Mountainsmith Lumbar-Recycled Series Tour TLS R Backpack

This will easily hold all of your day hike essentials, lunch for one, a two persons first aid kit and emergency items in case you may have to spend the night in the woods. A extra layer of clothing can be strapped to the front of the pack using the shock cord or under the pack using the straps. The pack is built tough but not over built like Maxpedition gear. The hip belt is adjustable from 26 to 52 and is very comfortable. The size of the water bottle pockets on the sides concerned me at first. They appeared to be very small and I didn't think anything bigger than a 20 oz water bottle would fit. Surprisingly, I was able to fit 1qt GI canteens in them. They fit snugly but not so bad that it would be a hassle to take them in and out. That's 64 ounces of water with the two GI canteens. I can't find my Nalgene bottle right now so I couldn't say if one would fit. I also purchased the shoulder straps with the bag. I think the straps are a must if you plan on filling the bag and carrying two bottles of water. For dayhikes, I think I'm done with backpacks. This is much more comfortable and your back will stay cool. If you like to pack light for dayhikes but don't want to sacrifice the essentials, this is a perfect option. If you prefer packing a little more than you actually need or for winter dayhikes, you may want to go with the Lumbar Day pack which is the next size up.

Very versatile and durable travel and everyday pack. I've owned this for over a year and use it daily- thus far it has definitely exceeded my expectations and I've been very pleased with this great Mountainsmith day pack! I've bought and used other brands of various size day packs over the years, but Mountainsmith is by far the best in functionality, design, and durability. Multi-functional with several zippered inner and outer compartments, the very well padded and wide waistband (which I don't use very often) tucks away neatly on the back panel, the adjustable shoulder strap which is what I primarily use is very secure and durable- the only minor annoyance is the shoulder pad does tend to slide a bit on the strap as its not stationary. Overall, this is an Excellent midsize day pack that's become my trusty everyday pack!

Great lumbar pack. I took it to Big Sur and it was the right size. It carried the right amount of gear for a day hike. I strongly suggest the backpack straps also

It almost every respect this is a great bag. Its versatile, durable, and well built using quality materials. The size of this bag is such that it works great as a lumbar pack. However, the size and design of this make it extremely functional as shoulder bag as well. I've found this bag to be equally at home as a lumbar day pack as it is as a diaper bag for the kid. With a heavy load, used as a lumbar pack, the optional strappetes are pretty much essential, otherwise you'll have to cinch this thing down so tight, it just wont be comfortable. With the strapettes you get a first rate, incredibly comfortable daypack with a lower center of gravity, better ventilation on your back than with a traditional pack. I've used this in day length adventure races up to 24hrs, and love it... except for that one thing.This is a 4 star bag because of the bottle pouches. I feel that everything about this bag says that it should be able to securely and comfortably fit 2 1 liter nalgene type bottles... And it does. However, to get those bottles in without removing the bag or shifting it to the front, you are going to have to do some serious gymnastics with your fingers, and even then it will be tight. Using smaller bottles works fine too, 22 oz sport bottles are great, and you can get the bottles in and out with relative ease, however going smaller gets you the opposite problem of having less security. If you plan on using this pack hard, there is a very high likelihood that you are going to lose bottles. The ideal bottle for these pockets are probably 16oz disposable water bottles, but I just feel like limiting yourself to ~32oz of water really limits the potential for this bag. That being said, Dr. Browns baby bottles are also basically perfect, again with the diaper bag plug. The pockets need about 1-2 more inches of depth, and just ever so slightly less tension in the elastic.The one additional thing I would love to see is some thought to accommodating a hydration bladder. I can comfortably fit a 2L bladder in the bag sidewise, but I would love some type of structure to secure it a little better, and separate it from the rest of the bag.If you're not planning on running through thick woods or stumbling over gnarly terrain, and you no need or desire to use 1L Nalgenes, you really cant go wrong here. This is easily one of the most versatile bags I own, its not hard to find a use for it. If this wasn't being used as a diaper bag currently it would work equally well as a laptop bag for the 11 inch Lenovo Thinkpad I use for work. Extremely well thought out design... except for those pesky side pockets...

My main complaint is that it is really hard to get a Nalgene bottle into either of the two side pockets.The side pockets have elastic to handle a variety of bottle diameters. I end up having to carry the Nalgene bottle in my hand when I remove a bottle from a side pocket for a drink. It was impossible to put a Nalgene bottle back into the side pocket one-handed. I had to take off the pack and use two hands to get the bottle back into the side pocket. I have a bad back and want to carry water weight on my hips rather than a camelback. For me carrying water is a major function of a lumbar pack and the side pockets on this pack are not good.