Here is my review of this bag from a Bushcrafter’s point of view.
This is my primary pack for bushcrafting, whether going out for the day, or up to a three days trip
This bag would be perfect AS IS for Every Day Carry; however, after using this bag for a couple years, there are a few improvements I could make to it for bushcrafting use:
1) Make the main compartment about two inches deeper from front to back, and make it compressable—the current depth limits your gear choices for Bushcrafting;
2) Split the front compartment into two compartments and make it extend a couple inches outward to save space on the inside (because the more you put in the front compartment the more room it takes away from the main compartment). To compensate for this I added two small pouches onto the webbing on the front of the bag;
3) Make the bottle holders a little deeper to compensate larger nalgine bottles; but optionally you can add some shock cord to go around the lid of larger bottles to hold then secure;
4) I would also like to see them make a bag that can be added onto the top that attaches to the harness, for carrying additional food and gear for longer trips (this one improvement would transform the lumbar pack into a long duration bag)—as the bag is now, I always have to carry an additional bag for food on trips longer than one day;
5) A lot of people complain that one of the hip supports doesn’t have a compartment on it. However I found a better solution by sewing some molly webbing onto the empty unused space, which I can use to attach a dump pouch, or any other pouch I wish.
This bag has room for improvements; however I still haven’t found a Bushcrafting bag that I like as much as this. I literally take it out in the woods at least once every two weeks. It has held up very well, and it holds all of my primary bushcraft gear.
—Rx
MotorradHere is everything I take bushcrafting on a regular basis. Not everything goes into the Lumbar Pack. What doesn’t go into the pack goes in my vest, on my waist, or around my neck. If I carried everything in the pack it would be far too heavy. Food gets carried in a separate bag slung over my shoulder.
VEST & PANTS
On Waist
Bark River Bushcrafter (bushcraft knife)
Around Neck
Featherweight Hunter (food/skinning knife)
Duluth Workingman’s Vest
Compass
Eating Utensils
Toilet Paper
2x Whistles
P-51 Can Opener
Fire Kit
Ferrocerium Rod
Exotac Titan-Light Lighter
Bic Lighter
Pocket Bellows
Fatwood
LUMBAR PACK
Vargo Titanium Water Bottle
Wood Knot Titanium French Press
Kieth 450 Cup
Sawyer Micro Squeeze (water filter)
Titanium Cooking Grill
Miscellaneous Cooking Utensils
2x 100% Cotton Bandanas
Pathfinder 1600ml Bush Pot
Cooking Oil
Salt & Spices
Honey
Pre-cut Paracord Lengths
Bamboo Cutting Board
Spare AAA Batteries
Small Wash Kit
Soap & Shanpoo
Wash Cloth
Toothbrush
First Aid Kit
MISCELLANEOUS(Some of the things I take sometimes)
Wool Blanket
Inflatable Sleeping Pad
Agawa Boreal-21 Saw
Gränsfors Bruk Scandinavian Forest Axe
Bark River Grizzly (knife)
1” Scotch Eyed Auger
Flexicut Carvin' Jack
Porlex Mini Coffee Grinder
More thoughts on what the lumbar pack needs for improvement. . .Instead of having bottle pouches on the sides, there should be two square bags, one on each side, hugging your waist - this would put all of the weight close to your body. Having to connect pouches to the webbing on the back causes the weight to pull outward, which causes lower back and shoulder pain.
Having water bottle pouches on the sides is useless as you can not access a water bottle if it’s on the side (I have to take the bag off, or have a buddy hand me my bottle). The water bottle pouch should be on the front where you can actually access it while hiking.
These two improvements would add to the capacity, while at the same time make it more comfortable (less painful).
I’m actually going to switch all my gear over to my Mystery Ranch SATL this weekend, because the small amount of gear that I carry is pulling at my lower back and shoulders in the Mountain Smith. The SATL is designed to carry up to 100lbs of gear and weapons, so it will easily handle my bushcraft gear - and food.
I still say the Mountain Smith is good for someone more minimalist than myself. It is perfect for someone who just needs to hike with a couple water bottles, some trail food, and a rain coat. But it could also be improved to suit the needs of bushcrafters.
—Rx
MrUndertowFunny you should mention the MR SATL...I was reading you list and thinking that's what you need. I have one too and use it as my SAR pack. Treat your back right! Nice job with the Porlex, also one of my guilty pleasures for backpacking and man does it piss off my weight weenie pals. Cool list, I really appreciate you putting it together. Thanks.
I've gone through a series of MS Lumbar packs over about 30yrs and really only use them for longer MTB rides now. Full packs have got so good in the last 5 years...
On Waist Bark River Bushcrafter (bushcraft knife) Around Neck Featherweight Hunter (food/skinning knife) Duluth Workingman’s Vest Compass Eating Utensils Toilet Paper 2x Whistles P-51 Can Opener Fire Kit Ferrocerium Rod Exotac Titan-Light Lighter Bic Lighter Pocket Bellows Fatwood LUMBAR PACK Vargo Titanium Water Bottle Wood Knot Titanium French Press Kieth 450 Cup Sawyer Micro Squeeze (water filter) Titanium Cooking Grill Miscellaneous Cooking Utensils 2x 100% Cotton Bandanas Pathfinder 1600ml Bush Pot Cooking Oil Salt & Spices Honey Pre-cut Paracord Lengths Bamboo Cutting Board Spare AAA Batteries Small Wash Kit Soap & Shanpoo Wash Cloth Toothbrush First Aid Kit MISCELLANEOUS (Some of the things I take sometimes) Wool Blanket Inflatable Sleeping Pad Agawa Boreal-21 Saw Gränsfors Bruk Scandinavian Forest Axe Bark River Grizzly (knife) 1” Scotch Eyed Auger Flexicut Carvin' Jack Porlex Mini Coffee Grinder More thoughts on what the lumbar pack needs for improvement. . . Instead of having bottle pouches on the sides, there should be two square bags, one on each side, hugging your waist - this would put all of the weight close to your body. Having to connect pouches to the webbing on the back causes the weight to pull outward, which causes lower back and shoulder pain. Having water bottle pouches on the sides is useless as you can not access a water bottle if it’s on the side (I have to take the bag off, or have a buddy hand me my bottle). The water bottle pouch should be on the front where you can actually access it while hiking. These two improvements would add to the capacity, while at the same time make it more comfortable (less painful). I’m actually going to switch all my gear over to my Mystery Ranch SATL this weekend, because the small amount of gear that I carry is pulling at my lower back and shoulders in the Mountain Smith. The SATL is designed to carry up to 100lbs of gear and weapons, so it will easily handle my bushcraft gear - and food. I still say the Mountain Smith is good for someone more minimalist than myself. It is perfect for someone who just needs to hike with a couple water bottles, some trail food, and a rain coat. But it could also be improved to suit the needs of bushcrafters. —Rx