[throwawaysml]

Past experience makes me wary to risk spending that much and be disappointed two trips later. Lifetime doesn't mean they give money back if unsatisfied, except one or two companies. Also, upping my budget didn't magically reveal viable options either. So I could have skipped the price tag mention and conclude that it's just hard to find the perfect bag.

I've seen the Go Ruck GR2 and it doesn't fit my requirements.

[js2]

Gotcha. Perhaps REI? They carry a handful of brands and you can return anything you aren’t happy with.

[throwawaysml]

Thanks. Basically I want the sturdy laptop backpack you got from HP 10 years ago with a clever way to pack clothes and ideally waterproof bottom (rubber/plastic) so that I don't worry when having it sit on random floors at airports or train stations.

Having a subdivision of the main compartment bigger than 2 is also important. Laptop, papers, cloth, food maybe.

I'm in Germany and looking for a shop nearby where they have a diverse selection of bags to inspect. I'm kinda tired of ordering bags and having had to send them all back. Amazon is threatening a penalty for returning too often, so there's that :).

First world problems, right?