I have an XL in 7/8 and it is awesome. I've fished it only two days in the salt water and after a rinse it looks to handle the harsh environment perfectly. I also have some Cabelas SLA and the appearance is similar, and I like the look, but this is a much more solid design IMHO. I like this one and will consider adding more of the Allen gear to my collection as time goes on. I have looked at packs on their site and they look like some solid bang for the buck to me.