an external zippered organizer holds everything you need close at hand
The side compression system on the Long Haul is comparatively weak compared to other packs, but it's also less important because X-Pac is so stiff and has so little stretch to it, no matter how much you stuff into the pack
This means you can easily charge your phone while walking, with your backpack on your shoulders
Note: I packed an empty 2-oz plastic squeeze bottle (useful for any liquid I may want to hang on to a flight-size portion of) and an empty plastic soap container so I could hang on to my soap once I needed to buy it
The list of anti-theft features includes slash-resistant shoulder straps, locking straps and compartments, and RFID protection
Final Thoughts If we had to pick just one backpack for our travels, it would definitely be the 17L backpack