First off, I'm glad Amazon carries this product -- but I really wanted to physically inspect a number of lumbar packs, make comparisons, and decide if it met my capacity, comfort, and utilitarian needs. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any in my area stores.
As it was, choosing this particular pack was almost torturous as you don't get a clear idea of what it can hold. And so I kept vacillating between a few High Sierra products -- this one, the Diplomat (which seemed too high and narrow), the Ridgeline (maybe to large?), and the Envoy and Passport (both of which didn't have bottle pockets). But in the end, this product seemed like the best choice.
The primary motivation for getting a lumbar pack is that I needed a mini diaper bag, something I could bring to museums, etc., with the kids and have full function of my arms and hands. Fanny packs didn't fit the bill because I don't want something bulky in the front as it gets in the way. Backpacks are size-overkill and make for sweaty backs in the summer.
That said, it's a nice pack with 2 pockets (one large, one small). For me, one holds a travel size baby wipe case, a few diapers and cream; the other, car keys, camera or flip, sunglasses. Not much more could fit - maybe other slim electronic devices like a phone and iPod, but since there are only 2 pockets one has to consider what's going to be scraping against what.
The mesh bottle holders are nice -- they are each designed with a stretchy loop that holds the bottle snug so it doesn't fall out. That's good but it also means that blindly reaching behind to reinsert a bottle is a finger-fumbling act. Maybe I'm lame, but I have to rotate the pack to the front to place the bottles back. The holders hold most any 16-20oz bottle: bottled h2o, soda, arizona iced tea, etc.. The included bottle is useless to me as it contains BPA -- sort of idiotic given the chemical's bad press.
Lastly, if you need to access your stuff *often*, get a fanny pack -- reaching behind or rotating constantly isn't convenient, especially if you have a camera in there.
Overall a well-made, comfortable, and useful product. Would recommend.
