The strap (and buckle) is too thin and it gets uncomfortable when fully loaded. Curved bottles are not practical, I changed them to 0.5 L bottles. Side pockets sit in the back (not at the sides) and are not easily accessible. side pockets are bigger than expected, I put a lot of stuff in there: mobile, wallet, foldable water bowl, map, etc. the main compartment is roomie. I use it for trail running and day hikes. The thin strap makes it uncomfortable for long hikes (or runs) but good for biking.

Trail_charlie

Palo Alto, CA

Purchased this for a trip where I was going to be doing a lot of day hiking. I was able to carry most of the gear that I wanted to carry with no problems. The two pockets on the hip belt are useful for small item (point and shoot camera, insect repellent, small first aid kit, etc. The bottles do not stand up on their own, however, this was not a problem for me. The main compartment held my wind breaker/rain jacket and a few other small items. My main complaint would be to have a wider hip belt, maybe 2 inches wide.

Doc Fossil

Pittsburgh, PA

Looks nice, but could have been so much better. If carrying the entire load on a lumbar/waist pack, using a 1-inch strap and buckle for the waist is insufficient and uncomfortable. Side pockets should be larger. 6L is just not quite enough room in the main compartment, a bit more volume would have been better. The silly small curved bottles are not useful, I will be using larger round bottles, which fit but further eat into the internal volume. This is the first Osprey product that I have found disappointing, I have six other Osprey packs.

John

Round Hill, VA

I've had many lumbar type packs over the years and love the freedom of movement they provide. Osprey had the right idea but missed the boat on a few things which make this pack a bit frustrating. One strong point is the ventilated rigid back panel which keeps the load close to your back with out much sag like other similar packs tend to do. The bag width should be a bit more so you can use the standard size Podium water bottles without cramping the interior. I suggest losing the small tapered ones they provide, which certainly up the cost which IMHO is too much already. The top handle is strangely placed between the two pouch zippers making it impossible to open the main zipper if the pack is hanging by the handle, which mine often is. It also needs a small pocket inside the main pouch for cash etc. The narrow belt and clasp are too thin which makes it more difficult to connect and adjust and it ain't very comfortable against my belly either.

Mark

Colorado