Well... I asked to custom Optimist backpack to my liking - instead black bottom and black shoulder straps make one color of same fabric whole bag , I ordered premade Optimist 10L, and bottom of backpack was made of black material that was stiff to my opinion. I was looking for sleek and lighter fabric all over. Girl at customer service was very kind and agreed to make Optimist 10L from one fabric material. Well, it is was my everywhere with everything backpack this summer. I took it through almost all Russia and Europe. It was with me on the beaches of the sea, in the forest mountains, in Moscow Red square and many city downtowns and deep villages, in museums, subway trains and boat travels, in fancy restaurants and in street food cafes, I was using her while was traveling from one small town to another, she was my grocery bag and beach bag, I was carrying bottles of wine and sea shells in her, rocks and extra clothes, food, kids toys. One whole week was rainy and windy and backpack kept my things dry inside. In the end my sister asked me to present backpack to her, because of her cancer and wide shoulder straps of this backpack was wide and feel good for her shoulders and it was comfortable to wear this backpack. This bag was awesome, did not took much space in suite case and was with me literally everywhere whole summer every day. Quality is legit, very good and durable, almost indestructible. Backpack looking little sporty with some outfits, but I didn't care much. Thank…

I’ve basically become obsessed with my new custom Minimalist! The 10L is really the ideal size for carrying all of my essentials and the materials (XPAC and the cool Aquaguard YKK zippers) make this pack stand out. I wasn’t sure how the shoulder straps would feel but they work well since they are wide. It’s honestly just fun to interact with on a day to day basis (let me tell you, the zippers are smooth and the water resistance is clutch). There are only a few things I miss with this minimalist pack, but they are by no means deal breakers. I’d love a version with a brighter interior (instead of the gray), 1”-2” webbing on the shoulder straps for attachments (like my HMG shoulder strap pocket for day hikes), and a longer front pocket with a little more dimension — essentially turning it into a water bottle pocket. All in all, I highly recommend picking one up, especially the custom because you can create your own pack!

Got this pack after long deliberation and it was 100% worth it. I use it mainly for fishing trips, wear it all day as I'm wading through the water and it stays perfectly dry. It holds all the gear I need for a day on the water, flies, extra reel, snacks, phone, etc. I didn't go for any of the bright colors when customizing, but I still love the way it looks.

This winter I've also been wearing it when I'm skiing or snowshoeing and it's the perfect size and lightness for such activities. Solid work from Flowfold, as always!

I just used this 10L as my day bag, for 2 weeks in Vietnam. Cameras, glasses, hats, etc fit very well and it’s QUITE water resistant.

For me, a day bag is typically on-off my back more frequently than a larger backpack, and hence my only real complaint about this: the straps need some stiffening to keep them from twisting so readily when putting this on. This was a near constant irritation for me.

This folds down to next to nothing for pacing into your larger luggage between day use in different cities

Otherwise, its a typical FlowFold product. Well made. Awesome materials. Exceptionally crafted.