something. Opening the front allows me to help pull things down into the bottom of the bag without having to squash everything. UPDATE: Having had this bag for a few months, it has now survived the worst weekend for Search and Rescue training. I must say, putting this bag on typically seems to slide on easier than I see other people getting their bags on. But that might just be because I'm so burly. Well I have officially put this bag through hell. I must say, I have become quite attached to this bag. It still frustrates me sometimes that I have to tighten the waist cinch before I clip the bottom strap or it won't tighten, and I have to wiggle the bands around that are supposed to keep the strap flaps from flapping because they clog the tightener and do nothing to stop straps from flapping since I have to tighten them so much. The too low chest strap I have gotten used to. It could certainly be better but it doesn't piss me off as much as it used to. I worry sometimes because the clasper things come apart if they are pulled on not terribly hard, but they have always gone back together so far. The front unzipping has been the most helpful feature of this bag so far. Other than my complaints about this clearly not being tested on women I recommend this bag. I have thrown it all over, fallen into swamps, fallen onto rocks, fallen into culverts, fallen down hills, fallen into rivers, exhaustively flung it onto roads covered in sharp rocks, snagged everything on thorns and just pushed my way through until branches were breaking and those thorny chain things snapped, worn it in the rain for days at a time, screamed and it and kicked it because I was miserable and wet and angry, run for miles with it, stored not at all contained microspikes directly in the front pouch, and somehow it still serves me well and the fabric hasn't torn. I don't think you can ask for more for the price. Except of course a bag designed for women. Because yes women can carry a bag this big on grand adventures. UPDATE: I got this bag in October. It is now April, and I have graduated search and rescue training several months ago. I had assumed I would dump this bag once I graduated and get something with prodeals. Honestly I will probably carry this bag until it breaks down. As much as I despise it for not having a female version, this bag and I have suffered through a lot together, and I can't seem to retire it. As I carry it to Rainier, Helen's, and other places I never expected to take a High Sierra bag, I must say I really love this bag. UPDATE: Someone asked for action shots with different levels of clothing on.