My personal review of the High Sierra Loop backpack…

High Sierra is considered one of the three top inexpensive backpack makers, along with The North Face and JanSport.

These three companies have been a mainstay in schools, hostels, and on airplanes for years.

The High Sierra Loop Backpack is a budget friendly, quality solution for your carrying needs.

Is it good for usage as…

…a backpack for school?

Sure, it is spacious enough for a number of books, a laptop or tablet, and all of the necessities for school.

In fact, the best use for this backpack will be for students, as they will only need it for a few minutes at a time over intermittent periods.

The clip on the back can be used for car keys or cleats for after-school activities as well.

…a daypack for work?

No problem, there’s room inside for a tablet, your lunch, and other work gear.

The nylon lining will help greatly if something in your lunch spills – don’t want your applesauce getting all over your reports.

…a daypack for travel?

high sierra loop backpack 2 Possibly. As long as you don’t have a lot of gear that you plan on carrying around, it should be fine.

However, the lack of a sternum strap or waist strap can be a bit worrisome, especially if you won’t be able to put it down for a few hours or if you want to stock up on keepsakes along the way.

…a hiking pack?

Not really – while the ripstop construction with Duralite water resistant coating is sturdy enough for light usage, the backpack is likely to rip and tear should it get caught on something while hiking.

Also, it does not feature a hydration compartment, just the mesh side pockets.

There is a lack of padding on the back of the pack, where it sits against the wearer, so the wearer will feel everything in the pack digging in to their shoulders and spine.

…a bug-out bag for survivalists or a primary bag for travelling backpackers?

Not at all.

The backpack is not large enough, not comfortable enough to wear, and not durable enough to be a long-term solution that will take hard, everyday beatings. There’s no way a person will be able to live out of this bag for more than a day or two.

As with any review, I have to get the details into play here…

Features of the High Sierra Loop Backpack:

The multi-compartment design of the High Sierra Loop Backpack makes it a good choice for users who may have to transition from one activity to another, whether they are commuters looking to carry gear to work and the gym or students who participate in after-school activities.

Compartments…

There are 3 distinct compartments in the backpack.

The main compartment has room for a laptop, numerous textbooks, three-ring binders, or a fix of the three.

The second large compartment is big enough for notebooks, and some slimmer textbooks.

The third organizer compartment in the front has pockets and a mesh organizer for separating and holding pens, pencils, and other bits and pieces that end up in a backpack.

It also has a key fob where you can attach house or car keys, and not worry about them getting lost in the bottom of the bag.

high sierra loop backpack straps A zipper compartment for MP3 players comes with a headphone port, while another zippered compartment is only big enough for bits and pieces, or for lunch money or bus fare.

There are mesh beverage compartments on each side of the bag, perfect for water bottles, although they can’t be too large – the mesh pockets don’t expand a great deal.

There is also a phone pocket on the shoulder straps, although it might not be big enough for some of the larger cell phones on the market.

Straps:

The main shoulder straps are fairly well padded, with non-slip shoulder pads and yoke styling that helps to distribute the weight across the shoulders.

The straps feature mesh that helps to keep the wearer cool underneath of those straps.

They also feature ring adjuster pulls so that the wearer can tighten them up easily once the backpack is on.

Bottom straps can be used to strap additional equipment to the bottom of the pack, although they are not heavy enough to support serious loads.

They are best for lightweight gear such as a yoga mat, rolled up blanket, or something similar.

The bag also comes with compressions straps that can be tightened down to prevent the weight from being too far away from the wearer’s body.

Keeping the weight as close to the wearer’s body as possible creates less stress on the wearer’s shoulders.

Specifications:

The bag itself weighs less than 2 pounds when empty, and has the capacity to hold up to nearly 15 pounds of gear. It is constructed of Duralite fabric that is water-resistant, and the pockets are all made of nylon, which is also water resistant.

The seams around the backpack are light-duty stitching, so care should be taken not to overstuff and stretch these seams.

My Verdict!

The High Sierra Loop Backpack is available online and in stores, and usually retails for between $34.99 and $69.99.

It is available in a wide variety of colors and designs.

It is a great budget pick for students of all ages, and can be useful for adults in some situations, but not all. It is a durable backpack that should survive their entire high school or college career, and can even be acceptable as they move on to professional lives.

It will not be useful for heavy-duty uses, but it is a top choice for simple chores.

If you are looking for something similar, but with more padding and greater durability, you should take a look at its big brother, the High Sierra Access Backpack.