Hey all,

As I will be starting into college this coming fall (Auburn University), I’ve decided to update my EDC bag. For the past 3 years I’ve carried a black Condor Compact Assault Pack. It’s a great bag, and it worked very well throughout high school, but I’ve run into a couple major problems that I don’t believe will translate well to the college environment: 1. It has no dedicated laptop compartment. 2. The main compartment itself is rather small, only comfortably holding about 4 textbooks (which, when combined with the laptop, becomes rather awkward and tight). Basically, I need a bigger bag, somewhere in the 25-30L size.

Right now, my primary choice for a new bag is the Jansport Night Owl, http://www.jansport.com/shop/en/jansport-us/all-backpacks/night-owl-t70g?variationId=0BJ . I really like the size, 20×10.5×7, as it’s taller than my current bag without being unduly wider, and the organization is more suited to a stack of books. My main question is, does anyone here have experience with this bag, or its “pucoated 600D polyester” fabric? Having a very basic understanding of fabrics, that doesn’t sound extremely durable. I’ve also heard that Jansport’s quality has been lacking as of late. If this seems like the kind of bag that would not be recommended for any type of hard use (hiking/short range backpacking on weekends), does anyone know of a bag with similair shape and pocket organization (top loader, 25-30L capacity, only a few external pockets)?