Product Review: High Sierra Sport Loop Daypack, Model/Item #54301

These days, students are often forced to carry more than a substantial amount of weight in textbooks, notebooks and other necessary classroom resources. Whether you are a high school or college student, the increase in needed materials has certainly been on the rise in recent years as teachers and professors continue to require more and more. Fortunately, one Sport Company has taken the reins of daypack design and released a unique, highly versatile and durable backpack that works great for student use: The High Sierra Loop Daypack.

As a college senior taking multiple credit hour courses, personal experience and the need for increased storage room played a major role in my deciding to purchase this multi-compartmented pack. The Loop is crafted from highly-sustainable 600-denier Duralite® materials, and includes Mini-Hexagon Ripstop features and Waffle Weave.

The Loop's one-of-a-kind "yoke-style, s-shaped Vapel Mesh padded backpack straps" and unique suspension system are perfect for students toting a large amount of weight (www.highsierrasport.com). The pack is designed to make the most use of the strength of the bag, while compensating for any lack of strength on the part of the carrier. Additionally, a padded, cushioned back panel will allow for softer, less harsh resting of the weight against the back of the carrier. This will come in handy for long walks across campus, particularly when walking uphill or downhill on steep inclines and slopes.

Featured on the outermost sides of the pack are two mesh beverage-storing compartments, perfect for toting that cold can of Coca-Cola to class. However, these versatile pockets are not merely suited for drinks only. Calculators, CD-ROM discs, etc. will fit easily here as well. My own personal use has found they work well for storing coiled guitar straps and XLR cables. How you choose to use them will be up to you.

Inside, the user will find a vast array and assortment of organizer compartments, each containing multiple pockets, as well as a handy key fob clip. This is the perfect section of the pack to include smaller items such as day planners, cell phones, keys, etc. The inner compartment also contains three pen/pencil slots for easy storage and quick access of writing utensils.

Also located within this outer compartment is a dedicated, MP3-player or iPod storage unit and headphone port. The headphone port will be denoted on the outside of the pack by a white headphones icon. This is a must for many students today. The ability to crank up your favorite tunes while on the ago has become a staple desire of nearly every high school and college student. The High Sierra Loop is perfect for such an endeavor.

A monster grab hook located on the top of the pack and sturdy, strong, adjustable bottom straps will allow for the easy attachment of additional gear. For camping, hiking, mountain biking and other extreme and/or outdoor sports, this is a particularly nice feature. No more toting that additional bag by hand. Simply strap or clip it to your High Sierra Loop's side/bottom straps and you will be outfitted as a one-man or one-woman, gear-toting, outdoor-loving survival expert.

According to the official High Sierra Sport web site, the exact measurements of the Loop daypack are as follows:

Size: 19.5" x 14.5" x 8.250"

Capacity: 1949 cubic inches

Materials: Mini-Hexagon Ripstop, Waffle Weave, 600-denier Duralite®

The High Sierra Loop Daypack is typically retailed at $70.00, but can often be purchased at your local sporting goods dealers on a slightly decreased sale price. However, speaking from personal experience, the extreme versatility, durability and overall quality of this unique, one-of-a-kind daypack is well worth the money.