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