I really like how the Reviewer opens and manipulates all the pockets on camera which I don't see in other reviews. It really lets you see the feel of all the features.

one year later and it's still the best review about this product.

The feature you're describing at the 1 minute mark are load lifters, not "wideners" or whatever for the distance between the shoulder straps. They're used to cinch the load of the pack closer to your back for better weight distribution.

Been using this bag for 1.5 yrs now and i completely agree with the lack of organization, the thin material, and the straps. The laptop sleeve was the selling feature for me, but after 1.5 yrs, i have never removed it once, so i think just an unremovable good cushioned laptop sleeve like other bag will do just fine for me. The lack of organization is actually the biggest pain for me. Everything is all mixed up in there. I cant even find a place to hold a pen (i only carry 1 pen when travel) and the mesh pockets at the laptop sleeve are in weird shape that is not deep enough to hold a pen. Also, the material is thin and not that water repellent imo. I walked thru light rain and half of the stuff inside got all wet already. The straps are placed weirdly and i often feel that they do not stay in place when walking. One last issue i have is with the back support, which is kinda nonexistent and becoming really hot if i walk for more than half an hr. Overall, i dont like it much and it's one of the worst backpacks i've owned.

Great review! Great to see such a thorough breakdown of the new models

Your reviews are top notch. I really wish Patagonia would start adding a hip belt. Other than that the Refugio 26L is great for those of us who are short.

If they just kept the two organiser pockets (one with a mesh, one with a zipper) from last year models, it would have been the perfect bag. Those two pockets really don’t take up any space and make it so convenient to store small items like keys, AirPods, passports, and so on. I also use separate pouches, but they have a tendency to awkwardly shift to the bottom of the bag when you need it most. On the other hand, I like that they reduced the size to 26 and also made it into more of a rectangular shape. The older 28 bag had a tendency to bulge out and be difficult to put under the seat of budget airlines. The new bags also feel sturdier - it seems that they used slightly thicker or stiffer materials. But it also makes the bags feel surprisingly heavy when empty.

I just ordered both sizes from Back Country. A few colors are on sale, so I got both for just over $100 🙊 definitely a steal!

This print is really beautiful--quite unusual to the classic outdoor aesthetic...

Thank you for your review, helped me save my money. I don't need a laptop sleeve. I need a bag with good edc pockets

Excellent review! I just got the 26L and love it, due to my preference for using packing cubes and my own general organization tools, since I often carry oddly-shaped objects/tools. Being able to remove the sleeve and use that pocket for clothing-cube storage for no-laptop trips is great too. However, I do think the 30L's sleeve is way better than the 26L. Sometimes small pockets are needed, and those extra pockets seem great! From your experience, does the 30L sleeve fit into the 26L bag? If so, I'm tempted to hit up Patagonia support and see if I can buy it separately.

I dont like the laptop sleeves at all! But i like both bags, im needing a personal item backpack for my upcoming trip

Thoughtful

I don’t like this tendency of Patagonia removing every single organiser pockets from their bags. They even silently removed one from the black hole 1L hip bags!

Nice review. Very helpful. Thank you! Do you think it's a good flight underseat bag?

i like the aesthetic patagonia used to design their bags with like 2014-2016 the best, all the ones afterward have been dull to me. the petrolia, paxat, yerba, fuego, ect. those older bags looked so beautiful and interesting, now they all look boring for the sake of "minimalism" imo

I just got the 26l on sale for $75 CAD plus shipping so it was around $100! Im still uncertain if I should have just got the 30l; do you think there’s a large space difference between the 26L and the 30L? Either way, great review!

I have a 15.6 inches laptop wanna buy refugio 26l if it fits. Do you think it can fit it?

Is the laptop compartment suspended?

waiting for the updated version... Do you happen to know if/when the new version comes out? Good video btw!

does it fit 40 oz bottles

Hi, what do you mean by saying "laptop compartment with false bottom", because in another review I read laptop sleeve is not suspended?

Does a 17 in laptop fit on the 30L without the sleeve ?

Overall, I prefer the old design.

I kinda hate these bungee cord front sections they put in backpacks. It would be way more useful to add a mesh pocket, like in the old North face Recon, or in the Osprey Nebula, waaay more useful