I've been using my black scout pack for about three weeks, mostly for walking and taking public transit to work, and exploring the city on the weekends. I love this pack.I usually carry my 14" laptop, charger, day planner, my Klip It 3 Compartment Lunch Cube, a pad of paper, and a pouch for meds in the main compartment; the rest of my small items go in the zippered pocket. With all of this, it's moderately full (i.e. closes on the middle buckle hole), but it's mostly because of the lunch cube's height. WIthout that, I can easily pack a change of clothes for the gym (not shoes). If you pack lightly, you might even be able to use this as a weekend bag (without a laptop inside probably).
Pros:
-One thing I was surprised at was how low it sits on your back even on the tightest buckle setting. It feels balanced just fine; I guess I was just used to cranking my old backpack straps way tight so the pack hung nearer to my shoulders. The pack's cotton webbing straps are very comfortable.
-The canvas is heavy and rugged, and the leather straps, once stiff out of the box, are now becoming supple and easier to get in and out of the buckles.
-This holds a surprising amount for when I need it to, but is small and sleek enough for all the rest of the time. This is key because I didn't want a backpack that made me look like a turtle or was going to knock people over while I commute on the train. The size is perfect without giving me too much space to needlessly fill.
-Minimalist design looks great to me.
Cons:
-Extremely simple internal organization, and no external organization. This will most likely be the determining factor on if you like this pack or not. A lot of people need a home for every gadget they need to carry, and this pack won't do that for you.
-Unstructured pack consequently doesn't hold its shape if you don't have much in the pack to give it structure, nor will it stay open when you lay it on a surface, like a lot of other bags will.
-The bottom of the zippered pocket doesn't hit the bottom of the pack. Because of this, I noticed that if you put too much heavy stuff in the zippered pocket and you don't have something inside the main compartment to give the pack some structure, it will weigh the pocket and the back of the pack down. This looks a little slouchy.
-The opposite extreme is if I pack the bag to close to its max carrying capacity or pack it with bulky items. In this case, if I have too much in the zip pocket, I can't slide that last thing in because of depth clearance issues. However, the saving grace is that the pocket flips to the outside of the pack, which frees up the depth clearance. Then you can load the last items, then flip the zip pocket back into the pack where it rests on top of everything else. The lid then straps down nice and snug.
-VERY MINOR: black canvas, I just found out, attracts lighter colored lint and it can show it fairly easily. I take a lint roller perhaps once a week, and it solves this problem.
Overall, the cons are minor when comparing the pros, which are great build quality, minimalist styling, and a design that keeps you from looking like a turtle. If you need a simple pack that you can take anywhere for fairly light excursions, then you will not be disappointed with the Scout Pack. Two thumbs way up.
1. Great canvas and leather construction. I can swing this thing around and throw it on the ground and kick it, and there is no problem with integrity. So far I have taken it to school full of books all semester, and then to a convention, and used it for everything from board games to boots and it's held up fantastically.
2. Tied to that, it's very easy to clean. Just use a damp cloth or even a light scrub brush like a nail brush for flecks of mud. The canvas is nice and sturdy and holds up well and doesn't discolor.
3. It's very understated if you get a neutral. I got this pack partly because I saw one of my fellow teachers carrying around one of those sporty looking mesh backpacks and thought, secretly, that it looked pretty unprofessional. Handcarrying a briefcase is almost impossible when one of your textbooks weighs about 10 pounds, so a backpack is necessary but I really prefer this rugged, grown up looking pack to the neon and polyester variety.
4. It's very secure. You can zip your wallet right into the little interior pocket, buckle the straps and nothing will fall out. Heck, even if you don't buckle the straps, as long as it isn't stuffed, you're in pretty good shape. I like the somewhat deconstructed style here, not super boxy, but it really doesn't just collapse like a sack either.
In terms of issues with the bag, I have three. One is that one of my straps didn't have the leather properly and completely treated, so it had ripples and irregularities. Not really worth fussing over, but noted. Secondly, the back straps are initially QUITE long and you will have to either take them to a cobbler and have them trimmed or do it yourself. I did it myself and so far no issues, but I'm keeping an eye on them. Lastly, and not really a fault of the bag, but as a black canvas it does attract some light colored lint. Lint roller generally does the trick but you have to be pretty consistent if you want a nice clean presentation. On the other hand my black cat's fur doesn't show up at all, so win some, lose some.
I would definitely get this backpack again if given the choice. I will update this review after a year or so and note whether or not it holds up.
Buy Duluth Pack Scout Pack Backpack Now
I got this for my son and he likes it a lot. Besides that he looks really good with it on!Duluth has poor customer service! When I ordered a scout pack, the rivets broke in less than a week. I put in an order to have a different bag sent. However, they sent this rotten scout pack back to me, despite that I did not want it. They made some excuses about how the orders on the computer do not connect with the packages that come to their warehouse. Then Duluth went on to say how that it was was my fault and they were innocent for blindly sending this bag back to me, when in fact a rep by the name of Kaci did not follow through with the subsequent order and ignored my request.
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