Rick Steves Civita Day Pack

It's more than just a day pack (2008-10-14) Rating: 4/5
The Civita Day Pack is exactly what the day pack is supposed to be and more. I added velcro straps to the top and both sides so that I can roll up a rain jacket and secure it to the outside of the pack. Carrying just the Civita, I can pack a pair of polyester cargo pants, a sweatshirt or wool sweater, underwear, shaving kit, a 75-300mm "Big Beercan" telephoto zoom lens, a book, an umbrella in one of the mesh side pockets, and a bottle of water or soda in the other pocket. Adding the rain gear to the outside, I am good for at least 3 days. Since I usually carry it over one shoulder (unless I am taking photographs), I have never had a problem with discomfort from the straps. The only reason that I don't give this bag a "5" is because I recommend the straps to Rick Steves and he has not followed my idea. Shows you what he knows. (Just kidding, Rick, but you really ought to think about it).
Handy/Comfortable Pack (2008-07-25) Rating: 4/5
The Rick Steves Civita Daypack is comfortable and just the right size for day travel. The straps are cushioned to allow for easy carry of heavier items and the pack is roomy enough for a jacket and more. The only drawback is the that water bottle holders on the side are not solid enough to securely hold the bottles. Often when taking the pack on or off the water bottles would slip out despite the ability to tighten the netted 'pockets'. Few backpacks of this type had water bottle holders -- one of the attractive features. The color is great for both genders. My 9 year old son mainly used as it was smaller than most packs. We used for a week-long vacation in San Diego. We walked all day through the theme parks and parks.
Nice, but better for smaller people... (2008-07-10) Rating: 4/5
This is a nice, lightweight daypack, and did the job quite well during our trip. However I found myself having to adjust it quite often. I'm not a huge guy (5'11" 185#), but I felt like this bag was a bit small for me, especially across the shoulders. It needs to be a bit wider if you want to wear it over both shoulders.
Rick Steves Civita Day Pack, Navy (2008-06-29) Rating: 2/5
I would like to return this 'Day Pack'. We just returned from 2 weeks in
Europe. The color, size, and pockets on the bag were fine. The main compartment's zipper did not work properly. It continually got stuck and
made getting into and out of the bag combursome. I also found that the 'Day Pack's' major compartment not having any bottom support would
make all of the items get jumbled together on one side. This made locating and pulling out items more difficult. I would not recommend this
product to anyone. I was disappointed in Rick Steves endorsing this bag as we have had good service with other Rick Steves travel items.

Depends on what you're looking for (2008-03-03) Rating: 3/5
I bought this bag because I was looking for a small and light bag for a short vacation, and it worked fine for that. The microfiber is nice because it's very lightweight, and you can tuck it into a suitcase without it taking up a lot of room.

There are three zippered compartments, and that's it - no real organizers. The elastic water bottle holders are hard to use for anything but the smallest bottles.

The worst thing about it is the shoulder strap. It is lightly padded microfiber, which twists up and offers virtually no comfort. It's okay if you keep the pack really light, but add something like a camera or a heavier lunch, and it really cuts into your shoulder. After the first trip I took it off and substitued a different strap that I had from another bag.

So it depends on what you're looking for. If it's a very small, light bag for short day trips where you don't need a lot of supplies, it's great for that. For any cameras, bulkier items, or where you're not sure what you're going to run into and you want a few extra supplies, I think it's too small and light.

Rick Steves, if you ever read any of these reviews: What I really want is your regular Civita microfiber Day Pack with a shoulder strap option!