If you want to know why I chose this bag over the Perigree, head over to the reviews for Perigree! Once I decided to go with the Nova as a personal item on my Spirit airlines flight with 18"x14"x8" restrictions, the real test was actually traveling with it. I used the front stash pocket to place travel-sized liquids so it would be easy to access for TSA screening. I used the sunglasses/goggles pocket for my huge RFID-proof wallet, passport, boarding pass, etc., again easy to access. My phone went into one of the organization pockets, keys I knew I wouldn't need for a week went on the little red hook in the organization pocket. I didn't take a laptop on this trip but it would have been easy to access without disturbing other contents in my pack if I had. I still don't understand the water bottle comments. I took the Nova on a test run with my 12oz standard mouth HydroFlask. I traveled with my 21 oz standard mouth HydroFlask. Full liters of water fit in the side pockets (much wider than any wide mouth HydroFlask, except maybe the 40 oz or larger) and the only time a water bottle fell out, I know it wasn't all the way in the pocket. Maybe I'm not bending over as much as everyone else. Anywho, once on the plane, to make sure my bag fit, I stashed my toiletries bag and water bottle into the main compartment and it fit under the seat in front of me just fine, although 2 of the 3 the dimensions of the Nova are listed as larger than the dimensions of Spirit Airlines. But like Kristine, I didn't have a fully packed bag for this trip - by design and because i really didn't need to. For reasons that will be left on Yelp and Trip Advisor, I ended up on JetBlue flights that got me to my actual destination. JetBlue's personal item requirements are even smaller than Spirit's (17x13x8) and my pack still fit. JetBlue doesn't charge for carry-ons so I still would have been ok. Too bad I didn't have the presence of mind to take a photo of my pack on the JetBlue flight.

Regina K

Chicago, IL

I bought this pack to take to Ireland for two weeks traveling. I scotch guard sprayed the pack, my shoes and jacket. Everything stayed dry in the off and on rain of Ireland. I used Contigo water bottles which stayed snug in the outside pockets. See photo. My weight in the pack was around 30 pounds. Our goal is to travel with this backpack only. It fits very well and carries the load comfortably. I highly recommend it for two weeks of travel abroad.

World travel girl

Silver City, NM

I REALLY want to love this pack..I LOVE the blue lining and THOUGHT the various compartments would really suite my needs. Unfortunately, the main "center" pocket has a smaller zipper section than the laptop pocket. I always open the wrong pocket by accident and have to re-zip and open the other one. I could probably get used to this over time but I wish the laptop pocket was inside the main section instead of having a whole separate section-also adds bulk. The laptop pocket takes up a lot of space so it is difficult to fit things in the center and access them. My main issue is that water bottles DO NOT stay in the side pockets-this was my whole purpose for purchasing this pack!!!! Even my daughter's small munchkin 12 oz cup falls out. Can't fit a Nalgene or anything in it. Every bottle falls out the second you lean even slightly forward. I'm so disappointed and for this reason will be looking for a different bag. I wasted my money. Pros: There are a ton of internal pockets & the interior blue color is GORGEOUS and also makes it easy to spot items.

Jade

Maryland

It was good to find a pack which fit my frame. The zipper pulls are an issue. I'm going to see if I can replace them. I solved the water bottle issue on an earlier pack and will continue to clip it onto a nearby loop with a small clip.

Rae

Portland, Oregon

I tried out several different packs to suit my needs for school and international travel. The Osprey Nova was perfect for all of my needs! It's incredibly comfortable which is so important since I'm using this pack for commuting on my bike, going to class and traveling on trains and planes. The organization and capacity of this pack are perfect. It's not too big or small and it's incredibly easy to store and organize all of my stuff. This pack is perfect!

Becky

Colorado

I have always used North Face packs and have loved them. But they are heavy, even when empty. I bought this pack and have been using it for a little over three months. I absolutely love it. Bat pack I have ever purchased, with one huge flaw. When you put a water bottle in the side pocket, regardless of size of the bottle, it will fall out. I have tried adjusting the straps, putting in smaller bottles, Nalgene bottles etc. there is no way that a bottle will stay in the side pockets. If the pack is on your back and you let lean forward to pick something up, the bottle slide out. I cannot believe something so important in a pack is not fixed. Went back to where I bought it and asked if I was doing something wrong or if there was a trick to keeping the bottles in place. I was told that this pack was not intended to be used outside of school. What? So people in school don't drink water? I love this pack but I need to carry water. Does anyone have a hack on how to secure a water bottle? Straps do nothing. Would love some feedback.

Wendy

Concord, NH

I bought this bag for school and traveling with my laptop, knowing that this would not be my edc bag. I love Osprey bags, I think their shoulder straps/suspension and back panel on this pack are spot on with what I expected from them (I have the Kyte 46 and Daylite that I love). Getting through TSA with my laptop was super quick. I ended up zipping through in front of 2 people that were fighting to get their laptops out of their bags as I just unzipped mine - so that was pretty awesome. As for fitting under the seat - I did not have this bag packed full so I was able to stuff it under the seat. If it was stuffed full it would have been another 2-3 inches or so deeper and would not have fit under the seat (Spirit under-seat limits are: 18" x 14" x 8") The bag is at least 19" x 12" x 10", although I did not measure to confirm. I used 2 medium ebags packing cubes fully packed and had my 15.6" HP laptop in the back, there was room for a lot more in the bag, but I wanted it to fit under the seat (see photo attached). Note: I was able to pack pjs, and 2 days of clothes, a bathing suit and undergarments in the 2 cubes. My complaints with the Osprey bag is a complaint I have with a lot of bags/packs -- the side compression straps go around a water bottle. When you take the water bottle out, the bag is not compressed, this is just annoying as it makes the bottle harder to get out if you have the straps pulled tight. Other than that, the organization and compartments in this bag are great and provide a space for everything I need for class.

Kristine

Boston, MA

After exhaustive research, I picked this pack to take with me for my Peace Corps service In Ethiopia. I've been using it daily here in the States to get to know it, and I am so so happy with my choice. I love the separate "laptop" section for all my notebooks & my laptop. All my other bulky stuff goes in the other full size section. The helmet pouch is where I put my keys, or the first aid kit I carried around as the camp nurse. Highly recommend.

Mari

Philadelphia, PA

I wanted to comment on the other post in regards to the zipper pulls. I just bought this bag today and my zipper pulls are very different from what was previously described. Looks like they changed them. Love the features. Planning a trip but haven't used it yet.

ah

usa

Super great bag. It has tons of well situated pockets and, in my two years of rough and heavy use (everyday at school with heavy textbooks as well as stuffing it to full capacity on day hikes), it's still in great shape. I also had a slight issue with one of the internal zipper pulls (it came off), but nothing about the zippers have ever really bothered me. The back pocket (for laptops and such) opens like a clamshell, which once opened up all the way when I was out after I hadn't properly closed it. Nonetheless, I'm very happy with the quality and functionality of this bag -- which is also the perfect size to hang your food up in on overnight camping trips.

Ellie

Montreal, QC