I was at WalMart last week. I picked up a couple "Outdoor Products" collapsible water bottles and Britta filters. Those are my favorite water bottles. They generally last me a year and I use them everyday, not just for backpacking.

While I was there I took a look at their new packs. The biggest ones they had look a lot like Osprey's packs, and they look to be well made with decent material. I can't recommend them but wouldn't jump to the conclusion they're not usable or worth the money without first hand knowledge of them.

I've been very happy with my Kelty Lightyear Down 20º bag, but I've never seen a bag in a WalMart that was good enough for backpacking. I've used them for that, so I do have experience with those, but I knew they weren't up to snuff. I still wouldn't let that stop me from going on short trips though.