Mountainsmith Lumbar Packs

My old Mountainsmith lumbar pack bought used on eBay a few years ago served me very well and it’s time to replace it. I bought a newer, smaller Mountainsmith lumbar pack for my son to use a while back and I like the updated version even more than my older one.

A lumbar pack makes a great ‘day bag’ when canoeing for all that one needs to access easily throughout the day (camera, binoculars, rain gear, etc.) without digging through a large portage pack. Lumbar packs ride securely out of the way when portaging a canoe.

I use the pack to carry my camera and other gear for short hikes, walks around town, and any other time I need to stow a few things. It’s my go-to briefcase large enough to hold a standard three-ring binder. It’s also a great bag for disk golf. The waist belt stows away in its own compartment when using the bag with the detachable shoulder strap (I did upgrade the shoulder strap, see below).

Load adjusting straps assure I can carry pretty heavy loads (15-20 lbs) without the pack flopping around or sagging. Two mesh water bottle holders hold a 1 qt Nalgene bottle or other gear. The pack has a front compartment and a generously sized main compartment with a zippered pocket that is ideal for stowing a wallet and there’s a clip for keys. There’s also a ticket pocket behind the well-padded back panel. Larger gear can be carried outside of the bag (most often I carry a wet raincoat or a waterproof map case) with an adjustable lashing cord.

I really appreciate the large zipper tabs and sturdy, trouble free, two-way zippers on the main compartment. Both compartments are lined with tough yellow nylon – a great feature when you are trying to locate something in the pack, packs lined with dark cloth are like staring into a black hole.

After five or six years of hard use my Mountainsmith Day Lumbar pack is still going strong. No tears, no stuck zippers, nothing broken, completely reliable and a pleasure to use.

I bought the accessory shoulder straps for carrying heavier loads, and they work very well. Montainsmith calls them “strapettes”

I did replace the shoulder strap with a Klein Tools 58889 Padded Adjustable Shoulder Strap. The Klein Strap has a broad, soft, no slip shoulder pad that’s very comfortable.