Mystery Ranch In & Out 19L Daypack Discussions | Drop

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Aug 22, 2018

I bought one of these elsewhere, but I'll give a quick review.
The pack has become my go-to daypack when traveling. It has, IMO, the perfect blend of packability and durability. The fabric is not as light and thin as most other packable bags, so when packed down it's not as small as some competitors, but the bag feels much (much) more durable.
The mesh pocket (which holds the bag when packed down) is surprisingly sturdy as well, even though you wouldn't guess so based on looks. I was worried about tearing the mesh the first few times when packing the bag into the mesh pocket, but it's still in perfect shape. The hardware is also pretty solid. When I first started using it, I really feared that the zipper on the mesh pocket wouldn't hold up because when the bag is packed inside, the zipper is usually pulled pretty taught, and yet it's also held up perfectly fine after many repeat packings and unpackings, and I don't baby it during packing.
I have a couple of other packable day packs, including the Matador Beast 28. After a year the Beast 28 has loose threading all over and feels *very* floppy unless packed completely full. It also needs a separate bag to pack it down completely. The In & Out has no lose threading, the fabric feels just slightly more sturdy, and it packs into its own pocket, so there's nothing extra to carry. I believe part of the reason the Beast 28 is coming apart is that its 28L capacity encourages over-packing, while the 19L capacity of the In & Out means you're unlikely to ever pack enough weight to wear out the bag or stitching, but still have more than enough room for EDC items, clothing layers, snacks, and a water bottle.
The one criticism I (and most people) have for the In & Out, is that it's tricky to pack the bag into the mesh pocket the first couple of times. It's a pretty tight fit. But I promise if you do it several times it gets much easier. You'll realize that the bag kind of needs to be rolled into the mesh pocket from one direction.
I don't know if MD has the best price around, but I paid a similar price and feel like it was a great buy. I'd even say it's worth it at full price if you need a solid little daypack when traveling.