I read all of that too and was a bit concerned. I shot a few emails back and forth with Pat, who started and runs Pac, before buying my bag. My impression is that if you give her 'tude she'll leave you hanging; Pac has a huge and faithful following, I don't really get the impression that she wants to bend over backwards for every whiny brat. They actually messed up the simple design I wanted on my bag: I wanted an off center narrow vertical stripe instead I got a big one in the middle so my Pac looks like a giant demented Timbuk2. I mentioned this in an email but she didn't comment on it so whatever, the bag is amazing and now I enjoy my "stealth" non-Timbuk2 mess bag

Regarding the price, I think it's worth it if you're going to be using your bag as your trunk to have something comfy and that can carry a lot of weight. I've put 40 - 50 lbs in my Pac and with the X-strap that's very manageable for distances less than 10 miles. Comfy means different things to different people (for huge capacity take a look at Chicago Wig's backpack), but Pacs are supposed to be about the best and I've never found mine lacking. I saved up for about two months to get my Pac Designs Ultimate. It was completely worth it.