The side pockets (shown with water bottle) were modified after this pre-production prototype, and now are only about three inches deep, too shallow to hold a water bottle or much of anything. See the photo of the large version for correct information.

This pack was extremely light (550gms) with comfortable shoulder straps and nice padded waist belt. Good pockets on the wasit belt for accessing those things you need close at hand. The pack is fairly narrow so doesn't interfere with arm swing when walking or running. The shape of the pack distributes most of the weight around the waist/hips which means less pack bounce and feels more comfortable. Plenty of compression options for making the pack smaller as you discard gear/food. The foam mesh padded back feels comfortable against the back. The side pockets are a waste of time as bottle holders as they're far too short and bottles fall out very easily. You'd need to add ties so not to lose them or else use the internal bladder option. I don't think the promoted size of 24 litres seems accurate and was not able to contain 24 litres of items I could fit into similar advertised sized packs. This was a major disappointment so I was unable to use the pack for my needs. However on shorter trips the pack would be great.

This is a very nice very light daypack which seems to fit everything I like to take along on a day hike. I really like the little pockets on the waistbelt; I could fit chapstick, phone, snacks, bug spray, keys, etc. comfortably to keep at hand. Hiking poles fit in the back open pocket with bungee cord. A 70 oz. Camelbak bladder fits easily in the hydration pouch. Water bottle pouches on the side held bear spray and a bottle of Gatorade. The narrow design makes it easy to swing your arms while you walk. Ergonomically designed for a woman--very comfy. Best of all, my back and shoulders didn't ache at the end of a 13 mile hike as they would with my old pack. Highly recommended--but remember, the best pack is the one that fits you best!

I bought this pack for snowshoeing. One of the main features I was looking for in a pack was water bottle holders. This pack has one on each side which is why I purchased it. The only problem is you have to be a contortionist to be able to reach your water while the pack is on your back. Otherwise, the pack was comfortable and I liked it.