Backpacker Steel String

 Light and Sturdy, a Good Recommend
    This is a very light, very sturdy guitar you can take anywhere. I've heard its sound as described as somewhere between a guitar and a banjo, with more guitar sound. The bag it comes with is strong, and holds up to just about anything. I bought mine a couple of years ago and love it.

 Not a good sounding Instument
Even though this guitar is Easy to carry around and travel with and is fun to Play, the sound quality is seriously lacking. My recomendation would Be to get a Baby taylor Guitar instead.

 One tough little instrument
I bought a backpacker when they first came out almost 10 years ago. It is very durable and I would not hesitate to take it anywhere. I accidently cracked the top of my backpacker but it is still very playable. It almost seems to be designed to take abuse.

Likes include 1) all solid woods (mine even has an ebony fretboard which is unheard of for guitars under $1,000. 2) very playable - the action and neck scale make it easy to play with a pick or fingerstyle. My only dislike is the thin tone and low volume - ok for practice or a very small quiet jam session,

 Plays rights - sounds weak
The Martin Backpacker instruments are very useful for the person who:
1. Wants an instrument that "feels right" - meaning the frets are in the right place, the intonation is accurate, the scale is correct, etc.
2. Wants an instrument that you can literally throw into a duffel back or backpack and carry into remote places. (Many American Servicemen I know took them on deployments.)

The tradeoff is that the teeny-tiny sound-box produces a small, tinny noise that is weak in volume and almost metallic in tone - the closest thing I can think of to describe what it SOUNDS like is one of those old hand-cranked jack-in-the-boxes.

It DOES play right, though, and if you want an instrument that will keep your fingers in shape, is decent to practice on, and you CAN take it anywhere you can sling it over your shoulder - then the Martin Backpacker is right up your alley.

 Realistic expectations improve the experience!!
After having read many reviews of this instrument, I decided to take the plunge anyway - at a point in my life where a good many long-distance trips are coming up and my 40-year old (hard to play and wonderful) Harmony Sovereign full-size Western Flat Top) is just too cumbersome to travel with. Many of the criticisms leveled by other users are certainly valid.
It is a very small and oddly shaped small instrument with a proportionately small sound. It would, indeed, be easier to play if the saddle were lowered a bit and if it came out of the box as the manufacturer and designer recommended re strings - it does not. It is awkward to hold.
All of that being said, I am able to honestly recommend it - perhaps because my old Harmony is even harder to play! I have never been spoiled by the experience of owning a really well made guitar (like a full size Martin or Gibson)- so, to me, it plays easily and produces a sound much like I feel it is reasonable to expect from such a small body.
I have had it for about a week and am enjoying it a lot.
Of course, it sounds best in small spaces, wired with thin gauge (bronze 80/20) strings and played with a thin pick.... something that is taking some adjustment on my part - having always used medium gauge picks before.
Because the instrument is disproportionately heavy on the tuning-peg end, playing it standing (pretty much a requirement) works a lot better with the strap tied to the tuner - rather than connected with the hardware installed on the neck side of the Backpacker's mini-body. Otherwise, the tuning end is drawn by gravity making it harder to play than is necessary.
The prices have come down quite a bit - partly, I expect, due to the poor reviews both here and at other sites.
I paid $160. from SameDayMusic - shipping included.
To paraphrase an old tune:
"If you can't play the guitar you love, love the one you play." Attitude has a sound of its own!
This does not require a theatrical suspension of disbelief so much as it necessitates realistic expectations and the ability to enjoy a good effort to create a truly portable Martin.

 Well worth adding to the guitar collection
Well this will never become your primary guitar but if you're into bringing your guitar with you when you travel this is probably one of the better options.

Technically the sound is a little thin and holding it can be difficult to master. In addition I think most people have a bit of a post-purchase "why did I buy this!" But once you have played it a bit and especially after you have travelled with it I'm sure you will find it to be indispensable. Personally I actually have begun to like the sound of the guitar - it's quite unique and can offer all sorts of nuances if you take the time to find them out. So I often find myself at home using the Martin rather than my `good' guitar.

I have mostly used the guitar when travelling interstate for work and on the odd overseas holiday. Its size and sturdy construction mean it can put up with all sorts of treatment and still provide great sound. I have also have a Yamaha Silent guitar which has been a few places but I always find myself coming back to the little Martin. It feels much nicer to play and is so easy to carry about. Combine this with a good selection of sheet music in PDF on my laptop and I'm pretty much set for any destination.

The only advice I'd offer a new owner is to have a look at the strings. I got some really nice sounds from the guitar using Augustine Blues which were well worth the price. I also met a guy who said that pretty much any Flamenco guitar string was worth trying on the Martin.

Also take the time getting used to using the strap before you go the `surgery' option and start using knee rests or attachable frames. It will feel very strange for quite a while until you get used to how it feels. One word of warning - once you get it right don't let anyone adjust your strap ;o).