I just received this bag as a gift, and I'm thrilled. I can't wait to put it through its paces. I have to say, too, that Voltaic is phenomenal when it comes to customer service. I had a few questions as far as adapters, accessories, and compatibility with the bag, so I sent an email. Not even 10 minutes later I received a PERSONALIZED (happy birthday message and all) email with helpful answers to all my questions, including a link to buy a compatible car charger for my camera battery since Voltaic doesn't sell a custom adapter for that particular model. I highly recommend the bag, and the company.

There were a few things that convinced me to go with this backpack when I was researching a replacement for my excellent, but very tired, laptop briefcase. First among them were the overwhelmingly positive reviews, which after receiving my own backpack, seem to be well founded. The build quality appears to be top notch and I imagine that this backpack will easily exceed my old briefcase in longevity. The second issue for me is that the fabric is made of recycled plastic bottles and it is claimed to be water resistant. I like the fact that what is often considered to be a waste product was used to construct this backpack. Where I live there is a mandatory deposit on some, but not all, plastic bottles. And I know that there isn't any sort of coodinated effort for recycling these things in some parts of the country. I haven't been able to determine the country in which this backpack in manufactured, but I like to hope that it's actually made in the USA under non-sweatshop conditions. Finally, the most obvious item on the checklist is the ability to charge small consumer electronic devices using a small battery pack. The preferred scenario is charging this battery using the three external photo voltaic solar panels.

The ability to charge using available sunlight works quite a bit better than I had imagined it would. From the reading that I've done here and elsewhere about solar charging in general, I thought that I would have to wait until at least May before I would be able to get enough available sunlight to really do anything. I live in upstate New York where for most of the year not only are the daylight hours short, but the days are typically overcast. As I write this review the backpack is facing toward a window that itself faces north and even on this overcast day (big surprise) I'm getting a charge. Very impressive. I might be a little unique in this regard, but this backpack actually makes me want to walk or bike someplace instead of driving just so I can get a little time outside for even better charging. It's similar to how my Toyota Prius radically altered the way I drive (for the better) just because I'm always looking to top my "high score" in MPG. If this backpack had some similar meter or mechanism indicating just how much juice was being generated at the moment and over time, I would probably drive only when absolutely necessary.

Unfortunately not everything is spectacular with this backpack. First off, this backpack is somehow much smaller than I had envisioned. This is likely a shortcoming of my own, but if there were pictures of various real life items packed within, or even sitting next to, the backpack then I would probably have had a better idea as to how my own devices would fit inside. I'm slightly let down that I'm really not getting any more usable space than I have had with my briefcase. I'm an IT professional and as such I tend to carry an inordinate amount of cables, adapters, and various bits of gadgetry. Couple that with the fact that I also tend to carry numerous magazines, reference books, and whatever else I happen to need at the time... well there just isn't much room left to spare. With a one item carry-on limit with most airlines, traveling really turns into the art of the possible. If you're someone who likes to carry a ton of stuff with you, particularly when flying, then you may want to take this issue into consideration.

I also purchased the optional laptop sleeve that goes along with this backpack. I can't even believe this, but I still have not figured out how to use this laptop sleeve as it is advertised by the manufacturer. The idea is that you're supposed to hook the sleeve onto upper part of the backpack so that if dropped, the backpack will impact first and your very expensive laptop will absorb far less of that impact. Well I don't know if they forgot to sew on some clips or straps, but the loops on the sleeve don't appear to have anything to attach to. So it just sits in there, which I could just as easily have done with the much nicer and more protective sleeve that my XPS M1530 came with. While on the topic of the sleeve, that 15" laptop fits in the "oversized" size of the sleeve like a glove. I nearly purchased one size down, which called something along the lines of "full sized". So keep that in mind as well when making an estimation regarding your laptop size.

All in all I feel that this is an excellent backpack which lives up to the marketing. It's got great build quality, is very comfortable, holds a fair amount of things, and will charge your small consumer electronics when you're holding a plug and there's no wall socket in sight. My beef about the lack of storage capacity is likely out of the norm for the target audience.

This backpack is amazing. The battery can be charged using the sun or by plugging it in at home. It comes with a lot of adapters, however I am disappointed that it didn't include a cell phone LG adapter. The battery itself also has two fairly bright LED's that have come in handy when the power went out. Also the battery has indicator lights (red, yellow, and green) that tell you how much battery power you have left.

Additionally, it displaces weight VERY well and is actually comfortable to wear. I have 17 pounds of equipment and it feels like 5.

The only possible 2 "Cons" I could think of is that it can't hold that much stuff and it's a bit pricey. At least compared to an average backpack.

It may look big in the pictures but it's not as big as youd think. Thinking on it though, it's a very manageable size and is better off being smaller.

Overall, great product and outstanding battery. Would buy another if I had more money.

First off, let me admit right off the bat that I'm a sucker for backpacks. For some people its shoes, for others maybe its clothes... for me, it's backpacks. So, from a purely functional standpoint, this backpack fulfills its intended purpose well. It's made of sturdy material, it will carry a decent sized load, has a pouch for your laptop, and is comfortable on your back. (Not the most comfortable one I own, but since I own several, this is a trivial matter...you'll like it just fine)
For the other gadget freaks out there (I know I'm not alone) you'll LOVE the solar charging ability. I can compare and contrast this to the Solio charger since I own that as well, and I can honestly say it's no comparison. In this case, bigger really *is* better. The voltaic backpack has bigger solar panels which collect more sunlight and charge the battery faster. And also a bigger battery to hold more power than the Solio. Granted, it's a bit more expensive than the standalone Solio, but if you're looking for a cool solar gadget and are on the fence... I'd go with the Voltaic. It has a fully functional backpack and a very well done solar panel. The Solio certainly looks cool, but the panels and battery are really just too small to be of any practical use.
I use the Voltaic to charge my Creative Zen Vision W and my cellphone. Luckily for me, they both use the 5v setting, and the adapters I needed were included right out of the box. It comes with a pretty wide array of connectors as well, so you will probably find one to fit your gadget.
As others have stated, this won't charge your laptop. Think more along the lines of cell phones, GPS, MP3 players, digital cameras, etc.
One undocumented feature which I think is cool but haven't found a use for yet is that you can bypass the battery, and connect directly to the solar panels, which are rated at 4 watts max power.
All in all, I'd say this was a very good purchase, and to date, I haven't found a downside. Highly recommended, especially if you were thinking about this and something like the Solio.... go with this -- you won't be disappointed.

This backpack looked great and is a great gift idea for the outdoor person. However, I should have contacted the company before purchasing. This backpack does not have available the adapters needed for the cell phone, GPS, or digital camera that we have. It also doesn't have the voltage needed to charge these items. We are currently working with the company to return the item. The company has been very cooperative. Make sure you do your research before making this purchase.