Mountainsmith Day
The MountainSmith Day Pack is a cool tool that I've been using continuously for eight years now, and can't imagine how I lived without it prior to that. It can be carried with the shoulder strap like a messenger or shoulder bag, by the handles like a normal utility bag or using the comfortable lumbar waistbelt.
The size of this pack is ideal for me, with enough room for a 12" PowerBook and a couple of books or a full-size DSLR with spare lenses and room left over. The two water bottle pockets give easy access to water when hiking or walking. The bag’s exterior has multiple points to strap or clip to (extending carrying capacity) and the elastic rigging adds flexibility as well. The main compartment has an additional hanging pocket that is a great place to keep a few pens, a small Moleskine and more.
After seven years using my original Day Pack, I upgraded to the new model last year, which has some design improvements and is made from 100% recycled PET plastics.
--Mark Helberg
You can carry a Mountainsmith over one shoulder, two shoulders, in your hand or clipped onto your hips -- like a fannypack but not a fannypack. The belt cinches the pack into you; properly adjusted, it's as close to you as your own skin. No sway, no shift, no rub.
Buy a Day or Tour pack with Strapettes, to convert it into a daypack, and your grandkids will inherit it and take it to space camp on the moon.
-- Jeff Pulice
MountainSmith Day Pack
$65
Available from Amazon
Mountainsmith Strapettes
$22
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Mountainsmith
Favorite (15)
dingo
Cool Tool!
I've had one of these for six years. It's my work bag, travel bag, shooting bag, and hiking bag.
There are many great things about it this article doesn't cover:
- In shady areas, you can swivel it around in front of you to prevent pickpocketing / bag slashing
- One of the things you find yourself carrying a lot in developing countries is water bottles of all shapes and sizes. It can carry 2 1L narrowmouth Nalgene bottles (my normal travel load), and the pockets' pull lanyards loop over the tops of the bottles for a very secure fit. If you're going on a long hike away from civilization, I've been able to carry 2x 3L bottles of water the same way with no problems.
- An umbrella (Hong Kong) or machete (rural Guatemala) will carry nicely under the bottom two straps.
- The waist strap can also be shortened and go around your leg for an excellent rifle fighting bag (several AK-47 magazines fit in the large pocket, and the small pocket is your dump pouch).
- Two pistol cases and 300 rounds of ammo fit easily (I bike to my local range).
- My yoga mat gets carried by putting it horizontally between the pull handles and clipping the handles together with a carabiner.
- This needs to be done more often: the interior is bright neon yellow for ease of finding things!
- First aid kits and cell phones securely clip to the waist belt.
- The cinch straps do an excellent job of keeping the pack snugged into your lower back.
All in all, my most used pack and the best lumbar pack I've ever found.
dingo
Forgot to add:
There's also a vertical "secret" pocket behind the lumbar padding exactly the right size for a folded newspaper, and the waistbelt can tuck behind the lumbar pad if you want to use this as a regular shoulder bag.
elon
dingo:
Thanks for your thorough additions to this post. I was reminded of this bag—which some mountain biking friends used to rave about—when you mentioned it in your comment on the Rick Steve's Carry On post.
Thanks also for that colorful juxtaposition of "AK-47 magazines" and "yoga mat."--es
dingo
"Thanks also for that colorful juxtaposition of "AK-47 magazines" and "yoga mat."--es"
Happily! :) Expanding peoples' perspectives is always good. Some of us peace-loving hippie nerds take both Vinyasa yoga AND tactical rifle classes (though typically not from the same people). ;) There are dedicated rifle fighting bags, but they cost a lot more than $65 and aren't as useful for travel, etc.
I haven't used the Strapettes noted here but if the quality is anywhere close to that of the bag you should be good. The strap pad does tend to slide around, I've seen some people put small rivets through the strap and pad to hold it in place. The zippers are good YKK ones and haven't ever blown out or ripped, and they hold up to saltwater well. I'm thinking of putting sand vents in the bottom of mine for when it gets dragged through the mud.
afeman
One thing I've wondered about is how well does this do when you're running? Does it cinch down and ride well? I ask this because I've thought of running the 10 miles to work, but would need to bring clothes, etc.
I figure somebody who has carried Kalashnikov magazines might know.
Captcha: resented business
mikey
I've been a big fan of Mountainsmith's Tour lumbar pack, which is smaller than the Day pack. Supposedly available in January 2010 is a removable cube insert that will be of interest to photographers. This guy had a hand in designing it:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfish/2009/08/17/if-fish-could-improve-the-mountainsmith-tour-what-would-he-do/
>dingo
Thanks for the nice review of the Day pack! I use the secret vertical compartment to hold my Moleskin and pen.
Had to add Velcro tape to the shoulder pad because it moves around too much, resulting in the strap digging into my skin. Especially when you use the waist strap to take the bulk of the load, then you use the opposing shoulder for the shoulder strap to keep the pack from sagging. I carry a first aid kit, small camera, most of the Ten Essentials, work gloves, and a water bottle on Scout outings. This pack is the bomb.
The only thing I really need is a snug-fitting raincover. If anyone has a recommendation....
dingo
As far as stability while running: the pack does cinch down very tight to your back. With 2x 1L bottles it would probably flop around more than you'd like, but with two 0.5L bottles and some small items I have run with it and been fine. The aforementioned lanyard loops really keep the bottles in well.
No recommendations on a raincover, though I do use 1gal freezer bags to keep things dry inside when I'm kayaking.
bl
I've had one of these for about 17 years.The design has changed somewhat, but these are my experiences:
It was my sole bag for transporting a change of clothes and bike tools for my six year stint of cycling about five miles to work.
I used it to carry food and water for marathon training. I am sure I have run at least 20 miles at a time wearing it.
I still use it regularly for hiking and picnicking.
For both running and biking I found that it was almost always a good idea to shove a big piece of clothing in the bag (long sleeved t-shirt or more) -- it filled in the spaces and helped it conform better to the body. Also for both running and biking the main issues were weight and duration of use. A heavy pack, worn for a long time will start feel like you are being cut in half.
The zipper to my smaller outside pocket stopped closing more than a decade ago-- I never got it fixed and it is still plenty big for my purposes.
Although it works for running, I prefer my Northface backpack for that-- since it is a backpack, it has a larger contact patch with the body and is very easy to get snug. Unfortunately, I don't think they make the model I have any more, and I can't find the name on it-- I think the number might be 133633.
My favorite feature about the bag is probably the elastic strap on the bag (little yellow cord in the picture above). With that, you can thread a much larger piece of clothing, or even a pair of shoes, through and it is easily accessible and doesn't take up any internal space. I did stretch mine out eventually, but it was easily replaced at a hiking store for a couple of bucks-- I put a double loop on and it is much more durable.
Leave the shoulder strap on-- you can shove it down between your body and the bag and when you need something, slip it over your shoulder and unclip the buckle-- it is easy to keep walking and root around in the bag that way.
I think it is evident that I like this bag!
Jeff
Wow. Thanks! The only problem is that this article will drive up prices on vintage MS packs. The made-in-Colorado ones are much better than the newer models, IMO. I have owned 5 various models and they are the best I've ever carried. I wish they would bring back the Tyrol...
Dave9
I've had the slightly smaller Tour pack for a few years and it serves as my work lunch/emergency prep kit and weekend hiking bag. The hidden lumbar pocket is useful for stuffing the shoulder strap and the lumbar belt tucks inside another slot for a neat package when not in lumbar mode. It has a lot of adjustments and fits well.
Billy Oblivion
@Dingo:
---
There's also a vertical "secret" pocket behind the lumbar padding exactly the right size for a folded newspaper, and the waistbelt can tuck behind the lumbar pad if you want to use this as a regular shoulder bag.
---
Is this "pocket" the right size to store a space handgun? Maybe with the addition of some velcro and one of those retention holsters?
dingo
@Billy
Good question. I only have one handgun and it doesn't fit in the secret pocket. The maximum size book that I can seem to fit in there is about 4.25x1.1 in cross section. Of course, you could fit a mousegun like a P32 or Beretta Tomcat in there, but let's confine this to 9mm or better for effectiveness. A Glock 26, Keltec PF9 / P11, or a Kahr PM9 would all fit. Getting one of these guns plus a rubber-exterior pocket holster for any of these like the High Noon Pocket Grabber (http://www.highnoonholsters.com/Product_Line/_Pocket_Grabber/_pocket_grabber.html) would probably work for ya.
Billy Oblivion
One last question:
Country of Origin?
Brian Hollar
My Mountainsmith Day has been to all 7 continents with me, been used to hike through jungles in Panama, hung it on the wall next to my hammock on a riverboat in the Amazon jungle, used for weekend trips across in Japan, taken with me for landings in Antarctica, stuffed into lockers across Europe, was used as my day bag in Namibia, my gear bag in India, and on my waist as while hiking the Blue Mountains of Australia and hiking with Yakuza on Miyajima Island in Japan. I've even gone on overnight hikes with it in Florida. (I have a small, one-man tent that fits inside.) The Mountainsmith Day by far the most versatile bag I have ever owned.
I currently live in the DC area and recently saw Bernanke testify in front of members of Congress. I noticed that nearly all of the photographers were using the Day for their camera bags.
Here is my blog post in tribute to this awesome bag: http://thinkingonthemargin.blogspot.com/2008/03/mountainsmith-day-lumbar-pack.html
dingo
@Billy
The most current ones are made in Vietnam per Mountainsmith customer support.
Older ones were made in the USA and can be found on eBay.
@Brian
I'm going to start following your blog, nice to see a fellow Austrian economics adventurer. :)
excruman
I've had a tour pack for ten or fifteen years and I love it. It's my everyday pack, large enough for biking, dayhiking and around town. I have the strapettes and they are permanently attached. The only caution -- strapettes don't hold up nearly as well as the pack. I'm on my fourth pair in the last five years. The originals held up OK, but the stitching holding the padding on the shoulder straps keeps coming apart. A good thing, though -- Mountainsmith hasn't quibbled when I've asked for free replacements.