I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend. He wanted a functional, but not too bulky back pack. So far the ful Free Fall'n backpack has proven to be both these things and he absolutely loves it. There's tons of space for both your laptop and books in the main compartment. Also, there's many side compartments for whatever storage one might need. If you need a functional backpack that's not too big, this is the one for you.
First, let me say that this backpack has not yet stood the test of time. I have had it for less than a week.
It does, however, look and feel like a well built and heavy duty backpack.
The backpack doesn't sag while you wear it, or pull/press on particular areas of the body. It feels like a solid mass which sits equally across the upper back. As such, it is very comfortable.
The bottom of the pack is made of a rubbery material which is thick and waterproof. You shouldn't worry about setting it down when the ground is wet.
As the other reviewer has noted, there are many small compartments throughout the pack. There are really more than I know what to do with. The large compartment currently contains my laptop (in a padded internal compartment) and my textbooks, including a hefty physics book. I haven't even touched the middle compartment yet, but I'm sure that I'll find something to do with it. It might be good for my field gear (i.e. rock hammer, etc.).
My one issue is that my laptop is 14.1". It fits very snugly in the laptop compartment with little if any wiggle room. This is great for me, but I don't know how you are going to fit a 17" laptop into it, as is advertised.
UPDATE 03/08/11:
I have now had this for a little over 5 months, exclusively for transporting school supplies. I haven't used it in any rough activity. Through normal use, the larger front pocket has gradually torn away just above the zipper for about the length of the zipper. A smaller tear is appearing in the small front-bottom pocket. A tear is also making an appearance near the zipper of the large pocket (which houses the laptop).
The laptop pocket appears to be sufficient, but the padding is nowhere near so. My Thinkpad's corner was cracked. I did not abuse it in any way, such as dropping it into the pocket haphazardly. Setting the backpack on the floor was enough for it to crack the corner of my $900 computer. That crack has grown to reveal parts of the circuit board.
I bought this backpack for $30, as it looked like a dependable and high quality backpack. I ended up with garbage and the inevitable loss of a really nice $900 dollar computer.
My 50 dollar Coleman backpack that this replaced lasted over 5 years, during which I used it for everything from carrying books and a computer around, to carrying 50lb of rocks from a quarry. It never reached nearly the same amount of damage as the Ful did, which never had the same abuse.
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When I first got this bag I was sorta disappointed that it had only one big full size compartment [the next compartment by size is big, but has not width stitched into it]. But I've been using this one for close to a month now and its already been super useful. I changed apartments and I could pack this bag upo with so much stuff without the zippers being all stretched out and about to give. There are so many little pouches that I had no idea what I'd do with initially, but over time they've all got their reason. It looks alright and you can see that its a bigger that average bag, but the one draw back is that it takes a while to get used to on your back. Its comfortable even with heavy loads but coz of its unusual size it feels different than other bags you'd have worn on your back.
So now 4 months into using this bag, the left shoulder strap is ripping. The material is tearing, not the stitching. The surprising part is that I'm a right handed and if I ever pick the bag up with the straps, I use the right strap and that has no rip or any signs of giving! Also, I contacted FUL about this problem and haven't been getting very prompt response from them :( Sad, coz I liked this bag and might have to work a little harder to get the warranty validated which decreases my love for the bag..
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I really like the backpack style and compartments but the description says it will fit up to a 17" laptop. I have a 16.5" and when I put it in the sleeve the flap doesn't cover the end and the zipper rubs against the corners. I also have to pull up on the zippers when closing it to get it to go over the corners.
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Purchased this backpack for my son attending college and received the backpack in good condition. The backpack is the perfect size and has ample room for laptop, books and supplies my son needs to carry, without overpacking. However he has had the backpack for five weeks and the stitching has begun to fail and is coming apart at the seams. Very disappointed with the quality and poor construction of this backpack.
My 5th grader (and her classmates) loves this bag! She is in a new school with lots of ramps and walking across campus. The backpack is lightweight, easy to stroll, and durable. No more heavy loads and back strain.
