Minimalist V2 Ultralight Backpack

I have the EPX200 in blue with the Flight Vest, here are my thoughts on this pack. First of all I want to say, I really wanted this pack to work for me. My daypack is a vest style pack, so I knew what type of pack I was getting, or at least I thought I did.
Let’s start off with the construction of the pack, it is REALLY well made. The Ecopak is nice, I did not have any loose stitching, and everything seems to be reinforced very well. All of the stretch pockets are wonderful on this pack, I never thought that any of them out rip or tear with the items I was putting in them. I used the smaller of the side pockets to fit a 48oz Nalgene Bottle and a large Smartwater bottle. It’s a tight fit, but It will fit. The larger side pocket will fit sleeping pad and sit pad. All of the bungee adjustments work great as well as the straps. The main straps in my opinion are a little thin, I used them to secure my foam sleeping pad and they slid all over while I was hiking, even when tightened down. My pad never came loose, but the straps did slide a lot. The extension collar is huge, and with the collar completely open, the pack sits almost 3ft tall. The velcro at the top is a nice added touch and kept the collar closed when I had it packed full. The inside zippered pocked is a nice added touch, however the reservoir sleeve seems like a complete afterthought. I have a 2.5L reservoir, and it would not fit. It also seems to be made out of a cheap material. I used it to store my tent poles and stakes and it worked great for that. When the pack is full, it is very difficult to get to. The hip belts are nice, but are not rigid, they do not serve the same purpose as a normal hip belt. The flight vest is where this pack shines, you can fit so much in it, and I never had anything poke me through it. I fit headphones, a go pro, snacks, phone and much more.
To get the packed dialed in, I did a 8.5 mile test hike, with a weight of around 16 lbs. I took everything but food and extra clothes that I normally would on a backpacking trip. The pack performed wonderful. It was comfortable, and had zero comfort issues. It even shed off water from a light rain. However, I did sweat right through the back of the pack. The back is not very breathable. I personally thought Ecopak would perform better than it did especially for the price. I was a bit disappointed. but not a deal breaker. I bought the recommended SMD pack liner after this hike. (More on that later)
Now that I had my pack dialed in I went on a 3 day backpacking trip. With my all my food and other items, everything barely fit in this pack. The extension collar was full and the velcro at the top saved me. Packing this backpack with the liner is a hassle at best. It doesn’t seem that the liner fits the pack width wise at all. Plus you cannot roll the extension collar down which I think would help. I even tried packing the liner first and sliding it in the pack, that did not work either.
Now that pack was a bit heaver, not more than 25lbs, the once comfy pack was no more. By the end of my first 11 mile day, my shoulders hurt. And they hurt really bad, also the “D” ring at the bottom of the flight vest that attaches to the pack was constantly digging into my side, so much so it left a bruise. And no matter how much I tried, or how many adjustments I made, I could never get it to be comfortable again. At this point, I also thought the top handle on the pack could have been a bit more reinforced. It seemed a little small for the pack.
This pack is good for a 1 or 2 night trip but I believe thats about it. I believe once the extension collar is utilized, that extra weight comes down directly on your shoulders. This pack will probably work best for those who have a small amount of gear or even ultralighters.
PROS:
* Very Well Made
* Comfortable on Lower Weights
* Flight Vest is Wonderful
* Stretch Pockets are Great
* Lots of Pockets
CONS:
* Hard to Pack (With Liner)
* Flight Vest is not comfortable when extension collar is used
* Constantly Adjusting
* NOT Waterproof (Stops light rain)
* Back of pack not breathable

Bought the pack this year and have taken it on two trips, one overnighter that was 10 miles and good weather (no rain) and one 5 day, 35 mile trip. The pack is light, packs well for space, very durable. I question the waterproof claim. The first two days of our 35 mile trip it rained, our packs were completely water logged, after unloading at our camp sights there was 4 inches of water in each pack. Thank goodness we got the dry bags. Our biggest complaint though is the Flight vest. We went to the store and actually got fitted for our packs and vests. The salesmen specifically recommended the best for me and I have narrow shoulders and large breasts. Well my shoulder were in so much pain at the end of both hikes. I adjusted, I tweaked I did everything I could to no avail. The pockets are virtually useless on the vest, adding water bottles makes them more uncomfortable. It was almost unbearable on our hike out. The only other thing is there needs to be more videos on how to use the backs, adjusting, etc on the website.

I finally had the chance to use this pack for a 3 day trip with my wife. My load out was about 32 lbs (incl food & water). The pack was very comfortable with this weight, but I probably wouldn't want to go too much heavier. The outside stretch pockets are great to quickly stuff things in. The side pocket is easily reachable for water bottles. The vest harness perfect fits a canister of bear spray, so you don't need a separate holster.
The straps (waist and shoulder) make this a very adjustable pack, although you can end up with of lot of dangling straps. The hip belt pockets are a reasonable size for holding common items: snacks, phone, bug/sunscreen spray etc. It wouldn't be great for things like a spare camera lens though - probably look a one of their other hips belts (not sure why that isn't an option).
The torso length adjustment makes ensures the pack will fit just about anyone, but it can be a bit trial and error to find the right adjustment point - the adjustability was one of the reasons I went with this over lighter fix torso pack designs.

Just received my Minimalist V2 pack with a vest harness. Looks great in black! Adjusted the harness and immediately filled the pack with my base weight items, had a quick walk "around the block" and must say that it is so comfortable. I really have been looking to seriously lower my base weight for a year or so, have researched all the ultralight packs on the market, and finally pulled the trigger on Six Moons because of the vest harness option. This was my last of the "big 3" items for me to invest in, in an ultralight option. I'm very pleased indeed. Can't wait to hit the trail - just for a couple of nights - in the next couple of weeks! I have no doubt that it is the most comfortable pack I have ever used, and I started hiking a few decades ago! I highly recommend the Minimalist in black, to anyone wanting to go lighter - from using a conventional pack - and also purchasing a truly quality product.

I will be taking this bag on a backpacking trip this weekend, so far I am impressed with the construction and fit of this pack