Customer Reviews

Rick Steves Civita Day Pack

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The material is so soft that I've stuffed a sweater in the bag and used it as a pillow on the train, yet it's strong enough to handle being crammed to capacity with groceries or books. I've had this bag since the late 90s and it still looks almost brandnew, despite a lot of use. Every now and then I pop it into the washing machine and let it hang to dry afterwards.

The main compartment is ideal for a sweater and provisions. I use the big outer pocket for books and the small pocket for small items, like lip balm or ticket stubs. I use one of the side mesh pockets for a water bottle and the other for my camera, making sure that side is closest to my hand, so pickpockets aren't tempted. (If I know that I'm not going to be reaching for the camera very much, I secure the camera cord by looping it through the the mesh, so that no one can pull the camera free without me noticing. And it goes without saying that I use a money belt for passport, plane ticket, credit card and bank card!)

The bag holds a surprising amount, yet scrunches into a small, light ball when empty. The adjustable shoulder straps are comfortably padded and there's also a handle at the top of the bag, which is handy for strapping it to a roll-on.

I initially bought it for travel, but find I often use it at home whenever I make a quick run to the supermarket or library. I adore this bag, which is exceptionally well designed and made.

I ordered one of these day packs for a month long trip to Europe in summer 2006. The pack is light, very packable, and held up well to the abuse it went through on the trip.

Even though it was comfortable to wear as a backpack, I found myself using the convenient handle on the top, and often carrying rather than wearing it when it wasn't fully loaded. Features like mesh bottle holders and quick adjusting straps came in handy as well. The best thing about a small pack like this is it is light enough to start the day off with just some water, a camera, and a guidebook, but heavy duty enough to accomodate a hefty picnic lunch on the side and even a couple souveneirs to take back to the hotel and mail.

The only complaint I had was that the thread and stitching along the inner zipper began to fray almost immediately, and after 3 weeks of heavy use small threads of nylon would occasionally get stuck in the zipper and had to be cut off. Other than that minor defect I would call this the perfect day pack!

I bought the daypack based on Rick Steves' endorsement and some other peoples' reviews. I just returned from 2 weeks trekking all over 5 countries, using it every day. Like someone else said, at first I was a little surprised at how flimsy it feels, because it's made of very soft squishable fabric. however, it turned out to be very capable of stuffing full of whatever, even my leather jacket on top of our guide books and who knows what else. The only thing was, we got caught in the rain, my leather jacket was inside the daypack and it got drenched. So, basically, it's NOT water resistant in the least but they never said it was, so that's just my bad.
One bad thing about it, the straps tend to work themselves loose, and several times the pack just fell off my shoulder because the strap had slowly worked its way out of the buckle. this is a bad design so I would suggest you find a way to secure the straps better than relying on the poor quality buckle.

The Civita daypack I bought five years ago was perfect. Alas, it was stolen. For some reason the manufacturer changed the design. The material is different; the size is smaller; and, most importantly, with the new design, the zippers on the main compartment catch routinely and dislodge themselves. I repaired the zippers once at a cost almost equal to the price of the bag. Each time I would use the bag I would have to zip it up with extreme care and a feeling of trepidation. Finally, this morning I threw the horrid thing away.

Initially I thought the day pack was larger but it is really quite small although it does expand to hold quite a bit. I love it because it is small and I can carry it around the city (NY) without being weighed down by a regular backpack but because it expands, it can fit my purchases. The only way I would travel with it would be to carry it on the plane but I wouldn't use it as a travel bag because it is not large enough.

I picked this up before a trip to France. Very lightweight, and small enough to roll up and throw into a bigger back for later use. At the end of my trip, whatever I bought went into this bag as a carry on. Very versatile.

Just got back from a trip to Canada and this day pack is the best I have ever used and that's 50 years of travels. Lite to carry, very roomy and stuffable. Washed like a dream after the trip. Folds to nothing. Am going to get my husband one. five stars. didn't notice any threads fraying as in review above.

As has been reported, the latest version of this light, perfect-size city day bag suffers from poor zippers. They routinely get caught in the small cloth flap that hides them. Now, my 2 month-old bag has non-working zippers, and I don't want to spend more money to get them repaired. It's too bad, because this bag was ideal for carrying my netbook and assorted papers I use for work. My only other minor complaint is that the shoulder strap was too narrow, and caused an uncomfortable strain on my neck. I purchased a new, heavy-duty, padded, wider shoulder strap, and that customization gave me what I believed to be the perfect day bag. Now, I'm looking for something similar, but by a different manufacturer.

I bought this bag in the Merlot color about 8 months ago. I have carried it every day since then when I leave the house. It has three compartments and two mesh pockets to hold water bottles. The large pocket easily holds a small purse, a small makeup bag, my Kindle 2, and the various items a girl might need during the course of the day. And there will be room enough leftover to carry a diaper change for a baby if need be. The medium size pocket will easily accomodate a clutch purse, or your Kindle 2. The smallest pocket is good for odds and ends, keys, etc.

The bag itself weighs next to nothing when empty and will lay flat in a suitcase giving you an extra bag if you buy too many souvenirs on your next vacation trip. It can even be rolled or folded to be stuffed into a large overcoat pocket. I have never had any trouble with the zippers or the shoulder straps, though I usually just sling it over one shoulder.

All of that said, the potential buyer needs to be aware that this is a DAYPACK, not a bookbag or a backpack. While it is reasonably well constructed and will carry a change of clothes easily, it is not designed to carry 60 pounds of books and other school materials. If that is your need, you must look elsewhere. And don't expect a pretty, geometrically appealing thing either. The picture is a little misleading in that regard. What you see is the bag with its packing material still stuffed inside. There is no internal frame of any kind (that's why it's lightweight and folds-up - duh). Also since this is not a heavy-duty bag, you should not expect any padded backing or bottom or any waterproofing.

But if your need is for a light duty utility bag, perhaps to carry some unexpected purchases during your next trip out the front door or just a bag lunch and a thermos jug to work, then this pack is one of the best at a price anyone can afford.

I used this bag daily for about 3 weeks when traveling through Japan and here is my evaluation:

PROS: Well done, big enough for your daily materials, quite light, good fit even for tall people (even though when I received it I was worried that straps are not long enough, I am over 6'5').

CONS: Biggest issue I have is that it is not waterproof so in hot weather when you are sweating a lot, all paper materials that are not in sheet protectors could get wet and disintegrated. It happened to me few times. Second issue is that the main zipper very often bites into the textile zip protector, and thus gets stuck. Not a real problem, but annoyance at least.

Overall, decent choice if you need something small and light and do not use it in hot or too rainy climates.