Mountainsmith Mountainlight 4500

i bought this pack sight unseen (online) because it was on sale, which i know was my first mistake. i am fairly unhappy with the pack, in general. the compartment on the top that compresses the rucksack area is very unstable. it often slides off and falls to the side. very annoying. the pack has a long height, avg width, and skinny depth, which makes it strange to pack.

the harness is quality, but it didn't fit me well. i am a skinny guy. the waist belt said it fit sizes 29, and i am a 29-30, but it really doesn't fit me. i can never get it quite tight enough. i guess i need to gain some weight.

also, the pack is heavy. i think it weighs around 6 lbs empty, which is a lot for a pack.

the top compartment is supposedly detachable and turns into a fanny pack. but to do this, you need to undo some of the straps, and then re-feed them into the buckles when you want to put it back. and the fanny back itself is terrible, fits awful. not very useful. they shouldn't have bothered.

on the good side, the pack is very solid construction. seems like it will last forever.