Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Index 15 Backpack

I like this pack because of its size and weight. I use it as a leaders backpack to carry some essentials on multipitch climbing. One thing is missing: A chest strap to fix the position of the pack while climbing

I think this is my third index 15 since 2014. Use it everyday and as daypack on 780 km Camino Pilgrimage. Plenty large enough for water, jacket, food, groceries, library books (not all at once).My only concern is that the zippers split and inside fabric peels after LOTS of use. Arc'teryx replaced a bag with broken zipper-appreciated. I use a bandana as a chest strap making it more comfortable hiking

This is an interesting backpack-I was worried that it would be too light or flimsy for daily use, but I was totally wrong. The material is actually quite thick and substantial. I haven't had issues with structure or the lack of padding on the back-facing side. The branding is tasteful (I usually go for zero branding) and the nylon straps seem like they will hold up very well (but no padding so I try to keep it light). As a daypack, this has lots of options for storage. At times I wonder if the main compartment could have been 5 liters larger, I have a 15 inch laptop, but this would be the perfect bag for a tablet. All in all, I'm going to go with the prestigious 4 out of 5 score, knocking one point for the limitations knocking the size and comfort.

I received this pack and when I opened it, it looked very small. I decided to use it to take some work items on a ski trip. I was able to fit my 15" laptop in the sleeve and was able to store all of the accessories. The zip pouch held my passport and other necessities. The front pouch held a good amount as well, and I like having a key strap. The only knock is the straps; I know a slimmer profile was needed because of the bag size, but there is opportunity for some padding and/or width. Even with that, I recommend this slim, low-profile bag for light duty activities.

I bought this bag a couple of months ago for hiking season here in Ontario, Canada. It is a good, lightweight, durable, waterproof (it is water-proof to me, as I had many water bottles spill inside the bag) and versatile bag. This bag shouldn't be worn heavy as it doesn't have the back support. But you can totally fit your laptop, chargers, some shoes etc. I do my errands with this bag and hiking and it was my gym bag before lockdown. I like the bag, not bad.

Bien apprci lorsque je prends une marche a me permet d'arrter chez mon picier et faire des courses

A great little daypack! I got it as a free-gift offer when buying my Atom AR. What I thought was going to be a 'whatever' gift has turned into a weekend staple for me. Its light, and can pack into itself if you need to stow it away. Compartments are well placed.

A great little daypack! I got it as a free-gift offer when buying my Atom AR. What I thought was going to be a 'whatever' gift has turned into a weekend staple for me. Its light, and can pack into itself if you need to stow it away. Compartments are well placed.

This is a very basic backpack but still remarkably well made. Feels like it will survive for a long time, zips are good quality and material is very durable.

Excellent bag, would have been perfect with a sternum strap !

For now I have used the pack for my work commute and for short hikes, but I plan to use it for travel, as it is very lightweight ad can pack down small, so perfect to stow away in a bigger travel backpack. I like that, even if the pack is minimalistic in style, it still has clever and useful organisation features: a separate and spacious front compartment with a keyring, an internal stash pocket and a small zipped pocket for small items or a wallet (and to store the pack). My only gripes are that the zipper of the small inner pocket always catches the outer material of the pack when I close it, and that when wearing the pack with short sleeves the straps are not so comfortable under the armpits and the buckles rub the inner of my arms a bit.

For now I have used the pack for my work commute and for short hikes, but I plan to use it for travel, as it is very lightweight ad can pack down small, so perfect to stow away in a bigger travel backpack. I like that, even if the pack is minimalistic in style, it still has clever and useful organisation features: a separate and spacious front compartment with a keyring, an internal stash pocket and a small zipped pocket for small items or a wallet (and to store the pack). My only gripes are that the zipper of the small inner pocket always catches the outer material of the pack when I close it, and that when wearing the pack with short sleeves the straps are not so comfortable under the armpits and the buckles rub the inner of my arms a bit.

This bag is a minimalist's dream come true. It fits a change of clothes, a water bottle, phone and wallet and anything else you'd need for a day out and about. The material is super thin yet strong so the only weight you'd feel is of the contents and not the bag itself. The straps are surprisingly comfortable and cut in a way that nestles within the shoulder blades and avoids cutting. I understand that a minimal bag is an exercise in restraint. Add too much and you throw off its whole purpose. Yet I would add that one thing: pull tabs to help your other hand hold onto when pulling the zippers open. Instead I find myself clumsily pinching the bag itself when operating the zipper. Great product at a great price.

Overall love the bag its size the looks , but I've only had it for 10 days and realized there's already a hole in the bottom of main pocket im guessing from my pointy book , so don't recommend using it for books maybe just light objects

It's hard to tell by the picture but this bag has two handles, one on the top of the bag where the shoulder straps attach, and a second handle on the top front of the bag between the two zippers. Seems a bit excessive for a minimal bag. Also the shoulder straps aren't very long. I'm 6" feet tall and the shoulder straps seem like they are for a much smaller person. I've got them let out all the way and it he are just long enough. Otherwise it's well made.

This is a perfectly sized backpack for a day's worth of activities. It'll hold your water bottle, snacks, jacket, flip flops and a small towel, no problem. It's super lightweight so you barely notice the weight of the backpack. And when you don't need it you can pack it away into its stowaway pocket. There is no back protection so you have to be careful packing your items so they do not jab you in the back. There is also no padding in the straps so if you are wearing a tank top I find the straps chafe my shoulders and arms over time. I also find that the exterior cord loops may not be as durable as hoped. I used them to hang my climbing shoes once and it seems that one of the loops has stretched a bit. I do like this backpack because it's so lightweight and an ideal size, but I'll likely need to put more thought into what I'm going to pack into the backpack and what I'll be wearing (sleeveless or long sleeve) that day than I really want to.

This is a perfectly sized backpack for a day's worth of activities. It'll hold your water bottle, snacks, jacket, flip flops and a small towel, no problem. It's super lightweight so you barely notice the weight of the backpack. And when you don't need it you can pack it away into its stowaway pocket. There is no back protection so you have to be careful packing your items so they do not jab you in the back. There is also no padding in the straps so if you are wearing a tank top I find the straps chafe my shoulders and arms over time. I also find that the exterior cord loops may not be as durable as hoped. I used them to hang my climbing shoes once and it seems that one of the loops has stretched a bit. I do like this backpack because it's so lightweight and an ideal size, but I'll likely need to put more thought into what I'm going to pack into the backpack and what I'll be wearing (sleeveless or long sleeve) that day than I really want to.

Because theres no padding in the bag for your backs, If you put a heavy or odd shaped item in it, it'll be the most uncomfortable,oblonged shaped, off weighted bag ever. Bag is more for a day at a theme park than for hiking. Straps are uncomfortable if carrying heavier items.

The bag itself is ok and very light. There is a large main section which contains a bladder pouch and a zipped valuables pocket. On the outside there is also a deep but thin pocket, 2 loops to attach items and a webbing handle on the front. The back has 2 shoulder straps, 4 loops and a second handle. The shoulder straps are poor. They are ~38mm wide webbing straps with no padding. You are obviously paying for the brand but a brand should stay true to itself and I don't feel this bag deserves to have the branding it does. There are much better bags out there at this price point. I wouldn't have bought this bag if I'd held it prior, and due to the cost I'm not going to return it, tho I would of in an ideal world. In strongly recommend you buy a more expensive bag or choose a different brand at this price point. If something seems too good it probably is.

The bag itself is ok and very light. There is a large main section which contains a bladder pouch and a zipped valuables pocket. On the outside there is also a deep but thin pocket, 2 loops to attach items and a webbing handle on the front. The back has 2 shoulder straps, 4 loops and a second handle. The shoulder straps are poor. They are ~38mm wide webbing straps with no padding. You are obviously paying for the brand but a brand should stay true to itself and I don't feel this bag deserves to have the branding it does. There are much better bags out there at this price point. I wouldn't have bought this bag if I'd held it prior, and due to the cost I'm not going to return it, tho I would of in an ideal world. In strongly recommend you buy a more expensive bag or choose a different brand at this price point. If something seems too good it probably is.

I loved this bag for the first 8 months. I was using it as an everyday commuter bag just to carry small items like a notebook, water bottle, wallet, keys etc. I loved how lightweight and it was and that it wasn't complicated or overly rigid. I also enjoyed that although it was a very functional bag it didn't look tactical or scream "I'm a backpack!". This was my first purchase from Arc'teryx after hearing from many others that their products were made to last and of high quality and workmanship. After about 8 months of use, I took my water bottle out of the bag one day and noticed a piece of plastic attached to it. I looked inside the bag and on the bottom the coated lining to the inside of the bag at the bottom had completely separated from the shell fabric. It was peeling off and there was a section at the bottom of the bag that was now exposed. I proceeded to take everything out and flip the thing inside out. All the high tension areas of the bag the same thing was happening to the fabric. All around the zippers the coating was coming away from the shell. The coating did make the bag water -resistant. I've been caught in the rain a couple times with it and things inside were dry. But with the coating coming off it wouldn't have lasted the year. Suggestion would be to re-enforce the high tension areas so the coating remains in tack or to maybe line the bag. Other thing I noticed was that even after light use the fabric was already showing abrasion which surprised me. I am very careful of my things and never put things down on floors or throw them around. One last suggestion for future consideration is to find a way that when you unzip the main pocket and the front one it isn't so awkward. When you hold the top handle and try to unzip it's too flimsy to unzip, so you have to do a weird pinching of the bag to unzip it. It would be nice to be able to unzip it with one hand if it's dangling on your shoulder if your other hand is full. I've now sent this back for the warranty. I am hesitant to get the same bag even though I love the design of it. I just don't think it would last without improvements to the construction of the interior.

I loved this bag for the first 8 months. I was using it as an everyday commuter bag just to carry small items like a notebook, water bottle, wallet, keys etc. I loved how lightweight and it was and that it wasn't complicated or overly rigid. I also enjoyed that although it was a very functional bag it didn't look tactical or scream "I'm a backpack!". This was my first purchase from Arc'teryx after hearing from many others that their products were made to last and of high quality and workmanship. After about 8 months of use, I took my water bottle out of the bag one day and noticed a piece of plastic attached to it. I looked inside the bag and on the bottom the coated lining to the inside of the bag at the bottom had completely separated from the shell fabric. It was peeling off and there was a section at the bottom of the bag that was now exposed. I proceeded to take everything out and flip the thing inside out. All the high tension areas of the bag the same thing was happening to the fabric. All around the zippers the coating was coming away from the shell. The coating did make the bag water -resistant. I've been caught in the rain a couple times with it and things inside were dry. But with the coating coming off it wouldn't have lasted the year. Suggestion would be to re-enforce the high tension areas so the coating remains in tack or to maybe line the bag. Other thing I noticed was that even after light use the fabric was already showing abrasion which surprised me. I am very careful of my things and never put things down on floors or throw them around. One last suggestion for future consideration is to find a way that when you unzip the main pocket and the front one it isn't so awkward. When you hold the top handle and try to unzip it's too flimsy to unzip, so you have to do a weird pinching of the bag to unzip it. It would be nice to be able to unzip it with one hand if it's dangling on your shoulder if your other hand is full. I've now sent this back for the warranty. I am hesitant to get the same bag even though I love the design of it. I just don't think it would last without improvements to the construction of the interior.

Decent bag at first, but after barely 6 months of not even day to day use the bottom has torn open. Had a lot of hope for this bag but can't hold up to regular use. Reinforcement on the bottom would help.

I purchased an older version of this product in red (sangria) . I have used it for commute for 2 weeks and am very disappointed with the product as it somehow manages to attract dirt like crazy. I dont know if it is the color or the material, but after 2 weeks it looks like it has been used for months. I contacted customer service who just told me to wash with neutral detergent. Not much help. Otherwise light and seems sturdy, but because of the looks after 2 weeks, I wouldnt recommend.

I purchased the bag from your Chicago store, the very next day the fabric snagged when it probably rubbed against a branch. I was doing some easy hiking, nothing too wild. First time buyer, very disappointed.