I had a ton of fun doing this project. I have to say, working with X-Pac X10 was harder than I expected. The 360g/sqm fabric is extremely stiff, but the look and feel of that fabric is totally worth the effort. I wouldn’t try to do anything too complicated with it though.
The design itself worked great, and I am very pleased with the result. The only flaw I have found so far is that the the lowest compression strap has a tendency to slip below the bulky content I stuff in the secondary compartment, which – in itself – is not a problem, but weakens the overall strength of the secondary compartment held mostly by Velcro. I was hoping that using the front flap’s daisy chains to weave the strap through would help, but I think the strap is just to low on the pack. If I was to do it again, that would be the only thing I change: move the lowest compression strap above the shoulder straps’ attachment.
This pack feels like a tank with proper reinforcements where abrasion often takes place and layers above layers of Cordura on top of the natural stiffness of the main compartment. This combination makes for an extremely sturdy pack, and I don’t feel like having to be kind to it anytime soon.