I like to sometime just head out lite on a day hunt and this hydration pack is perfect. Before I would have to carry a small pack with a bladder and I always carried to much other gear. It's also nice to just have 1 set of shoulder straps and not my bino harness straps and my pack straps and then a rifle sling. This pack holds all the water I need for the day along with some snacks and my **** kit, that's all I need to stay light and get he job done. I don't use mine to be a pack for your all your gear, I use it to travel lite and cover ground. I also like that it doesn't make my bino harness ride up either, well thought out for what it was intended to be.
Build quality is excellent, as always, and it does everything it’s intended to do. That said, I have some minor issues with the design. 1. A full 3 liter bladder barely fits in the inner sleeve, and makes it tough to get much more in the pack. 2. No built in option for controlling your bladder hose. A web dominator does fine, but I would prefer to see some sort of sleeve on the strap. 3. No real way to strap anything on. This was the biggest drawback for me. Shock cord or two full length compression straps would be way more useful than the rear stretch pocket. It would be easier to pack a rain or insulation layer, and would provide a place for odd shaped items. While wearing the hydro harness/bino pack this fall, I found two nice whitetail sheds. Annoyingly, I ended up carrying them both in hand because I couldn’t figure out a good way to strap them to the pack. That said, my hydro harness will continue to see regular use. Just know that it has limitations.
This allows me to carry a tacky pescador xl fly box, coat and water when I fly fish. A coat water and other essentials on stalks and short hunts. I was looking at the kuiu stalker but the build quality and modularity of this to interface with my bino harness and fish chest pack if awesome.
I was thrilled when I saw the release of this hydration pack. Great craftsmanship and quality as all MG products are, but if it has 2.5 liters of water and a few odds and ends your bino harness with be right under your neck, tighten the straps to eliminate that and don't plan on your ribcage expanding when you breathe. I've tried the quick release straps and the bino harness to attach the pack and have just settled with the idea that I have spent some money to support a great company. Great idea just can't use it as advertised.