Customer Reviews

High Sierra Access Pack (Black)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Access Day Pack by High Sierra is one of the best Back Pack/Day Packs I have ever owned. It is VERY roomy and has plenty enough space to store just about anything. I frequently travel with 2 laptops a sizable 3 ring binder, several hand held radios and at least one camera. This means that I not only need a lot of space I need a bag that will support the weight of the gear. After 3 years of continual use only a few stitches are coming loose on the shoulder straps.

The Access Day Pack, has been great! Although it is not waterproof, it comes with its own rain coat that covers the bag just in case you get caught in undesirable weather. I thought that was a cool feature!

I also an not a big fan of pre-sized pockets and pouches as they never fit my stuff. However the pockets in this bag are really good size and can hold most cellphones or 2-way radios.

The things I would change about the bag are:
1) The top MP3 style pocket. It is big enough to hold your iPod but if you put much else in it you run out of room quickly.

2) I would add another "water bottle" holder on the left side. These pockets are always useful and having a second one would only make this bag that much better.

3) I would add a rubberized waterproof bottom to the bag. If you set it down in a wet area for very long the water will soak through.

Hope this helps...

I bought this backpack for my tour of Europe. I tour cities in bursts of 2-3 days so this pack has to hold my things for 2-3 days.

Pros:
1. It has many pockets for all kinds of gadgets or items you may have.

2. The bottle holder is far better than in any previous backpack i have owned. It has a zipper to it so you can tighten the bottle agaist the pack to hold it down.

3. It has a rain cover. I haven't needed to use it yet but im sure that day will come.

4. The laptop padding is good. I have had the pack tip over and fall on the floor. The laptop was protected each time.

5. The pack has padding for your back as well. However, there is a con here that ill explain further down.

6. The pack is spacious and wide enough for my dslr camera bag. This is a big plus for me.

Cons:
1. The padding for your shoulders and back has a tendency to cover air flow and makes you sweat. The pack is advertised to have good air flow but this is not true in my experience.

2. The wait strap is excessive and unnecessary in my opinion. My pack is never heavy enough to need it.

3. The pack is advertised to be able to hold upto 17in. laptops but i have serious doubts about that. My 15.4in widescreen laptop fits snugly and hangs out of the top of the covering a good bit. The dimensions of my laptop are the following: 14.25" x 10.55" x 1.54"

Overall a very good pack, best i've had yet.

Currently, Amazon says that this bag will hold a laptop that is:
17" x 12" x 2"

Manufacturer says that the bag will hold a laptop that is:
15.5" x 10.75" x 1.8"

Big difference, as I found out. I returned it, bought the Targus XL bag instead and didn't regret it one bit.

This is one of the most durable backpacks I have ever owned! I bought it for college, because as an engineer I carry around waaay too many thick heavy books. This bag has been great for walking long-distance with heavy books, biking with heavy books, and carrying heavy groceries home from the store. :D Could be used as a daypack for short hikes, more comfy than many bags, but probably not as comfortable as a dedicated backpacking bag. I am a skinny woman, and this bag was able to size comfortably for me, but my 6'2" husband can adjust all the straps for him too.

The hip strap is well made, and padded so that it is actually comfortable with 50+ lbs of books weighing it down. Can't emphazise how comfortable the hip strap is!

The laptop gets it's own padded compartment in the main pocket, and it is tall enough for 17" laptops. I use it for a 15", and the sides are fine, so I don't know how the sides on a 17" would be, but I expect it will fit fine. Has a nice clip to keep it from bouncing around.

The second (big) pocket out is for shorter items, but from outside is deceptively large because in fact there is a third almost hidden pocket in front of it. The third pocket has a size zip entrance, so it's not very good for books or papers. I don't use it for much except sometimes an extra shirt, or scarf and hat, things like that. If short on space though, remember it's there. The outermost pocket is great for pencils, bus schedules, combs, flat stuff. I use the mp3/cd player pocket for my laptop mouse.

The "suspension system" on the shoulder straps actually has a span of tough elastic in between shoulders and bag. I think it makes the bag ride softer on your shoulders... but also makes it a little more bouncy.

The rain fly is VERY effective, although when not using it is more heavy than you might think. I had a hard time folding it back up to fit in it's underneath pocket. Without the fly, the bag can take 1 hour of medium rain and keep your books dry. Although the laptop zipper will leak and soak the top of the bag a couple inches down, it didn't reach my laptop because the bag is tall. Fly is bright yellow, it also doubles to make you somewhat more visible when biking in the dark. (Not reflective)

So I originally bought this bag to carry my large lap top, camera, eternal hard drive and what ever else I needed to haul back and forth from work home. It has been absolutely great for that, no complaints at all. have plenty of room of many other things as well such as sandals and a sweater. The weight is distributed nicely and has been a very sturdy.
Reciently I was invited to go on a 2 day hike throught the jungle (I live in costa rica) and the only back pack I had was this one. I thought it might be two small at first but I was able to pack very comfortably:
1 fleece balket
1 mosquito net
1 large first aid kit
1 pair of sport sandels
1 poncho
1 change of clothes
extra socks and underwear
enough food for 2 days
small bag with toiletries
a flash light and 1 sweater

I walked for 8 hour the first day and my shoulders were not hurting at all, the weight was very well distributed and the shoulder straps were very comfortable. The only thing was one part of the sternum straps fell off and was lost, but that I believe was because i snagged it on something and did not notice.

every one on this trip admired my bag and said it was the perfect size. In the end I was almost disappointed it did not rain, because I really wanted to whip out the awesome rain protection this bag has which I have to say was the feature that won me over when I bought the bag.

This backpack seems very well made and durable, I think that the rain cover is a plus especially for keeping your laptop dry. The reason I give it four stars is because the picture shows padded waist straps (which is the reason for the tuck-away compartment) and my backpack did not have any (just had regular straps) this wasn't really a big deal though but they were shown in the picture so if you are looking for them beware yours may not have it. Mine also did not have the zippered waterbottle side compartment (its just a regular mesh waterbottle holder). Overall its a very well made backpack with plenty of room and I was surprised out how nicely my 15 inch notebook fits in the compartment. Recommended for school and traveling. (I ordered the navy blue color in case your wondering)

Best backpack I've ever owned. I bought it for school in 10th grade, and haven't used anything else since. The bag is built completely solid, has plenty of space and useful features, and is comfortable. I lost this bag in 12th grade, and bought the exact same one and have been using it into college.

I can pick this bag up from any part (except for the zippers I guess, but that's just because of the zipper's design), and the seams will hold. I've dropped my bag, dragged it, sat on it, spilled water on it, and even hung skis from it during my ski touring. Two years since buying it, it still looks new, and the seams are still as strong as ever.

My 15.4" laptop fits snugly in the built-in laptop compartment, and stays snug thanks to the extra padding and adjustable clip in the compartment. The bag also comes with one water bottle holder, a rain cover, and a pocket for MP3 players that have a hole for headphones. It also came with a removable cell phone holder that I removed because it was unnecessary. But this all attests to the quality of the product.

The only qualm I have with this bag is the padding on the back. The advertisement claims it encourages airflow, but to me it feels like it doesn't breathe at all. But it's okay because the padding is soft and the bag always fits comfortably. The waist and chest straps are also pretty handy when they're needed.

Overall, this is a great multipurpose bag. The laptop compartment, MP3 pocket, and water bottle holder are good for use on campus, and the solid seams, larger capacity, waist and chest straps, and the hook on the front of the bag help make this bag a great backpack for light backpacking and general outdoor recreation.

THis is a great all around back pack. I am in school, and it is big enough to hall around all of my books and my laptop.
There is only one problem, and it seems like it is the same for all of the brands back packs. Many of my friends have this pack, and we all have the same problem-- the zipper lining for the bigger compartment tends to BREAK OFF!
It has come off on my back pack, and i have sewn it back on many times to no avail.
I am tempted to get another one, but afraid it will just break again!
I also dont know where to go--this is such a LARGE back pack. I am kind of lost right now!

I'm a big fan of High Sierra laptop backpacks. They tend to be roomy and built with high quality materials and stitching. My previous bag gave me ten years of serious use and was still going strong when it was stolen from my car...grrrr. This bag is a pretty good replacement that I researched a lot before I went with. It's a bit lighterweight, which I think will appeal to more people (my last was heavier weight, more military looking).

The one area where this bag failed me personally was in the splitting of the center pocket. This turned a nice roomy area into two not-so usable areas. I used to throw my dopp kit in the bottom of my bag, but it couldn't fit lying down anymore which made packing much harder. So the first thing I did was slice up that center fabric to open up the space. If they had made that center flap zippable, it would have improved the backpack a lot for me.

However, it's a high quality bag with sturdy zippers and stitching, plus it has neat perks. The rain cover has come in handy protecting my laptop from a heavy downpour. I've always been puzzled by who uses the MP3 player pocket (my player is generally kept closer to my body), but it has one. The back rest is very comfortable and it has decent front suspension straps. And most importantly, it seems to protect my MacBook Pro well. It's a suspension design which means the laptop is slightly raised above the bottom of the bag so when you drop the bag it gives a little extra protection. The laptop fits snugly but I don't have to force anything to get it in. I personally would have preferred a separate pocket for the computer, but I haven't had any real issues with it being integrated into the main area.

All in all, a solid bag and one I'm looking forward to building another ten year relationship with.

I bought this backpack in a local retailer for its large size yet light weighted, and most importantly, its comfortable shoulder straps. Later I found the same product here at Amazon. After I browsed through every user's comment, I felt more confident on my purchase.

I also found out there was no rain cover in my bag. I went to [...] and confirmed that there should be a "Tuck-away rain cover". I contacted the customer service. To my surprise, a yellow rain cover appeared in my mailbox 2 weeks later, at no cost! Just a month ago, I was searching for waterproof backpacks. I gave up finally because most of them are either too heavy or not-so-good-looking. Now this Access Backpack with rain cover is just perfect for going anywhere.

Now back to the backpack. There are nine external zippers and two internal zippers, i.e., 11 in total. You can imagine how many compartments there are. However, there are some bells and whistles which I have no ideas of. They must be for mountaineers and pro hikers. High Sierra should describe those functions in more details on their web pages.