Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack

Field Notes: While this day pack may have ushered in the era of “man bag” or the “murse,” it’s got bonafide outdoor chops, and if you’re inclined to give it a shot, you’ll be rewarded. Summer day hikes, short trips, trails you know well and other non-intensive outings don’t require a ton of gear, so weighing yourself down with a full pack may not be necessary. Enter the Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack. Built from durable Cordura, this day pack is capable of years of hard use, and it’s not uncommon to see these packs on the trails from decades past. 

What makes this pack so comfortable is the oversized, padded hipbelt. Carrying the weight on your hips requires an extra-wide belt to keep the pack in place and not dig in when the pack is full. An over-the-shoulder strap aids in pack stability and also can double as a messenger bag strap for commuting and casual use. On the inside is a zippered pocket and two compartments separated by a padded divider, which is perfectly sized for a tablet but too small for a laptop. Water bottle sleeves on both sides of the Mountainsmith backpack have shock cords and locks and fit bike style water bottles easily but will hold a larger Nalgene securely. Four compression straps tighten down the pack and bring the weight closer to your body. When you don’t need a lot of space, the Lumbar Pack is a solid go-to pack. 

Pros: Iconic design. 

Cons: Not quite big enough for a laptop. 

Tester Comments: “For fast and light missions, this pack is ideal. The Day Lumbar pack allows for a ton of freedom of movement when scrambling through a scree field or on a knife-edge ridge. The low center of gravity keeps you balanced.”

Key Attribute: Design