Mindshift FIRSTLIGHT® 30L vs Osprey Packs Daylite 6L Sling

ABSOLUTE BEST PART is the Hydration pouch pocket. I have the 3 liter pouch and it provides ample amount of water on extreme heat days that hit over 100 degrees filming offroad racing. For the money, this bag is a steal. The comfort of packing this bag around is second to none

It’ll save you from crying out in frustration (not that we’re speaking from experience, of course).

With padded waist straps there’s always a concern about portability.  The StreetWalker, after all, has non-padded straps that tuck inside a pocket and can virtually disappear.  So how did the folks at MindShift decide to avoid the “flapping waist strap” problem I experienced with my old LowePro pack?  They designed the FirstLight’s straps to fold back and clip around the bottom of the pack, essentially hugging the bag and remaining tight and constricted.

This was one of the best purchases for our trip, and I'm excited to bring my new BFF (the Daylite sling) back home to the US where I'm looking forward to using it on day hikes in the city and in the country too!

I’d highly recommend this bag for any long lens photographer who needs to haul their gear more than a couple miles at a time, especially if you don’t need immediate access to your camera and lens.  If you plan to do any hiking with bigger gear, the 30L is a solid choice.  For road and vehicle-based photographers (such as myself), the StreetWalker HD from ThinkTank may be a more slightly more efficient alternative. Buy the FirstLight 30L

All in all, we’ve enjoyed testing the Osprey Daylite Sling. Although, on longer hikes or day trips we usually end up wishing for a full-on daypack instead. Despite the padding on the strap of the Daylite Sling, it gets uncomfortable after a few hours (especially since its full weight dumps into your right shoulder). That said, it’s great for those smaller excursions when you need to carry more than your pockets allow, but not enough to justify a backpack

Three grab handles make it easy to hoist into an overhead bin or in and out of vehicles en route to your destination. The shoulder straps and waist belt distribute weight evenly, while the shaped aluminum torso stay provides additional support, allowing you to stay out on the trail longer.

Original review: I haven’t traveled with this yet, but I have several long trips coming up. I like having small bags for flights so I can leave my belt in there, and have my pockets empty so I can scoot through security easily (I hate it when people just don’t understand, empty everything out of your pockets!!!). I’m picky as I used to design and was in charge of inventory of packs and bags for a major outdoor company years ago and so I went over this bag and found nothing wrong with it as far as how it was made. I am 6’3” and around 240 lbs and this bag when the strap is maxed out rides where it is comfortable, my wife is very petite and when adjusted right she likes it too

The laptop/tablet pouches are on the front flap of the FirstLight, which lacks the padding of the interior of the bag, so it’s a good idea to be careful when unzipping and lowering the front flap when loaded with computer gear. If I were planning to take a MacBook Pro into the field, I’d opt for a bag with better computer compartment padding, but my laptop and tablet usually stay in my hotel room when I’m on an outdoor shoot.