I live in South Florida, camp in the Everglades most of the time. I've had this for over two years, wearing a t-shirt at most. It is the perfect day pack. Velcro is just as good as it was when I bought it. I use it 40-50 times a year. Works well for me. As far as what it can hold, go back and look at the vid from Corporals Corner

Had mine for over a year. I use it twice a week. It is the perfect hot weather pack, and with a bit of research can be expanded upon to be a compact overnighter kit in hot weather. I loved it so much I got my dad one for Christmas. You can add a Tasmanian tiger sp 9 pouch to the back straps for extra space too!

One of the best Outdoor Gear review guys out there. Honest, detailed and impartial. 👍

I've had mine for about 2 years and use it for day hikes. In Australia so i love how cool it is without having a pack covering my back! Find the minimalist straps comfortable and no issues with scratching, velcro, chest straps... i use mine with the hardside hydration kit. On hot days, 1 bottle of water and 1 of electrolytes with the drinking tubes over the shoulders and attched to the shoulder straps. Rain jacket strapped underneath if needed

I bought this item 3 months ago. I like it. I mounted a knife with sheath to the left, on the straps horizontally for easy access, worked out fine. Thanks, Dan

Excellent for dog walks, when a backpack is not required. I keep in mine water, snacks, and first aid kits for both me and the dogs as well as other things. I like storing my phone away in it so theres less temptation to keep on looking at the bastard. Only thing ive ammended it the straps. I cut mine down as found then far too unecessarily long. The harness would also be usefuo for hanging a GPS device or video recorder on too.

I have had mine for 2 years and use it for stream fishing. Works great for me. I have 10 miles with no problems.

Been using this as my go-to daypack for several years. I use it as my warm weather day pack carrying insulated water bottles which fit perfectly in the sleeves. Most of my hiking is in the desert southwest, I switch to a larger daypack for winter hikes to carry more clothing layers. Only adjusted the velcro stays once, works well for me despite the scratchy straps.

Love the move into synthwave music for the intro!

I've had mine for several years. It's an excellent product and great for a 5/10 C's kit. You can attach a Modified Style 10×12 Possibles Pouch from Tuff Possum to the back straps for a bit of added volume. The velcro is a non-issue.

I have one of the original Foxtrot rigs and I love it. I use it frequently for 1-2 day trips. I can still have a chest rig or hydration pack with it if I want and the build quality is extremely high for the price.

That’s perfect for a day hike or a fishing trip 🤘🏼

I use this product for short summer day hikes (in Australia) and it works well for me. Things I like: it's great for hot weather as I don't get a sweaty back compared to carrying a day pack, I find it more comfortable than a day pack and it puts less strain on my neck (I get migraines and tweaking my neck can be a trigger), and it's just big enough for everything I need in warm weather, rolling up my rain jacket and stowing it under the shock cord on top. I also usually carry a sit-pad with the straps underneath. The non-padded straps are actually good as they are less sweaty than padding, and I have found there isn't enough weight on them to need padding. Being female I took off the sternum strap, it didn't work on a female but it's not needed as the hips take 90% of the weight anyway and the straps are really just for stabilising. And I found on my frame the webbed part of the belt does extend around the side so I can attach things I want to access there, and I can reach the drink bottle holders, too. I like having two bottle holders - on hot days I can take one plain water and one for electrolyte drink, or on cooler days one for water and one for a thermos. The one thing I'd really like to see redesigned is the back pocket, I find the gear loops are too small and the velcro is annoying. I don't mind the velcro on the straps as I find I don't adjust them, and I think for me if it had buckles or snaps here that would reduce its versatility. As it is the straps are smooth enough I can comfortably put a small, light day pack over top if I want to (eg to carry lightweight warm clothing if it looks like the weather might turn). Or you could carry a hydration pack if you were heading to an area where no water was available and two litres wouldn't be enough.

I've been looking into this as a replacement to my GI deuce gear and am glad to get your insight. The GI harness can hold more and is just too much for my day hike needs.

There are a lot of small issues with this pack. I've had one for quite some time now and I have made quite a lot of modifications to it. I added ranger bands to most of the straps and a paracord weave to the shoulder pads to address the comfort issues i've found once i added both a large pouch and water bottle pouch to the webbing (both fit okay, though they're maybe not ideal). The reason i'm trying to make this work is that it's really quite comfortable on a hike. The lumbar pad puts all the weight right on your hips and makes it feel as though you're not carrying a bag. I have also found that by being clever with my placement of everything I can carry everything i would need for an over night stay in it and with the addition of another small bag (russian navy veshmeshok ~30l) i can carry all my sleeping gear, water bladder, and filtration system along with extra food to make a nice lightweight feeling system that will hopefully be perfect for some 2 and 3 day outings. I doubt this would be the perfect solution for everyone, but it's been a fun experiment for myself and I look forward to testing it out in the coming months. I do wish i could find a better small bag to pair with it if anyone has any suggestions. Ideally it would be around 30l and be able to ride pretty high on the back.

love the multiple uploads a week keep it going

Meh. I’d pick a US Army Alice pack with LBE over that. I don’t know if it’s been updated, but a version with MOLLE would be a win.

For 25 bucks you can get this at a military surplus store. Not much to say been using my old lc2 for years.

Thanks for another honest review. 👍

Thanks for the review! Been looking at these

I attached canteen pouches to the PALS webbing on both sides. Easier to grab water on the go and frees up more space. Very comfortable and has become my favorite day hike rig.

This is the best gear review chanel in my opinion. I've got a very similar setup to this, but mine is from a Spanish army surplus guy at the market. I think the elastic for the bottles would wear out though over time. Mine is just pull over canvas💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 keep it up mate🎉🎉

I love the foxtrot MK2 I have added 2 Molle pouches to the belt to expand my carry. I couple this with the Numbat chest rig and it makes for a great system for day hiking light weight so you can go quick and fast.

I am from Spain and I has been using this for two years in my day hickings (1 or 2 meals) and no complains about, I only use backpak in winter so this thing do well in hot days, only wish the waistpack have some mesh

I am in Australia and do alot of camping and hiking with Scouts Australia. I use this kit to carry a large 1st aid kit when I am hiking with my scouts, I also carry 2 water bottles and although a little difficult putting back into the pocket it is doable without removing the harness. I have no problems taking the water bottles out from behind. I have also attached a light weight jacket under the bag with the compression straps and used the top compression straps to hold down other items I may want to carry. Often I am just wearing a t-shirt and shorts and while you will sweat the straps are relatively comfortable and I haven't had any issues of abrasive rubbing on my skin. I have had this kit for over 2 years and I think for what I use it for it works very well.

Reminds me of kit used by firefighters when tackling Bush fires.

Mt man here 👍👍 glad he keeps up with the gear if the bad gear comes in he puts in trash 🗑️ good job

I picked up the numbat. -Love it! This thing however looks like a drawing board product. Interesting none the less to see it. Keep it up Luke!

I bought a similar fannypack (sorry, not sorry). I bought it for when I go with my MTB and didn't want a sweaty back, I missed the opportunity to get a quick drink like I get from a hydration pack with a hose (although you could probably hook one up). But as it turns out, my g/f is using it all the time when she goes out with the dogs. Some snacks and a drink(both for her and the dogs), an umbrella a rain jacket.. she loves it.

I've got this and added two E&E Bushcraft pouches to it and now it really has that old school H harness look and feel. Best thing is I can still use the Numbat chest rig with it. For an outdoor system I can do alot with this system setup.

Strength and honor. 💪

Been waiting for this review for a long time. Thanks for getting to it Luke! It provided the information I needed to make my final decision on this product. I also love Helikon products, but it sounds like this one isn't for me.

I though about buying one, but now... Thank you for your insight.

I have had mine for 3 years and i'm satisfied. It is the perfect day pack. Like you said it's not for military purpose.

Nice first impression vid Luke. I'm building out a hip belt system for day hikes. Starting out with a 4 web molle belt that I just got. I will be adding pouches for water and gear too.

I use this with the numbat for summer over night hiking. In west Australia. This is a great pack as you back is free from over heating .

I've got a 5L cordura lumbar bag by Mountainsmith that I really like. Similar issues with the size of the mesh side pockets, and an optional single removable shoulder strap instead of the harness. I added some webbing on the bottom to strap on a bulky light item - so that's a good feature on the Helikon item. Where a bag like this can really shine though, is when it's used below a smaller harness-style pack that's used for lighter bulky items on an overnight or multi-day trip.

Thanks for the review Luke. I am not sure where this fits personally. I would suggest the pack is expanded in size across the waist, delete the water bottle holders, expand the wide waist belt across to the kidneys and use tried and tested buckles in place of the velcro.

I've had one for awhile now, I'm a volunteer wildlife/rewilding ranger, and got this rig for mainly this role, I do alot of survey work over a large area of both woodland and parkland/fields etc, I've found thus pack very comfy, I suffer with spinal problems, so a normal rucksack can hurt after awhile, no such issues with this system, I've added a helikon-tex sml clamshell first aid kit to the molle waist belt on one side ,with carabiners for work gloves ,on the other side I've attached a karrimor sf sml pouch to the molle belt, the underside if the main bag has a poncho attached, and on the bungee cord on top is a wind shirt, inside I have gear to do my survey work, make a brew, and shelter if I'm caught out in a storm or a member of the public needs assistance, as there is public rights of way through the area, ,in a t-shirt I've found thus comfortable, I've had no issues with the velcro straps, very rarely adjust unless I put multiple layers on or off, I'm 6'2" and around 16 stone, 47" chest, I find this a brilliant system, I can reach the water bottle pouch while still having the rig on, I was maybe going to get the numbat chest rig to combine with the foxtrot 2 for a good hiking system, will see, hope this helps, strength and honor, good health and safe travels, cheers craig

I have had mine for a couple of years. I use it in Kentucky on short hikes in temperate weather. I love it. I have never had to adjust the shoulder straps so the velcro isn't an issue. The straps are kind of dangly but that really doesn't bother me. I always wear two layers (t-shirt and outer long sleeve) and have had no issues with chafing no matter how hot I have gotten. While one can't reach the water bottles with the pack on I generally take frequent stops anyway so taking the pack on and off is a non-issue for me. The pack has plenty of space for equipment for a short excursion, which is what it is meant for. The water pockets hold a decent sized water bottle and a Grayl water filter, I wouldn't carry extra water inside the pack. As I don't hate myself I don't carry MREs and the amount of food I would carry on a short hike is way less than the bulk of a full MRE. I have added pouches to either side for added space. I put a poncho on top of the pack and ground sheet on the bottom. With the gear I carry I could certainly be okay staying out in the woods over night IN THE WEATHER IN WHICH I USE IT. If I'm concerned about the weather or am planning to stay out for a couple nights (I rarely do this) I have a Matilda pack from Helikon which is amazing. For those saying they would rather use an Alice pack. Wonderful, use what works for you. But the two packs aren't comparable in any way. The MK-2 is a 6 liter fanny pack and a medium Alice pack is a 40 liter, external frame back pack so why even mention them in the same breath? The MK-2 is closer to an H-harness system although not a good parallel. Helikon's Matilda is probably a better comparison to the Alice pack and as I have no nostalgia for military gear and I really like Helikon gear I carry a Matilda. I'm sure a Matilda isn't as tough as an Alice pack but I don't intend to go to war with it and I dislike external frame packs. Again, use what ever makes you happy. EDIT: is there such a thing as a small Alice pack? I mean one that was actually used by the military? My little comparison in the previous paragraph between the Alice pack and the MK-2 was predicated that the medium Alice pack is the one that everyone talks about. If there is something smaller in the same line please let me know.

Thank you for this review on the Foxtrot and I agree the Numbat is a great chest rig. This Foxtrot rig reminds me of a version of military surplus H-harness. I have and still use a military surplus Y-harness and web belt or FLC on short hikes. The harness and FLC can be tailored to carry whatever you want in whatever position you want as long as you have, can make or buy the pouches. All that said the FLC seems better, to me, for temperatures under 70 degrees Fahrenheit because it traps more heat than the Y-harness (my personal experience, you may have different results). This type of military surplus used to be inexpensive but I haven’t needed to buy any in years, I’ve got less than $60 invested in my “high speed” load outs and they’re as good as ever.

I use the Hip / Fanny Pack units from Walmart (camping/hiking equipment section) - they are CHEAP and they get the job done (day hikes)!

I've been using the Foxtrot Mk2 for a couple of years now. I've added pouches to the MOLLE system. I've got the E&E pouch on one side, and a CLS canteen pouch on the other. I don't use the water bottle pockets to hold water, that's in my Ti canteen, in the water bottle pouch. I can access it while wearing the belt rig easily enough/ The E&E pouch holds a Ti mess tin which I keep a brew kit in, a fire kit, and a folding saw. The CLS MCC canteen pouch holds a Ti canteen/mug, a couple of tubes of solid fuel, my compass, and a few other bits and pieces. The main bag holds my field notes pad, a stove, cordage, food, gloves, bandana, FAK, SAK, etc. I use the shock cord to hold a poncho. I hang a Mora Garberg off the belt. If I'm staying out overnight, I have the Bushcraft Bergen with a tarp, mat, and quilt, plus extra food and water. It makes for a nice belt rig for woods work. I find it's just the right size. The thin webbing means that it can be worn with a backpack (I pair it with the bushcraft bergen) That's why the adjustment on the rear straps is Velcro, no buckles to rub. I've found that once the Velcro is set for length, I control for layers with the straps at the front. Interestingly, I got strap keepers with mine. Maybe an oversight on your one?

I like the choice of colors.

I'm very much looking forward to your experience with this. The potential drawbacks you mentioned have kept me from buying one for myself. Upgrade the harness, add a column or two of molle belt, replace the water bottle pockets with molle so we can put what we want there, and it could be close to perfect. Until then the search for a great belt pack continues.

Use them for my hikes, no complaints so far, can add more with the helikon rex velcro tabs and add more pouches via the webbing

I love the number in multicam. Aside from hiking, I use it when I'm riding my motorcycles. It carries all the basics while riding; wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses, ear plugs, cancer sticks n lighter n smaller bottle of Gatorade or water

I love mine, buy with confidence! It's a quality item!

I purchased this pack and am well pleased with it. It is built, I believe to not be to cumbersome on the lower back where one is stuffing all kinds of gear into it putting loads of pressure on the lower back. The water bottle compartments are small. Yet Helikon offers canteen pouches that could be utilized on the belt with the molle system applied. I use this harness a lot for day use or to bring along on a trip to use while exploring, foraging, etc. from a base camp scenario. Believe me, you can load it up if you use the top strapping and compression straps located on the base of the pack. I like the velcro harness. Meaning, as an adaptation to it, that one can purchase a large 10 liter pouch from Tasmanian Tiger and use it as a molle attachment to attach the large pouch giving the MKII Foxtrot more versatility for those long one day excursions or even to go for an over nighter. So the velcro harness affords me the opportunity to add the additional pouch from Tasmanian Tiger. If water bottle pouches are attached to the belt molle system one could utilize the water bottle compartments for other day gear like the Grayl water filtration system or to pack a plethora of other gear that could fit in those two compartments such as a small titanium or stainless cup, tinder pouches, or dry goods for a meal, the possibilities are endless for one's needs in thinking outside the box for the water bottle compartments. Of course all things could use potential improvements or some tweaking. The d rings on the harness are great to throw on a pair of leather gloves with a small carabiner. All in all, the Helikon Tex MkII Foxtrot is a versatile piece of gear, not perfect, but can be used and allows for adaptation.

Been run one for almost two years. I live on the Big Island of Hawaii and it works great for me.

Owned for ~ two years, use as a light-weight day pack in a hot environment. Found it comfortable and robust.

Thanks for your videos, good job.

Good video luke

I have one. I bought for shorter day hikes in hot weather. Holds some emergency stuff food and water. I use smart water bottles and a camel back tube set up. Short arms. Most backs make it difficult for me to replace water bottles.I just wanted back clear in the hot.. I live in the Atlanta area. Hot and Humid.

Hi Luke from Italy! Helikon Tex is one of my favourite brands, though I agree with you that this belt rig is a bit awkward. If you have the chance try the SFU Pants and the Bushcraft Essential Kitbag, which I both like. Thanks, Davide

I love mine. Been using it as the basis for my 'Butt pack' build to replicate the old canadian Type84 pattern webbing. I replaced the shoulder straps with a padded condor harness if im adding decent weight to it.

i put an H harness on my old style MOLLE battle belt and that gives me webbing all the way around. Great review and I love almost everything Helikon tex makes.

I like it, 1 water bottle slot can have a storage container. Great if you dont need a full day pack set up, the fact it does not have a huge amount of attachment loops and hooks is no issue as if you wanted more you just take a day pack. I will look into it here in Australia 👍

I think you can attach a small sized (around 20L) tactical backpack with rear MOLLE panel to the H-harness.

Thanks for the review. I use a North Face one without shoulder straps. Very good for a day hike. I am surprise how much I can carry in the pouch (lunch, sweater, small first aid kit, ...and I still have room) and two Smart Water bottles in the side pouches. I prefer it to my 35 L backpack for my hikes in nice weather. As for your review, your perhaps personal taste or a need to nitpick to find something say as a con, but here is my 2 cents worth about some of the things you said - Velcro staps: Never had an issue with my shoulder rig in the Canadian Army which also used velcro, but , then, the hack used was placing a khaki green gun/duct tape strip around each velcro fastener to keep them in place to avoid any slippage surprises. Water bottles in far back: I am good with that as I prefer walking with my arms not hitting the water bottles to close to my side - I need to do a bit of minor twisting to get my bottle when walking, but I consider it a small nuisance -my personal taste. I do like the idea of the water bottle pouch placed in an angle. That would be worth the try. Anyways, thank you for all the good work you are doing in reviewing outdoor gear.

It's a great pack, it'll grow on you. My normal load out for an overnight is packed between my Numbat my Foxtrot MK2 and my Matilda pack, all Helikon-Tex. If you haven't checked out the Matilda pack, it's like Helikon's version of the ALICE pack.

I have had a foxtrot Mk2 for siome time now and I like very much. i do not us the side pouched for water bottles, I have "fire Kit" in one and haven't really got any kit in the other yet. I use the Helikon Tex canteen carrier for water and a small cook kit. The forxtrot makes an excellant companion to their Burgan for short over nighters.

I like the idea that is smaller than it appears. I'm the type of person who tends to fill any pack to the maximum capacity. So for me, the smaller size is a plus. I would use this kind of pack to carry a meal or two, a small first aid kit, water, and small esbit stove. Maybe a rain/wind jacket bungeed to the top.

🙏💯Great review. Thank you, keep up these honest reviews of products and brands. All facts , and no loyalty to products. 💯🔥🙏👍💪✝️

I much prefer the MOLLE II waistpack with or without a harness. I know, apples and oranges^^

Redesigned 782 harness circa 1940's to 1990's. Vietnam buttpack and two side canteen holders. With h harness about 10 dollars at surplus store. Lasts forever. I wore it in the Marines in the 90's.

Good for a quick hike or a fishing trip

The design is a military kit item called a "field pack"(aka butt pack) for dismounted operators/paras. The water bottles get drained completely into the hydration pack, not a sip'n stroll. The narrow profile is for less drag thru brush. Butt packs are meant to counter balance front-mounted loads. Usually carry poncho, socks, stripped ration components, some utility items.

I bought it for long day hikes civilian and works amazing. The water reaching problem can be solved with the army line teqnique. One guy grabs your bottle and you his vice versa . I placed an detachable medic kit one one side and a helicon tex medium pack on other side (serves as MRE food storage) . It can easily carry a DD tarp on straps, a SNUGPAK JUNGLE blanket on top. 2 Nalgene water bottle 2 litter max. Inside i have a compact air mat . Some toilet paper spare socks and windbreaker or tshirt. Front organizer fold knife, sayer mini filter, extra plastic water bag, fire matches, lighter and a compass . I add a helicon navtel pouch on shoulder to carry smartphone and power bank. So basically it can provide equipments for Shelter Water Food Fire all basic needs. It's ultralight and strong material made. We used it for 32 kilometers mountain hikes didnt feel a thing all weight is goin g along waist. I tryed same loadout with bagpack and my shoulders cryed. Its very versatile depending the adventure you can even mount small backpack for extra clothes or put it on bike as saddle bag. For me and my buddy that we used it for night animal observation and long mountain hikes is perfect. We can carry enough gear to survive even on cold weather. Like 2 tarps and 2 blankets combined can make strong shelter. I highly approve it for hot climate and forest and hikes below alpine zones. Basically is the modern version of M-1985 infitary gear that troops used in Vietnam. With proper knowledge can be used effectively.

I have had mine for 3 or 4 years maybe and i agree with the mixed review. I also have accessory their pouches on the sides that i put my pathfinder canteen set in and other gear when i haul more gear but not always. It is good for day hikes where i can carry 1 or 2 meals and a tea kettle and stove and my last ditch kit in case i have to spend the night in an emergency. But it is very small. I prefer a 25-30 liter pack over this usually, it all depends on where i am going or what i am doing. I am disabled so i have to always plan on spending a night or two when in the woods. I do hate the no padding in the shoulder straps when in a tshirt so i bought a set of maxpedition shoulder pads that velcro on and help a ton, but i feel I should not have had to do that if it was designed better. I use a source tactical snep convertible water bottle adapter kit from amazon which turns my water bottle into a camel back design with a hose so i dont have to remove the pack for a drink, I also use this on my packs instead of a bladder as my son has had many failures with bladders in the bad lands and had to cut trips short due to lack of water and i am old school i prefer canteens or bottles. Also it does to tend to bounce when walking. I would give this pack a 3 out of 5

It works for a day pack, and some folks might like the way it fits to the body better than a knapsack, Musette bag, rucksack, etc. As long as you expect it to be nothing more than that, yeah it will do the job. Regarding the beginnings of what is known as a fanny pack, or waist pack, here is some trivia. Dirt bikers in the Southwestern USA often would start out early in the day riding, and they needed a light jacket. As the Sun rose, and the desert heated up? They would take the light jacket off and put it in the waist pack. The convenient waist pack also held a small water bottle, keys, wallet, radio, whatever. It was a very common scene to see desert riders wearing waist packs as far back as the 1950s.

Some of your comments are opinions. It works perfectly for some and others may choose a different solution. For me, it is a great fit. I chose it because the water bottles don't interfere with my natural arm swing or from going prone. It works perfectly for me when mountain biking, wade and shoreline fishing, and short treks into brushy snag areas where a pack would be impractical. My guess is that this is what it was designed for and it works very well. You can also wear it with a numbat for easy access to a pistol and other items and a assault pack or other smaller pack for overnight or 2 to 3 day trips. The lack of shoulder padding keeps it from interfering with a larger packs shoulder straps.

In addition to the Waist belt issues and side Canteen issues, is I would want a piece of fabric to cover the bag Zippers from Rain... I would only use this Bag while on my Volunteer Trail Maintenance soriees or a Day Pack only because of the amount of water I could carry...

I always like your honest and in-depth reviews. Will you ever do a review on a Tasmanian Tiger Medic Assault Pack L? I seen some videos on it but not like you review gear, with use and testing.

Hmm, similar to the Snugpack Response pak that I use for fly fishing. I have had a few similar waist bags & I always end up having to do repairs. The problem with Cordura is that the course weave frays & pull out of the seams very easily. Mostly the products are not well made, not enough seam allowance, lack of overlocking, not enough stitching runs to hold the seams together, one is not enough, maybe 3 or 4 are needed but you usually get just 1 and and then another for the seam tape. The repair is to unpick the seam tape, glue the frayed cordura with Seamgrip & sew the seam tape back in place. You need the glue once the fabric has frayed & pulled out of the seam, then hand stitch the tape back in place. Generally the items last for decades after repair, because the problem all the bad stitching has been repaired & the rest is fine. Anyway, I like the response pack because I put a spare spool in one pocket & all my ancillary items, floatant, sinkant, indicators, mud etc in the other. Tippet material , leaders, fly boxes go inside along with 2 snake bandages, Mylar sheet etc. I put a canteen & PLB on the belt, knife on top. General outdoor gear, cloths wet weathers, food hydration etc, I use a small backpack for that. That way I can drop the backpack while fishing a pool, then pick it up again to move on upstream. The system works well for me, sometimes carry a parang on the backpack to hack through brambles. This is needed to legally access streams through private land which requires that I not step above the high bank. Land owners generally don't like it, so let the brambles grow along the streams.

Thank you.

There are inexpensive belt packs with included water bottles that are available cheap cheap cheap here in the USA at some sporting goods stores - like $40.00 or so or less. They don't have a lot of bells and whistles but do a basic job and are good for the inexpensive price for simple day hiking or even photography. But the pack part is probably 3/4 the size of the one you show here and only a belt not a harness.

Thank you

Looks like a good day packer/overnighter

I put my mountainsmith day pack on a hill people gear prairie belt and its about perfect though much more expensive...but awesome!

I’d say this is a fair assessment of the Mk2. I have one, and I enjoy it because I use it in conjunction with a pack. It allows me to keep some essentials on my person and drop my pack at camp. Granted, the pack does ride the top of the Mk2 because I have it fully loaded with a poncho on top, but overall I like it. I DO wish it was about 4 inches wider (left to right when wearing) and 2 inches deeper(front to back when wearing). This would get the bottle pockets more to the side and better accessible. I have two Eberlestock 2L pouches on the side, which hang down. I understand that might be bothersome for some people, but I really don’t mind it. It has the capability to carry a decent load to divide up what you’re carrying but there wasn’t as much foresight built into the design of this belt rig as Helikon probably thought. Overall I’m happy with it. For the price, it’s hard to find anything that’s as quality built as the Helikon Mk2 that has all the features that this lumbar pack has, even if it is somewhat lacking. If you’re interested in the Mk2, just be aware that the photos are a bit of an optical illusion, it is not as big as it appears. If you have more money to spend, spring for a Hill People Gear M2016 (similar in size), with their belt rig, and bottle pouches, or the less feature rich marsupial gear lumbar pack with your choice of hip belt, harness and pouches for a fully modular option. Just know you’re going to pay much more. HELIKON TEX! Come out with a MkIII, or a Mk2 Large, make the main compartment a little bigger (8 liters would be nice), with compression straps that thread between the main compartment and the bottle pouches. Make the front pouch magnetic closure instead of Velcro, make the access to the main compartment a zipper (as it already is) with an overhanging flap that has buckles so you can choose to leave it unzipped if you want. These buckles also act as compression straps for the front pocket/keep the front pocket closed in conjunction with the magnetic opening. But make them tuck-able with some elastic bands, in case the user wants them completely out of the way. Provide a little bit more of gusseted front pocket with shock cord that will keep it tight. Keep interior organization of both compartments the same, it’s great! Although a third compartment between the users back and the main compartment, that had magnetic closure and was loop Velcro lined, for the purpose of a hidden CCW pocket would be AWESOME. Keep the Velcro on the inside of the main compartment too. Work on that harness so that it isn’t Velcro adjustable, just some other way to adjust it. Keep them unpadded with the mesh. “Wahh! My skin!” Go buy some pads if you want, there’s a million affordable options out there. If the user runs other kit as part of a system (like I do), bulky straps just get in the way. Angle the bottle pouches slightly toward the user’s front and make them big enough to fit military canteens, keep the shock cord retainers for them, but add a nylon loop to the outer rim of each pouch so the user can pull it open enough to slide their canteen or bottle back in without having to take off the pack. Provide a soft mesh ventilated lumbar pad, make the belt with webbing just a little longer to fully reach the sides of an average person, with 3 webbing sections (vertically) for attaching Molle compatible pouches and accessories. Keep the shock cord on top, keep the straps on the bottom. Add some sewn on strap keepers anywhere you have straps. And do this for around $160ish or less, if possible. And there you have it! The best Lumbar pack on the market.

Looks fine to me and there are options to mod it for specific uses. I can think of quite a few. Reading the commentors below, I see that many are satisfied with the bag.

My daughter loves the lumbar bag.

I use it with the urban admin pouch on the left side and the helikon water canteen pouch and the bushcraft dump pouch on the right side and it fits perfectly my need for a day hike with my dog.

I bought one last year but didn’t get to set it up until this past weekend- I found the same issue with the small bottle pockets it “just” fits a 32 oz Nalgen. I wanted to have a GSR cup in the same pocket but couldn’t fit it in comfortably. I had wanted it to have as a quick hiking bag in the car but may rethink to use a bigger bag.

Hey Luke thanks for reviewing this pack. I have been on the fence about buying this. Which color did you get? I wish more people would clarify the color because many of the Helikon-tex colors are kinda confusing in different lighting.

You're right about velcro being noisy. When I'm hunting and I open a velcro pouch, I feel like I'm the noisiest thing that's happened to them all month.

made my own by putting shoulder straps on my mystery ranch full moon/hip monkey "lumbar packs". it cost less too.

Helikons E&E pouches fit on the extra rows of molle. Gives it that little extra .

I like this product. I use it when I want to do a overnight camping trip or hike. I did add couple pouches to the molly. I do agree with the Velcro. Not a big fan of.

I have used "day packs" for hunting for years, and normally the biggest challenge is finding one that does not squeak! (So many plastic on plastic items squeak under stress unfortunately.) This product is a bit of a lost leader in my mind. A military pack offers much more flexibility, but you do end up looking like a lone soldier! The hunting packs are much better and also more expensive, but you get what you pay for in most instances. The rival to the "day pack" is a smaller back pack, which will give you a lot more choice and flexibility. I use a "day pack" for hunting with a lot of walking / hard terrain involved, and a bag pack for everything else. A day pack can only really carry half what a back pack can handle comfortably. A good initial review for a product that is limited in many ways. (And I like Helikon-Tex products too!)

@TheOutdoorGearReview, Luke, what do you have against fanny packs? They're practical, tactical, convenient and extremely useful.

Not being able to access the water bottles while wearing it is for me, the No. 1 Reason NOT to buy it. I mean, it's a harness for hiking, where one would build up a thirst and having to take it off and on to take a drink? Major flaw! As always Luke, a solid, honest review, in fact my go to channel if i want an honest opinion (although i still think you should get the Flytop 4 season tent and put it through it's paces because as budget 4 season goes, I think it's hard to beat) Apart from that, GREAT content! Atb.

I like my Nixieworks Light Fighter Rig. Large integrated butt pack with load straps, 2 water pouches, molle belt, and made in USA.

Good review. Is this Helikon-Tex Foxtrot better, larger, easier to cary/open than the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack? I own the Maxpedition and from what I see in the video I tend to favor it. Thank you.

U can ad a 7L TT pouch on the backstraps.and the velcro is safe.but cant adjust them obviously

I agree with most all you have said. My thoughts are the same but then we would need to think of cost for the upgrades you are talking about. I think and can’t say for sure but I think it was built for a person who needed a budget friendly way of carrying a day pack. Two suggestions to help with some of the problems would be Hardside’s swig rig or a more budget friendly system of that type. As far as the straps I would loosen the shoulder strap before taking the system off and then tighten them after putting it back on. I use the military system this was designed off of. Again I agree with the review (but) what would it cost to redesign the system? I would love to see one come out redesigned that didn’t cost maybe over 125.00. Thanks for what you do! Love the honesty!!!!! We don’t get that much anymore!!

I'm curious if this could be easily combined with a smaller backpack so you could have a 3 tier system? 1st line being minimal basic survival, what you carry on you at all times, 2nd line being mission critical gear, and 3rd line being support gear to help you stay longer.

Feels like a first draft of a product that will need several revisions to get right.

You can swap out the h-harness for a condor h-harness with Molly webbing and add a plate carrier backpack for a more versatile small day pack