I'm giving this bag 4 stars because the shoulder straps are thin and stiff and the pockets on the outside of the bag are small and it is difficult to fit water bottles and other gear that I might want easy access to.That being said, I'm giving this bag 4 stars because although these are some drawbacks I'm still really pleased with this bag. The shoulder straps didn't bother me when I took it on an 18 mile hike and loaded it down with 8 liters of water, plus food and supplies. It held up well through airport travel and it held everything that I needed, plus some. The outside pockets are really tight and don't fit a water bottle when the bag is full, but there is an external pocket for a bladder, which I prefer to use while hiking, so I keep my extra water bottle in the main compartment and put other gear in the smaller outside pockets.There are a ton of straps on this bag, which means you can cinch it down from every angle and adjust it just they way you want it, but it does take time and trial and error to make it fit just right.It is a good bag for the price and I'm looking forward to using it a lot more.