So, against this board's recommendation, I went ahead and ordered one of these Chinese backpacks from Amazon. They were cheap and seemed of decent quality.
Took it on a 3 day backpacking trip along part of the Mogollon Rim, was pleasantly surprised. Used good materials, buckles were strong, and easily accommodated about 37 lbs of weight at maximum. Just wanted to give a heads-up to anyone on a budget looking for a backpack or giving a gift to a beginner, these Mountaintop packs hold up well for $20 less than any non-Chink pack.
https://www.amazon.com/Mountaintop-60L-Hiking-Backpack-Green1/dp/B019GXYXYK/ref=sr_1_1?srs=8993072011&ie=UTF8&qid=1478457399&sr=8-1&keywords=mountaintop+60l+backpack 