High Sierra XBT - Business Laptop Backpack, Black, One Size

Bought as a replacement for my son who is VERY hard on his belongings. His original backpack he got in 8th grade and he’s a senior in college now. He’s had it for several months and so far so good.Quality build which I’m hoping this pack lasts as long as the original.

I shopped North Face and many other backpack brands, but poor organizational design in backpacks seems to be rampant. My old High Sierra backpack finally gave out after 20 years, but I loved the toughness and design, so went back to shopping this brand. Not disappointed. This one is beautifully designed, fits all my photo and tech gear and much else with ease, and is clearly built to endure. If you need a larger backpack I highly recommend!

This backpack is trash. Bought it in January 2025 and the zipper and seam literally came loose at the same time on May 1 2025. I'm not an abuser of this backpack either as I use to to carry my work laptop. The price might be right but the lifespan is not.

Kid used a version of this one for all 4 years of high school and it still looks good. Large middle compartment for books which is what you need. Great build quality. Purchase another one for a rising freshman this year.

Not all backpacks are created equal. The High Sierra XBT backpack has a mesh piece on the back of the back-pack that slides over our suitcase handles that make it easy to cart around the airport. My husband and I got ours in 2017 and the backpack has gone on many trips. They are so strong and sturdy that they hardly look used in 2023. I am writing this review because we were sending our 15 year old to Thailand and she needed a sturdy travel backpack. It was a no-brainer to get her one of these and it worked out great for her.

Not the most durable...the small pouch on top did tear open and I had to sew a fistula shut, though to be fair I stuffed a lot in there. It's weird there are two zippers that go to the same main pouch, but I guess if one breaks there's a backup? It's nice to have a lot of places to store smaller things separately. When I'm using my larger water bottle, it's often difficult to put it in the "ear" netting.

This is my third High Sierra backpack in about 15 years. I especially use them on trips, but they get a lot of use throughout the year. I like they you can get a lot of items in there, and it really can hold a lot of weight. I really like the little zipper pocket on the top. It is about the size of a pants pocket. You can quickly throw money or change in there for easy storage. A passport or some other ID fits in there as well.

**Update:The more time that passes, the more irritated that the laptop section isn’t in its own section. Turns out that having the extra compartment would make the bag more functional for me. The size is still more than adequate, but having to store everything in one big compartment hinders staying organized.**I work 12 hour—overnight—security shifts at a major industrial site, and at least 1/2 that time is spent either outside, or otherwise exposed to the elements; so I carry a wide variety of items on a daily basis.I need:cold-weather hat & gloves; a storage clipboard for work-related forms/reports; a regular notebook, an all weather notebook, and numerous writing utensils; charging cables and devices; Tylenol, Ibuprofen, an emergency pill box for my prescription medication, medicated chap stick, and cocoa butter for my skin; a thermos for coffee, another for broth/soup, and some kind of sandwich/wrap or a salad; then I have a travel coffee mug, and a 40 oz insulated water cup..At the end of the day, I empty my pockets and belt into my bag, so my toddler doesn’t find (and run off with) daddy’s:Badge, and badge reel; organizer belt sheath with flashlight, keys, pocket knife, and multi-tool; yet another—primary—writing utensil; belt; watch; shirt-stays; and nicotine gum.That’s my daily BASELINE, and half the time I also have to carry a hard hat.This bag has helped me to keep ALL of that organized—and—I’m not even using all the little organizer compartments. There’s still room for me to bring a 3rd thermos if I wanted to (because, why not!?), AND I’d still have room for my hard hat.I have no regular need for a laptop at work, so I don’t normally carry it, but if the need should arise, I’d still (with a third thermos and hard hat) have room for it, and I’m relatively confident it would be safe from impact damage.So there’s the good, meow I’d like to express my disappointment, and the reason it only gets 4 stars. This same bag, was redesigned for airline travel, and has a dedicated tech compartment for your laptop & tablet. Its padded in the front and the back, and it zips all the way open so you’s can lay it flat on the scanner belt.I thought that redesign was the extended zipper so that the separate compartment would lay flat. Turns out it’s the entirety of the separate compartment. This bag has one main compartment, and a smaller organizer compartment on the front, not four. The third zipper on the front is an expansion for the smaller front compartment, and the fourth zipper behind the carrying handle is just a second opening for the main compartment. 😒. Not just let down; irritated.Overall, I’m still thrilled that I picked this bag over some of the other bags that I was comparing it to, however my runner-up lost because it is laid out in the same manner: a main compartment for your gear, and an organizer pouch up front, except that bag has the third compartment specifically for your laptop. It also had a place for a power bank and a usb connector.