Customer Reviews

JanSport Odyssey Daypack

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I received this pack as a Christmas present in 2007. By mid-February 2008, I've already traveled to Denver, Hong Kong/Macau using this pack - living out of it daily, all day, for over two weeks in China.

This is a fantastic pack with heavy duty zippers.

There are pockets for almost everything you will carry: passport, wallet, cell phone, mp3 player, USB cables, sunscreen, sunglasses, chapstick, pens, pencils, PDA, fruit, candy, local maps, phrase book, camera, portable tripod, and water in the outside storage nets. Plenty of room for a laptop, umbrella, sweater, shell, and a light jacket when you don't know what the weather will be. There was still room for souvenirs that you have to pick up while in a foreign country. There's only 1 compartment with internal organization. The others are normal "stuff it until it is full" compartments.

The pack is comfortable, but only when worn as a full backpack - over both shoulders. I found that wearing over one shoulder wasn't comfortable for my 6' frame longer than a few minutes. The straps seemed too wide to me. With both straps on, it was easy to adjust for a perfect and comfortable fit.

I lost about 10 lbs by walking and hiking around Hong Kong & Macau with this pack. It was the primary item when heading out for a day exploring whether it was to the 10,000 Buddha Temple, the Po Lin Monastery, a day of skiing or just a day of shopping in Kowloon, Hong Kong, Atlanta or Denver.

I usually only used half the compartments and created a system where unused compartments had the zipper closed towards the left side and heavily used compartments were closed with the zippers at the top. Don't get me wrong, I've had 3 other backpacks and none of them had enough compartments for my needs. The Odyssey does.

I do admit that I've only carried a 15.5" laptop in it a few times. There is plenty of room so I suspect a 17" laptop could be placed into it too. You'll want a laptop sleeve if you carry a PC (not included). I use an old laptop foam insert. I don't take a full laptop when traveling for pleasure, so read other laptop-centric reviews for this pack if that is your main requirement.

Also, it supports a water reservoir which isn't included, but you can easily make due with bottled water. I'm going to order a reservoir to support day hiking on north Georgia trails.

What would I change?
- more internal slots/pockets to organize smaller items
- include the water reservoir
- 2 fewer large compartments
- add a larger carrying handle - single hand carrying can be awkward
- create a way to strap it to my 20" roller luggage that isn't awkward

I needed a replacement for my Targus backpack that I used to haul my 17" powerbook. This pack is lighter, smaller (which is a good thing; the Targus was huge!), yet has as much useful pack space as the Targus. I vastly prefer it; the only question is that of durability, but as my last Jansport pack lasted 5 years and my Targus only lasted 1.5 before blowing a zipper, I'll give Jansport the benefit of the doubt.

Supremely comfortable, two water bottleholders, a bladder slot, and plenty of pockets. Top notch!

This is the best day hiker backpack I've ever seen. It's HUGE inside with tons of different pockets to stash stuff in. It's got an organizer pocket to hold pens, IPod etc. with a Velcro closure and two zippered mesh pockets. The waist belt can be tucked inside the pack and it's got a pocket for a water bladder. I use this bag as carry on when I fly, as a book bag for class and as a day bag for hiking. Jansport did an awesome job on this bag!

I have been using this bag for about a year now and I love it.

Pros
+ Lots of compartments for good organization
+ Excellent construction and build quality
+ Highly ergonomic. Feels balanced even when fully loaded with laptop, books etc
+ The hydration sleeve pocket can be used for storing stuff like sunglasses, iPod etc

Cons
- Heavy even when empty
- Main compartment is not as wide as I would like it to be.
- No specialized laptop compartment. I put my laptop in a neoprene sleeve and then carry it in the bag.

I would definitely recommend this bag.

I recently bought this backpack because a friend recommended it, and I can say that I was very satisfied with my purchase. I have a *huge* laptop, and this is the first pack to comfortably hold it. The straps are thickly padded with a nifty breathable material, there are tons of compartments, two water bottle holders, and the waist and chest straps distribute the weight and dramatically reduces how much load you feel like you're carrying.

Also, I got the super saver shipping, and it arrived in like three days. I was astounded.

This is a great bag for space. If you have a lot to pack and are resourceful, then you can find many uses for a bag like this. One thing I wish it had was a built in rain-fly. Or one could just buy a backpack cover from REI that would be sufficient.

A great pack! Substantial suspension and airy back padding. Small panel in front. Larger panel in the middle with dividers for office supplies etc. Opposing side of same panel has two mesh pockets. Second middle panel full length for documents/magazines. Great size of main panel with full horseshoe access. Top zipper pocket for small items and hydration bladder that runs the whole dimension of the back pad. Could be used for additional stowage if not using a bladder. Two elastic mesh bottle holders are nicer than one. Great for a weekend (or week if you pack light) away and can easily hold a laptop - but would recommend using a padded sleeve. Actual fabric color (red state) came with darker grey panels and the pack appears more subtle than the contrast in the stock photo.

This pack is perfect for my needs. I wanted:

* Something large, with multiple compartments.
* Place for iPod.
* Place for a CamelBack water pouch.
* Waist straps available for heavy load, but not invasive for lighter loads. (You can stow them inside.)
* Lots of lashing loops for storing stuff on the outside.
* Lots of holders for things like pens and pencils.

This backpack does it all and more! It also has AirLift cushioning, so it's really comfy. It's the most versatile pack I've seen, functioning equally well for use as a pack at college and as a day/day-and-a-half pack for backpacking.

It's a great Backapack. Can be used day-by-day or on travel and trecking events. A tip to the manufacturer: The water compartment cold bring a bigger zipper to allows use it like a laptop sleeve.

Gave this as a HS grad gift, and it was a hit! LOTS of space and pockets and zippers and loops and hooks...etc. Will fit a laptop nicely, along with books and supplies. Waist belt and comfy shoulder straps. My daughter's boyfriend has one, and her college friends admire it. Works good as a daypack and travel pack for overnighters, too. Price was right, and Amazon was fantastic as always. I was happy with this purchase.