Customer Reviews Patagonia Refugio Pack 28L

I seriously love this bag. It can hold a lot and doesn't have the bulky look. I am very pleased with my purchase.

My goal was to downsize my camera, tech, and other gear into one bag. Initially, it was a toss-up between this bag and the Yerba. I tested the Refugio out for a four-day trip to Italy and it won me over. I was able to pack all my clothes, compact camera, phone, tablet (laptop had I wished), books, and other incidentals and still have room left over for any unexpected cargo. Refugio was comfortable to wear and stowed well under the seat of plane or in the overhead cargo bin. Airport security was a breeze; I was only stopped at one airport because they wanted to scan all computing devices (including tablets) independently. I'm sure the Yerba is just as much a trooper as the Refugio, but being a dad that has three children, I chose the Refugio because it had that little extra bit of space. I love this bag!

Love this book bag! It's spacious and very durable. I got the pink colored one and couldn't be happier. Love how quick and easy it is to order from Zappos. Can't wait to buy my next Patagonia purchase!

I love this bag! I have a heavy 17 inch laptop and have had the hardest time finding a comfortable bag that it actually fits in. This one was well worth the money.

I bought this for a trip overseas and it met my needs. I did notice my upper back/ shoulder area a little sore from wearing it all day but I got used to it quickly. I really liked all the pockets and the color is nice so that my hubby could wear it as well.

I highly recommend this backpack! I was looking for something functional that would last a long time, and this bag is really good quality. The pockets are great, the laptop sleeve fits my ginormous laptop, and the color is subdued yet more interesting than black. At first the straps felt like they sat too high on my shoulders, but I think it just needed to broken in. Great backpack.

Great day pack. Perfect size with plenty of room for expansion. Great color and quality made. Zippers are going to last! Good find!

I had to replace a day pack that I was a little emotionally attached to because it had accompanied me on trips all over the world, but - alas - was falling apart. So, I went with the Refugio. It's first trip was to Hawaii where it carried my 17" MacBook Pro, which fit perfectly in the provided pouch that kept it snug against the back of the pack and kept it separated from the other stuff in the main compartment. The middle compartment has a lot of handy little pockets for personal items. The fit adjusted perfectly and the shoulder straps are comfortable. Took it sailing yesterday, where it carried my big beach towel, clothes, sunscreen and other gear just perfectly. I was even able to stuff my purse in there as well. I ordered the "Light Balsamic" color which looks a lot like the photo, perhaps not quite as bright. I miss my old pack, but this one is endearing itself to me quickly.

I love this backpack. I mainly use it for school so I stock it full with a laptop, at least 3 text books a semester and a ton of pens, pencils, iPod, iPad, and basically everything else to get me through the day. It is big enough for my 15 inch laptop with room to spare and it keeps it slightly elevated off the ground so I am not worried that it will be damaged on accident. The comfort is great. The shoulder straps and just wide enough to give you adequate support with out digging into your shoulders. The sternum strap is very secure and has a built in whistle. I will most likely never use it but it's there. The colors are great also. Overall the backpack is great. Best that I have ever owned for sure.

I bought this bag primarily for a trip where I knew I would have to be walking the majority of the day. The two zippered compartments allowed me to separate my camera from a laptop or files. The rear compartment holds a DSLR with 50mm lens with space left over. The padding is also very comfortable on the back piece and the straps. It's a little large for a daypack, but great for a weekend bag or hiking trip.

Love this backpack! It looks great and holds everything -- from a laptop, iPad, several books, crayons, toys and snacks to two large water bottles, 3 large beach towels, sunscreen, etc. Great for a day out. Also, it's much lighter than my old backpack. Thank you Zappos and Patagonia.

This bag is a good choice for anyone looking for a multipurpose and stylish bag. It can work in a professional environment for books and a laptop or it can work for the rugged outdoors for camping equipment. Plenty of pockets and zips, the bag was a good size for me (6'2"). The urban buyer will be more satisfied with this bag and should find it a durable product for any heavy trips you might make.

I really like the look of this backpack. I got it in the fatigue green color. It is not as tan as it looks in the photos. More of an army green. It stores stuff well. The pockets on the side can fit bottles that well. It took some time to break them in but now it works much better.

The bag met my expectation...compact but designed to squeeze all I need for an urban hiking or on the slope. A very attractive bag. Gets a 4 Star because the delivery was late event though I paid extra to expedite.

I purchased this backpack for college, it was super awesome. I opted for this over the North Face Surge 2, I thought that the 28L pack would be sufficient. As soon as I got it I put my laptop and some school things in it, and was disappointed to find out that it was not large enough for me. It felt good, I loved the color, in general it was stylish. However, I am the kind of person that will lose my head it if was attached to my body. It just was not large enough to keep everything all in one pack, so I had to return it for a larger back. I really wanted to keep the pack as a hiking/everywhere but school bag, but as a college student it just was not financially possible. I will purchase this bag again, I will own it one day. So in summary if you are like me and need everything in one place, and do not use a laptop for notes, this backpack is not for you. For hiking and use as an actual daypack out and about, it will probably serve you very well.

I purchased this pack based of the reviews for the previous version, but since I didn't own that one, I can only compare based on videos I've seen. PROS: First and foremost, I love the dedicated, padded laptop compartment. I purchased this primarily as a work back pack. The laptop compartment has a hole for a water bladder but I don't know if I would ever use it. Just a fear of putting water in the same pocket that I store my laptop later. The one thing I wish a video would have shown more of was the front compartment and the various pockets available for organization. Nothing wrong, but I couldn't find a video, even on Patagonia's site that really gave me a feel for the complete pack so it was a surprise when I got it. There are a good amount of pockets for pens and deep enough to throw a extension cord pouch in. CONS: The 2 biggest frustrations are that the shoulder straps are a little too easy to adjust, considering they adjust every time I throw my backpack over my shoulder and the new small compartment at the top of the backpack, used for sunglasses and other nick nacks, is poorly thought out in my opinion -- every time I open the middle compartment to get something out of it, the weight of that top compartment falls down into the backpack. Just a little annoyance, but based on reviews of the previous version's design, this is new design feature that I think was a step in the wrong direction. SUMMARY: All in all, the quality is amazing and the pack serves my basic needs. I was hoping to fall in love with this but unfortunately there are some minor nuisances that keep the door open to other manufacturers next time I look for another pack.

This is a great pack that could be the absolute best with the addition of two things: 1. A frame sheet , and 2. A waist belt. The frame sheet is something that one sees in the competition (i.e., the Osprey Flap Jack or even Patagonia's own Critical Mass pack). It gives the pack more rigidity that not only makes it more comfortable when carrying a load, but it also gives it structural integrity that allows you to pack and find items more easily within the pack. The waist belt (also seen in the aforementioned packs) allows for more stability which is essential when one is moving quickly, riding one's bike, or simply want to transfer more weight to the hips when on a long walk/hike. There are four things that make this pack a keeper. 1. Large outside mesh pockets on the sides that fit a full sized Nalgene or compact tripod, 2. An organizer pocket that is separate from the main compartment and holds all sorts of necessities (pens, iPhone, lip balm, etc.), 3. A fleece lined pocket on the top for your sunglasses, and 4. A padded compartment for a laptop/iPad. These are hugely useful features that I cannot do without.

A great sturdy backpack that holds a lot. I was skeptical of the vertical zippered front pocket but actually it is quite easy to throw frequently used stuff in there and access it quickly. The vertical zipper can be zipped and unzipped with just one hand. The only thing I didn't like are the bungie-like cords on the side. I did not find them useful and in fact they got in my way a bit. I used this as a travel backpack when I went on a 14 day vacation. It holds a lot. So taking one star off for the cords and then the color selections weren't great. I also didn't really like the thick harness but all the sturdy backpacks I looked at seemed to have the big harness. I got used to it. The cross strap that goes across the chest with easy to adjust straps to tighten or release were very comfortable, stabilizing and great for going back and forth between me and my husband.

Almost there! I loved the solid reviews this bag got across the board; they were a major factor in my decision to purchase. I'm a bit disappointed though. The bag itself is fantastic, all the organization I could want, by a good brand name, but, like another reviewer has said, the straps are too close together at the top. That is truly my only complaint with the product. The quality is there, the design is spot on...it's just uncomfortable to wear. This may not be a problem for some people but it was for me. I'm a 6' 4" guy with semi-broad shoulders. My neck just felt pinched the whole time. It's a shame too, because I loved everything else about the bag.

Sometimes it feels like there are too many buckles and clips on it. However, it is spacious and my laptop in it still hasn't been ruined! Also the strap sometimes feels it rides high on the shoulder.

This replaced an ancient NorthFace backpack. The pockets are well placed and the outside (side) pockets are deep enough to keep H2O bottles/umbrellas in place. It expands well enough to take on a jacket and not feel too bulky. The shoulder straps are a little snug coming around the neck and the top handle/grip tends to flop over onto my neck. Not a big deal, just flipped it back. Overall, very satisfied.

Great bag! Just used it on a 5-day trip to Bangkok to hold two outfits, pajamas, MacBook Air, and DSLR, Mini-Umbrella, Rain Jacket, and snacks and it was comfortable for the entire trip, as a day pack and my primary. Would heartily recommend. The compression straps on the side are particularly useful for their two-line design for holding the contents of the side-pockets in when putting a Water Bottle or sandals in them. Beautiful, Lightweight, and Heartily recommended!

Sorry to say this wasn't big enough for my son to carry all his school stuff for high school. That being said, he likes a really big bag.

We were looking for a backpack for school. This backpack was attractive and functional, the big drawback was the opening. It simply did not open wide enough to easily fit three two inch notebooks. I found this to be true of several patagonia backpacks.

TOO SMALL! Really struggled to get my 13" macbook air in the laptop pocket, there was no hope of getting my 3" 3 ring binder in this pack. Nice bag, if you're not carrying much.