Hello Everyone, 

This is my first post on the forums, and I hope this post is in the most appropriate location. 

I am a graduate student at a major university, and my work involves frequent long-term travel abroad, often in rugged environments. I am in the market for a durable backpack that I can comfortably carry to class with a laptop, a couple notebooks, etc, and also use for work and travel. Ideally, the backpack would be small enough to avoid being awkward when carrying around campus, but large enough to fit my daily essentials , primarily the laptop. 

I have been looking closely at the Aston House BC which, as I understand, has the same footprint as the Connor pack and is very compressible  However I am also considering the Connor, and the Umlindi. 

I love the versatility of the Aston House, and this seems like an ideal choice for travel, outdoor activities, etc. My only concern is that the size, even when fully compressed, might be awkward in it's primary use: going from car to classroom, and around campus. 

Could anyone who's handled these packs please provide some insight on the size and compressability of these packs, and perhaps offer your suggestion for my situation? 

I sincerely appreciate the help and insight. 

Best

I use my Aston House BC daily as an undergrad student. Plenty of room for my laptop, note/text books and whatever odds and ends find their way into my pack. That being said, the BC is not too large when fully compressed around the contents, making perfect for my uses. I also travel semi-frequently going through major airports and public transit and can't recommend the Aston House enough for use as a travel pack. In black, it's plenty low-profile and doesn't look out of place on the subway or around campus. At the same time, I carried it for long day trips in the Pike NF over the summer. I would recommend using a padded laptop sleeve though, owing to the Aston House's lack of a dedicated laptop compartment. Overall, super versatile and perfect for my uses.