ProView – Mountainsmith Dry Tour Lumbar Pack

A small, convenient lumbar pack for adventures where keeping gear dry is at a premium.

Are you looking for a bag that can do it all? Great for an overnight getaway or a week-long backpacking trip? Durable? Packable? All the right pockets in all the right places? Well, this isn’t that bag (sorry to say, neither is any other), but it could be the perfect bag for certain adventures so read on to learn more about the Mountainsmith Dry Tour Lumbar Pack.

I tested the Mountainsmith Dry Tour Lumbar Pack in winter and spring hikes and fishing trips in the Pacific Northwest. I also used the pack around town, at outdoor events when rainy weather was expected, and at the beach.

Performance

I found the Dry Tour to perform very well in its primary duties of carrying gear and keeping it dry no matter the weather. The fit is similar to other Mountainsmith lumbar packs I have used. In other words, it rides well on the hips and the pull tight waist belt is easy to cinch securely.

For adventures that don’t require too much gear, I’ve found lumbar packs to be far more comfortable than traditional day packs and allow better freedom of movement. The Dry Tour pack can also be worn in several different configurations from a lumbar pack (best for hiking and other active pursuits) to a messenger bag (best use as a camera bag for easy access to lenses and accessories) to a cross shoulder bag with the waist belt worn over one shoulder and across the chest.

Features

The bag has one large main compartment with two interior mesh organization pockets. There is one small additional pocket on the front of the pack and also one hip belt pocket on the right side. All exterior zippers are waterproof and coupled with the durable 500D TPU-coated nylon provide a waterproof pack for storage of your gear (hence the “Dry” in Dry Tour). The waterproof exterior and zippers kept my extra layers, food, and camera dry during a very wet day of salmon fishing on the Columbia River, which included several downpours.

However, I did find that waterproofness to come with a price. The exterior zippers on my pack are extremely difficult to open and require me to hold the side of the pack with one hand and yank on the zipper with the other. It requires much more force than it should and is the only reason I would worry about long term durability. Even after several months of use, the zippers do not seem to be loosening up much.

Room for Improvement

I found the water bottle holder to be a nice addition to the pack but I think it could have been better integrated. It is made of the same material as the rest of the pack which is pretty stiff and firm. This means that it fits a standard 32 or 40 oz Nalgene/HydroFlash bottle well but doesn’t adjust for smaller or larger diameter bottles. Since it does not need to be waterproof, it could have been made of a more flexible material or fitted with an elastic drawcord to hold smaller bottles. I did appreciate that the water bottle holder can be removed completely or switch to either side of the pack.

The Final Word

Overall I see the Mountainsmith Dry Tour Lumbar Pack being great for activities where keeping a small amount of gear dry is of the utmost importance. Anglers come to mind as the most likely market for this pack but I can also see the pack working great for kayaking, SUPing, canyoneering, spelunking, and short hikes with water crossings and/or waterfalls. The Dry Tour could be a great addition to the pack arsenal of serious outdoor adventures but I wouldn’t suggest it as a default day pack due to the lower capacity, very stiff zippers, and a non-adjustable water bottle holder.

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Chad works as a wildlife biologist and spends his free time hiking, camping, backpacking, and fishing. As a new transplant to Washington State, he enjoys exploring the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest. Chad is also a former Peace Corps volunteer who has lived and traveled extensively both internationally and in the U.S.