This is the first product I have felt compelled to review on Amazon. I bought the pack for our week-long family vacation to Disney, and couldn't be more pleased. I wanted a way to carry spare food, ponchos, fleeces, sunblock, etc., for my wife and 2 kids through the Disney theme parks without having to use a backpack -- they tend to wear out my shoulders. The Mountainsmith Day pack proved to be just what I was looking for.
The Mountainsmith Day pack is comfortable, spacious, durable, and good looking. Its high capacity allowed us to pack plenty of food into the Disney parks, saving us from buying overpriced snacks and meals. Its comfort and good looks made me feel good keeping the bag with us all day long and to avoiding the hassle and expense of renting a locker. The savings of time and money throughout the week more than compensated for the price I paid for the pack.
I was initially skeptical about the usefulness of so many ways of carrying the bag. However, the multiple carrying options (belt strap, shoulder strap, & handles) quickly proved their utility, allowing me to quickly change the way I was carrying the bag as the situation changed. For the bulk of the time, I would wear the bag as a lumbar pack. There were many times, however, when I would switch to the shoulder strap to easily access the contents while we were on the move or standing in line. Finally, the dual handles allowed for easier transport through airport screening and moving on and off rides at the parks.
Other features that pleased me:
-The stretch openings on the water bottle holders made it easy to remove and replace bottles even when I had the pack cinched down, yet the bottles still felt stable. Other lumbar packs I have owned either made the bottles impossible to remove without loosening the pack, or the bottles were too loose and prone to tumbling out.
-Multiple compression straps are quick and easy to use, and do a good job of tightening the pack and keeping it from jostling around.
I carried this bag 10 hours every day for 6 days, walking god-knows how many miles, and never felt loaded down or tired with this bag. I highly recommend it!