I remember feeling the same way about hoping the pack wouldn't rip. I wonder if this is a common fear the first time someone starts using a frameless pack. I have used mine now for a couple years. Probably about 80 days on the trail. At first I was really cautious with it, now I treat it like my other packs. I figure the only difference between it and some of my other is not the stitching, but some metal or plastic sewn inside. I do have one small tear on the back panel, it looks like I "cut " it somehow. It is a half in long incision. So far it hasn't grown. Oh, I don't make a tube with my pad like they (and others recommend). I fold mine so that it is the same width as the back panel and place it against the back. I can get more volume that way.